Missy Walker ’10 has been acknowledged for her excellence in creative writing by the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. The organization recognizes the creative writings of teens ranging from grades 8-12 from schools across the country.
What pieces of writing did you choose to submit?
MW: I submitted my senior writing portfolio which is a collection of four creative pieces. The portfolio first went to the preliminary round where it won a Gold Key which qualified it to be sent to national judging. Right now it is being judged along with other pieces and portfolios from around the country.
How were you introduced to this program?
MW: In eighth grade I was encouraged by a teacher who was familiar with the program to submit a collection of poetry and a personal memoir. I decided to take the opportunity and ended up receiving a Gold Key for both my poems and personal memoir at the regional level.
What appealed to you most about the program?
MW: Really interesting artists and authors have won awards from the program, so there are a lot of remarkable alums. A few of these notable authors and artists that particularly stand out to me are Truman Capote, Andy Warhol, and Sylvia Plath.
Which English class are you taking this year?
MW: I am taking Mr. Coffin’s Creative Writing class. It’s a really awesome class that fits my interests perfectly. Mr. Coffin keeps us writing a lot. Instead of giving us outlined essays to write, he lets us choose our own. We peer edit our classmates’ work and get to see many different approaches to writing. It is definitely one of the best classes I’ve taken.
Do you see yourself pursuing anything involving writing in the future?
MW: I’ve always loved to write so I definitely see myself majoring in English, most likely with a concentration in creative writing, once I’m in college. When I’m older it would be great to do something with creative writing, but right now I am not sure what that might be.
How does it feel to have this sense of recognition from so prestigious of a program?
MW: Of course I like the good feedback, but for now I am just happy to be at a school and in a class that gives me the opportunity to do creative writing, something I genuinely love and have fun doing.