When did you participate in the Shooting Stars program?

I participated in the Shooting Stars program in 2016.

How did you use your Shooting Stars experience or scholarship?

My scholarship money went towards paying for my freshman year of college. The experience of participating in the program prepared me for creative writing courses at college. Editing my pieces for Shooting Stars was the first time I really collaborated with my peers and my nominating teacher to improve my work as much as I could. Preparing for Shooting Stars also was the first time I gave suggestions to other writers about their work. Shooting Stars taught me how to receive and to give suggestions and critiques, which is something that all writers have to learn, and I’m thankful I had the chance to do so at such an early stage in my writing career.

What type of fine/performing/visual art were you passionate about then and do you still pursue that art today?

When I participated in Shooting Stars, I was passionate about creative writing. I still am immensely passionate about writing! I now study Literature and Theory in college; so far I’ve taken all the creative fiction writing courses that my school offers, and I plan to take poetry and creative nonfiction writing classes in the future. I’ve recently started submitting my short stories to professional literary magazines, and I hope to be a published novelist in the next few years.

What has been happening in your life since you participated in the Shooting Stars program?

Since participating in Shooting Stars, I’ve completed two years of undergraduate study at William Jewell College. I’ve been writing often and, with guidance from my professors and my peers, have improved quite a bit since high school. One of my short stories was selected for publication in the college’s literary magazine, which was exciting! My Junior year will be spent studying abroad in Oxford, England. I am immensely excited for this opportunity to study a subject I love in a country that has such a rich literary history. Next summer, I also plan to take a creative writing course in the Republic of Ireland. Overall, I’ve had lots of opportunities and encouragement in the pursuit of my writing.

How has the Shooting Stars program helped you to become a better artist?

Participating in Shooting Stars for literature helped me realize just how much I enjoyed writing and studying English. My whole life I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian, but the Shooting Stars program played a role in changing my mind. For me, the Shooting Stars program cemented my passion for my art, and without the program, I might not have pursued writing to the degree that I do now. The Shooting Stars program was the cause of two significant firsts for me: the first time I saw my writing in a non-school publication (elementia) and the first time a professional artist (Lynda Barry) encouraged me to continue to write! Participating in Shooting Stars helped me prove to myself that writing was something I was good at and gave me the confidence to keep working at it.