Herricks HS writers use downtime to move upward

The Island Now
From left: Christina Kim, Cayleigh Hughes, Joanna Lau, Shifa Ali, Shazmin Lakhani (missing from photo: Arusha Kumria and Christina No). (Photo courtesy of Herricks Public Schools)

Many of Herricks High School’s English Scholar Program students got a jumpstart on their school year during the summer months, when they embraced opportunities to strengthen their writing skills and grow creatively. Sophomores, juniors and seniors eagerly participated in a broad assortment of literary events and competitions.

Sophomore Cayleigh Hughes attended the highly selective Young Writers Workshop at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, while junior Christina No took one of Brown College’s Summer@Brown pre-college courses. Shazmin Lakhani, also a junior, wrote “The Journey to the Diamond Jubilee” and “New York Jamat Celebrates Ruz-E-Nur” for The Ismaili USA. Shifa Ali’s piece, “Volunteers Play Key Role in Northeast Diamond Jubilee Celebrations,” was also featured in this news publication.

Junior Joanna Lau earned First Honorable Mention in the Long Island Arts Council at Freeport’s Second Annual Poem Writing Contest for her entry, “A Pink Sparkly Tutu,” while another junior, Christina Kim, won an Honorable Mention in Oddysey.com’s OddContest for her piece, “The Hero’s Journey.”

Senior Arusha Kumria has been writing and publishing articles on a regular basis for a teen literary magazine called Affinity Magazine. She primarily covers current events, pop culture or anything that is currently trending, and plans to continue this endeavor.

The English Scholars Program is an elective that fosters writing skills and creativity related to English Language Arts. Students meet with mentors from the English Department to design and implement an individual plan for a comprehensive project. They may choose options from a menu or develop customized ones, such as writing for publications, creative writing assignments or research projects.

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