An 8th grader at the Hoboken Dual Language Charter School (HoLa) received the 2024 Promising Young Writer award from the National Council of Teachers of English.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Georgie Galindez received a “superior” recognition for her submission reflecting on a personal story of post-pandemic disconnection and grief in response to American Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman’s “The Miracle of Morning.”
“I am honored to receive this recognition as a Promising Young Writer and thank the judges for their consideration. This opportunity allowed me to express my perspective on the impact of the pandemic on youth,” she said in a statement.
“I know people went through a lot of hardships at that time, but it was also a period where we could all grow. Hopefully other writers are inspired to express themselves so they use their voice to connect with other people.”
Over 177 students participated in the contest this year, hailing from 33 states and Puerto Rico, as well as Canada and South Africa.
Submissions were graded by a panel of judges on a variety of criteria including effectiveness, expression, language use, unique perspective and voice.
“HoLa’s proven approach to language education is on display in the work of our immensely talented young writers,” began HoLa Hoboken Executive Director Jennifer Sargent.
“The wealth of cultural immersion and experiential opportunities they receive complements each student’s unique creative skills, yielding the authors, playwrights and poet laureates of tomorrow. Georgie, you make your entire school and community so proud of what you’ve accomplished.”
NCTE was formed a century ago to further the English arts and instruction at all levels of education, and has held the competition since 1985 to spotlight the writing talents of eighth-grade students and the importance of the written word.
