Sheila Verkaik

Sheila Verkaik (she/they/he) is a fourth-year student of modern history and creative writing at SUNY Purchase. Their work is often inspired by their New York City upbringing, the world around them, and the past. They are the recipient of the 2026 Ginny Wray prize for fiction and the Richard Maas Award for American History. Recently, Sheila has been taking an interest in her Dutch heritage and citizenship and has endeavored to start learning Dutch. Once he graduates, he hopes to continue his education in the Netherlands. Sheila will be presenting his two senior projects, a collection of short stories he worked on during the fall semester, and a history paper about the experiences of Black Americans during the Great War period and the 1918 flu pandemic.