Going to the 2017 Scholastic Awards ceremony in NYC felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But even better, I got to write about the experience for GOOD magazine! Arts education is such an important part of the K-12 experience, and I believe no matter what a student goes on to do for a living, knowledge of the arts and training in creative thinking can be wonderful, empowering experiences. Check out my article, "Creative Teachers Help Teens Thrive, But We Keep Cutting Arts Classes Anyway."

The encouragment I received from my teachers– from my English teacher for all four years of high school to my twelth grade Physics teacher– helped me feel like my writing was worth pursuing. While I was never introduced to the Scholastic Awards as a student, as an educator the competition was amazing to be a part of. It is an honor to mentor students that have so much potential, and to have a competition system like the Scholastic Awards to recognize their talent.

The nationally winning art and writing from this year's students are available to view on the Scholastic gallery website. I especially recommend the short films!