28
Youth
April 2 - April 15, 2016
www.SanTanSun.com
Hamilton student wins coveted writing honor BY TIM J. RANDALL
Ruohan (Hannah) Miao, a senior at Hamilton High School, is set to follow in the footsteps of some of the greatest writers including Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote and Myla Goldberg. The inspired author was recently selected as a national Portfolio Gold medalist in the 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. “A Gold Medal Portfolio is the highest possible award from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards,” she said. “There were nearly 320,000 submissions this year, and I was lucky enough to be one of the 16 teens to receive this honor.” Hannah was previous profiled in 2014, as the young scribe (who is a Chinese citizen with aspirations to achieve American citizenship) was on her way to the prestigious University of Iowa Creative Writing and Cultural Exchange Program. Designed as a platform to bring together aspiring writers from around the globe, the program gave Hannah an entirely new perspective on writing. “At first [when I attended that camp], I followed the advice of ‘write what you know,’ but over the years, I’ve attempted to push past my boundaries and use more experimental, innovative approaches in my writing,” she said. Hannah’s hard work and dedication paid off as the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, which administers the awards, recognized her work as creative and thought provoking, while superbly
addressing the judge’s three distinct criterion: originality, technical skill and emergence of personal vision or voice. “I submitted a writing portfolio called ‘Anatomy of a Voice’ which contained six different pieces—one critical essay, two personal memoirs, and three poems,” she said. “The subjects in the portfolio pieces I submitted are fairly varied—ranging from modern interpretations of Shakespeare’s Ophelia to Chinese culture to finding the intersection between science and the humanities.” From the initial submission in December, Hannah’s work first received praise in February with the alliance’s regional Gold Key award, which advanced her work to the national adjudication phase. “In early March, I received a phone call notifying me that my portfolio had received a Gold Medal,” she said. With the honor of joining the 15 other senior winners, as well as a distinguished list of alumni—Andy Warhol, Richard Avedon, Philip Pearlstein, Richard Linklater, Zac Posen and Ken Burns among them— Hannah has earned a $10,000 scholarship to help pay for her next level of higher education. “It’s just surreal; it’s almost like a dream. It’s amazing to receive such recognition,” she said. According to the alliance, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards were founded in 1923 and are “the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious
recognition program for Her poetry and essays hold the creative teens in grades promise of great work to come.” 7 to 12.” There are 29 Certainly Hannah’s life is going categories, including to be changing in a big way soon poetry, photography, as she completes her final year at sculpture, humor, Hamilton. editorial cartoons and “Senior year is going well, video game design. though it does feel rather Up next for Hannah bittersweet that my friends and and her fellow winners I will all be moving in separate is a Carnegie Hall directions for college,” she said. ceremony honoring “I will most likely be attending their achievements Stanford University in the fall.” on June 2. Their work, On her writing journey, Hannah Miao. Submitted photo along with 1,000 other Hannah has many influential Scholastic Art & Writing voices to thank for her success. Award winning pieces, will be on display. “I’ve always been interested in creative “I’m definitely looking forward to the writing, but that interest was really ceremony at Carnegie Hall. I can’t wait rejuvenated in my sophomore year of high to meet the other winners,” Hannah said. school, thanks to the encouragement of “Besides the ceremony, I’m also looking my incredible English teacher, Mrs. [Phyllis] forward to showcasing my work at the Carr,” she said. “My parents have always Parsons School of Design and the Pratt been supportive of my creative endeavors, Institute’s Pratt Manhattan Gallery in New and I know they’re very happy and excited York City.” for me.” Virginia McEnerney, executive director As she takes on the next steps in her of the Alliance of Young Artists & Writers, academic career, Hannah can rely on said Hannah’s portfolio exemplifies the a reassuring and supportive friend to best qualities of the young writers who accompany her. receive the recognition. “Writing is really such a multifaceted “She is talented and thoughtful, and activity, so I’m constantly looking for has an insightful command of the language new ways to express myself in my work,” that goes beyond her years,” McEnerney she said. “Every single time I put pen to said. “Her writing reflects on timeless paper or open up that Word document, themes of love and family and growing up, it’s like releasing this giant breath I’ve been with a clear-eyed understanding of the holding and letting out all the wonder and transition from childhood to adulthood. uncertainty of daily life.”
Child have Buck Teeth?
New Research Points to Higher Risks of Trauma From Dr. Chamberlain’s Desktop
P
arents who have a child with an overjet, or what is commonly referred to by people as “buck teeth,” know some of the problems that may arise as a result. While they realize that their child may be at a higher risk for being teased or even have Dr. Thomas Chamberlain more difficulty biting into certain foods, they may not be aware that it actually puts their child at a higher risk for dental trauma. Research in the “Journal of Dental Traumatology” reports that children who have an overjet are at a higher risk for experiencing dental trauma at some point. With the teeth protruding out more, it puts them in a vulnerable position that may lead to traumatic
experiences that include chipped teeth or fractures, dislodged teeth, knocked-out teeth, and root fractures. The study also indicates that males are at a higher risk for the trauma than females are, and that those children who have an overjet that is greater than 6 mm have four times the risk of dental trauma. Overjet can occur for a variety of reasons, including heredity, improper alignment, thumb sucking, overuse of pacifiers, and overcrowding of teeth. Left untreated, it can also impact speech, leading to impediments. As most children who have an overjet can attest, it is also an aesthetic issue that may attract unwanted attention to those who have it. The good news is that overjet can successfully be corrected by working with an orthodontist. Today, there are several treatment options available to help correct an overjet, thus reducing the risks of dental trauma and other related
Dr. Thomas Chamberlain
480-899-9423
www.SmileStraight.com www.facebook.com/smilestraight
issues. Options range from braces and dental appliances to surgery for extreme overjet situations. The important issue for parents to remember is that it is a treatment that should not be ignored. Getting a proper treatment timeline may save the child years of problems and help them to avoid dental traumas. Parents who have a child with overjet will want to make an appointment with an orthodontist. During that visit, the severity of the condition can be assessed, and treatment options and timing can also be discussed. This is just one more step toward helping their child to avoid further injury, and move closer to having optimal oral health!
Chamberlain Orthodontics transforms smiles every day…
Why not yours? Call 480-899-9423 www.smilestraight.com
Two Chandler Locations: 3800 W. Ray Road (Ray & McClintock)
1055 W. Queen Creek Rd. (Queen Creek and Alma School)
Monday, Wednesday & Thursday: 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. • Tuesday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. • Friday: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Chamberlain Orthodontics Receives 2014 Best of Chandler Awards!
—New Patient Offers—
FREE
FREE
($250 Value)
with Full Orthodontic Treatment
Orthodontic Exam and Consultation
Applies to full orthodontic treatment. Offer expires May 31, 2016. Must be presented at time of consultation. Not valid with Participating Insurances. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Only applies to new patients.