the
kids issue
write stuff w the
THREE TEENS WIN PRIZES FOR THEIR STORIES AND STUDENT JUDGES REVEAL WHAT THEY LEARNED BY ANNA-RHESA VERSOLA
riting is hard – anyone who says otherwise is mistaken – and submitting your work to be judged in a contest is an act of courage. Just ask any of the dozen kids, ages 12-18, who submitted 23 stories for Chatham Community Library’s second annual teen writing contest in December. “I feel like I’ve just started getting the confidence to put myself out there,” says Abigail Zwahlen, 15. The Seaforth High School sophomore submitted her composition, “Under the Weather,” and won first place for the second year in a row. Abigail credits her English teacher, Riley Shaner, for encouraging her to enter the contest. Abigail is also a member of her school’s writing team. Last year, Seaforth won first place in The Quill, a statewide scholastic
Abigail Zwahlen won first place for the second year in a row in Chatham Community Library’s writing competition. The 15-yearold Seaforth High School sophomore also won first place in an individual creative writing category at a statewide scholastic contest.
40
CHATHAM MAGAZINE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2024