Mentee Biographies (2009-2010)

Flor Altamirano

Currently a senior at EBC Bushwick, I am a teenager who takes great passion in writing. The streets in the small community of Brooklyn where I live have inspired me to become what I am today. From violence to peace, from gangs to community activists, the multi-blocks of Bushwick are where I have lived since my return to the United States from Ecuador.

I discovered my passion for writing in fourth grade, when my teacher handed me what was to be my first diary. Although still an amateur, I consider myself to be a writer because this is something I truly enjoy doing. I am still young, and my pursuit to improve my writing will continue. Although I write a lot of poetry (I once hated poetry) and fiction, I wish to soon apply my writing skills to other genres. In my path to becoming more than just an amateur, I look forward to publishing a piece that will touch the hearts of many people, that will make them use their very last neuron to think, and one that they can connect to. I wish to do of all this through Girls Write Now, where I am a second year mentee.  

Diamond Arriola
My name is Diamond Sade Arriola. I am a junior at the School for Excellence at Morris High School Campus. I was born and raised in the Bronx in the Parkchester area. As a writer, I feel I can indulge in the world of expressing ideas and visions. I mainly enjoy writing poetry and fiction. Poetry sheds a different perspective and expands common thoughts into imaginable ones. Fiction also plays a major part in my favorite aspects of writing. I like to bring life and joy to my writing. I would love for my audience to be enthusiastic and want to keep going with my stories. I am very passionate about writing as it can be therapeutic, fun, and I can relate to my audience. In the future, I would love to write suspense novels and articles for magazines. With magazines, I think it would be great to intertwine my other favorite things such as beauty, entertainers, and fashion into my writing. As for suspense, I like to write stories in this genre because I find myself teleporting to other worlds and actually pouring my feelings into the story in either my characters or settings. I hope to grow as a writer as a new mentee at Girls Write Now. This program has really helped me. They saw something in me that I didn’t and I’m grateful for that.

Emily Alvarez
I am a poet. At first, I thought poetry was "roses are red, violets are blue," but I came to find out it was deeper and more expressive than that. When I performed her first poem at age 14, I was a nervous wreck. I remember sitting on a stool, with a mic in my hand, and holding my head down. I began to speak very quietly and remember people saying, ‘speak louder.’ I just wanted to get it over with. Now, I perform at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and am much more confidant in my words. I hope to perform at the Apollo Theater one day because many historical celebrities, such as the Godfather of Soul and the great MJ himself, performed there. And if I perform there, it would be as if I blend in with the brand names.

For me, poetry is therapy. I've lived in Brooklyn for 15 years and is a returning mentee to Girls Write Now. I am in the tenth grade and attend the Lower Manhattan Arts Academy. I hope to attend Columbia University when I graduate high school. I'm interested in music journalism because I want to meet my favorite musical stars: Alicia Keys, Jay-Z and Beyonce. But, above all, I remain a poet. When I am not writing poetry or doing homework, I like to dance in the mirror and hang out with buddies.

Marie Anne K. Baltazar
I'm 17 years old, live in the Bronx, and am a senior at Bronx International High School. In 2004, I came here to New York City from Jacmel, Haiti, where I was born. When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I think of is writing. Marie Anne writes mostly song lyrics, poetry, and fiction. I want to write in a way that readers can feel my writing. I have sung with my own band my church choir, intern at a recording studio in Manhattan and like to read for hours at the Japanese bookstores around the city. This is my third year with Girls Write Now.

Brittany Barker
Somehow my parents came up with the name Brittany Claudia Barker on May 22, 1993. I’ve lived in Harlem since my birth but I spend a lot of time in the South Bronx on the Hostos Community College Campus, which is where I am a junior at Hostos Lincoln Academy of Science.  In 2011, I’ll be graduating with both an advanced regents diploma and an Associates college degree.

Besides thinking about the future, my greatest passion is writing. I’m a writer because I am bold through my pen. Writing is the only way I can release my creativity and express my feelings without fear. I AM A POET. Earlier this year, I won second place in the Harlem Overheard Malcolm X Poetry Contest. My work has been published in the 2008-2009 GWN Bridging Worlds Anthology, the Truce Harlem Overheard Magazine, and in a Harlem Children’s Zone book of teenage art and literature, developed by Mark Butler, a teacher at Promise Academy.

When I write I want to feel as if there are no barricades or limits to what I say and how I say it. My goal right now is to make sure my audience understands what I’m saying. One of my favorite hobbies is Stepping. I’m proud to say that I am the co-captain of the Step team at Hostos Lincoln Academy of Science, along with one of my good friends. I am a 2nd year mentee at Girls Write Now and I look forward to the day where I, too, can mentor a young female writer, such as myself, into a beautiful bundle of creativity and confidence.

Michaela Burns
As a child born and raised in Manhattan, I often complained of never having my parents’ suburban experience. This suburban experience seems to have strengthened many writers’ imaginations, and provided compelling plot lines for their novels. Still as a new participant to Girls Write Now who’s made it her business to explore different cultures, I shouldn’t complain. However, sometimes living in the city doesn’t leave much up to imagination.

I try to think back to the first day I picked up a pencil and let out my buzzing ideas. Some like to joke that I was born with a pencil clutched in my tiny fist. As an eleventh grader, sometimes I think this is true becuase it seems like there has always been writing, from my cheesy toddler poetry, to my failed middle school journals. Writing throughout different periods of my life has been a victim to my mood swings and strange, unusual ideas. Nonetheless, there has to be a beginning. It starts with writing my never-ending fantasy and ends with me becoming a doctor who writes bestselling books in her spare time.

After winning a silver key from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in the short story category, my desire to learn how to write well increased. I've written articles that have appeared in the Daily News and the Amsterdam News. Also, I have written articles that appeared in my school newspaper. In my spare time, I'm learning Japanese. However, for someone such as myself, an eccentric know-it-all teenager, maybe writing has always been my best outlet.

Melissa Caban
Extroverted, quirky and little obscene, I am a fearless writer. Born and raised in the Bronx, I use my everyday environment to inspire me. I also seek inspiration from my eccentric idols. One of the few is Lady Gaga. I'm currently on my way to college. In the future, I hope to change the world.

Esthefany Castillo
I was born in the Dominican Republic, but migrated with my mom to the United States at the age of three. I have been living in the South Bronx for as long as I can remember. I am now a senior at Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics and am very happy to finally be completing the required 12 years of school, which once seemed impossible to even get to.

I live a really stressful life with school, college applications, and extracurricular activities. Nevertheless, I laugh off all my stress. This past summer, I traveled abroad to France to pursue my passion for photography. In France, I participated in photography classes and held an exhibit in Paris. Aside from photography, I enjoy spending time with my friends, eating, trying new foods, and laughing while watching Spongebob Squarepants. I also like to write personal essays, but am now trying to expand my preferences to other genres. This is my first year at Girls Write Now. 

Ximena Castillo
My name is Ximena Lucien Castillo. I am 17 years old and currently a senior at Midwood High School at Brooklyn College. Though of Panamanian decent, I was born and raised in the Ditmas Park area of Brooklyn, New York. I was a late bloomer who didn’t understand the concepts of reading and writing until I turned about six. Once I did learn however, I prided myself on just how good I had become at it. That’s when my world began to expand and books began to hold a special place in my life. My favorite was: "Falling Up", by Shel Silverstein. It inspired me to write my own poems, which eventually led to writing my own short novels. I love it so much because I just have no boundaries--there isn’t anything I can’t find a way to describe. Furthermore, writing was and is my way of recording history, so it’s important for me to stay practiced at it. As someone very clever once wrote, "If it isn’t documented, it never happened’.’

Aside from writing, I thoroughly enjoy drawing, sketching, illustrating cartoons or anything that comes to mind, really. I’m even doing some of the illustrations for my high school yearbook. I intend to pursue art as well as creative writing in college and in the end I want to be able to walk into Barnes and Noble and see my work in the ‘New Releases’ section. I’ll flip open the cover and it’ll read: Story and Illustrations by Ximena Castillo. This is my first year in Girls Write Now.

Tammy Chan
I go by Tammy and I’m currently 16 years young. I am a junior at Talent Unlimited High School for instrumental music—oboe is what I play. It’s an endangered instrument, but I’ll suffice to keep it alive. I’m always literally living on the edge of places; I was born on the Lower East Side and currently I represent Forest Hills, Queens. I tend to unleash my inner burst of energy behind closed doors with my friends. Even so, past the fun and games, I’m very competitive and always on the lookout for challenges. I tend to have the mentality to prove people wrong—I guess you could say I’m a person with many different sides who gets underestimated. I’m a writer. Writing becomes, in a sense, my refuge. That being said, I can already envision my name on the front page of The New York Times! But until then, to mock the reality that is to be true, I’m editor for my school newspaper. You can say that the present is unlimited. Recently, I have had the privilege of getting one of my articles published on PBS Newshour. I’m looking forward to my first year with Girls Write Now as a chance to further hone my writing skills and accomplish my dream—to be a journalist.

Tianna Coleman
I was born and raised in Edenwald Projects in the Bronx, New York. I am currently a freshman at Academy of Mount St. Ursula. I usually write for everyone, I don’t really try to go for a certain age group, race, sex or anything. I write to inspire, I write so people can feel my writing and try to relate with me and others. For example, my poem, “Missing,” tells the story of how I lost both my parents at a young age; and I know many people can relate to that. Another poem, “I Miss,” tells of a girl who is remembering a past relationship, but also realizes that she has to let it go in order to move on. I try to reach out to all audiences; I try to be the person they can relate to, the person they can actually talk to.  This is my first year in Girls Write Now.

Clio Contogenis  
My name is Clio Contogenis; I began my life sleeping in a dresser drawer in my father’s mob-controlled apartment. We moved to the eighth floor of a building in Hudson Heights in upper Manhattan when I was eight. I take the A train all the way down to Tribeca every morning to attend my senior year at Stuyvesant High School.           

I’ve been a writer for my entire life, inspired by my parents, both writers themselves, and my love of reading. I started off imitating the books I read, trying to create 1000-page fantasy novels, which inevitably ended in failure. Then, the summer before my sophomore year, I began writing memoirs, excited by the idea that my own life was worth writing about. I enjoy making art out of reality, translating my experiences into words.            

I started with Girls Write Now in my sophomore year and have been published several times in my school literary magazine, the GWN anthology, and other publications. I have also won a number of Golden Keys in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.            

I plan to study writing in college, perhaps to become an English teacher. I also lean towards becoming an actor, as theater is one of my other passions. But no matter what I end up doing, I will continue to write.

Alissa Dwarka
You’ve finished anticipating page after page and have satisfied your craving for a journey. I hope that my book took you on a little getaway as reading it did and continues to do for me. My name is Alissa Dwarka and I’m the author of this book. What sets me apart from most writers is that I’m a freshman attending NYC Museum School and although I’m young, I’m very passionate about having my novels connect with my readers. Just like a few characters in my stories, I share the shy personality of a humble girl who’s always up for meeting new people. My readers- I hope- understand that behind my books I’m an ordinary teen who uses her stories as a gateway to reaching out to her readers. This is also why I chose to write about real life issues. I want to put myself on a level with the reader to make them think, ‘Hey that can happen to me, too!’

Reading always brought me out of the gray fog I was in because the novels I read seemed to soothe my wounds after realizing I wasn’t alone with my issues. My goal is to have my readers feel the way I felt about reading and I’ll try my best to continue doing so because it’ll be worth it. By reading my books, maybe they will get a taste of who I am as a real person and understand that we are all similar behind our titles/labels. This is my first year as a Girls Write Now mentee.

Shira Engel
Although I’m an incredulously snobby New Yorker, most of my short stories take place in international settings like England and Israel. I currently live in Manhattan on the weekdays and Riverdale on weekends – the differences between my lives in these boroughs are excellent fodder for therapeutic poetry.

I have been published in three Girls Write Now anthologies and I’ve won two Scholastic Art & Writing Gold Key awards – one for the poem "Missing the Chair" and the other for the short story "Riding Unicorns". I truly do write across the board from poetry to short stories to blogging and, thanks to Girls Write Now, I have written in almost every broad genre thinkable.

My aspirations as a writer are to be an active participant in a writing group throughout my life, create a blog on the intersectionality of Judaism and feminism, and to publish a book (on what, I have no clue yet). My inspiration is derived from a daily desperate desire for an escape from Calculus class, the feminism club I co-founded at the NYC Lab School for Collaborative Studies, where I am currently a senior, my unruly curly hair, and my adorable baby sister’s giggles and mispronunciations. This is my third year in Girls Write Now.

Emma Fiske-Dobell
I am a senior at the NYC Lab School, and live in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. Now in my third year with Girls Write Now, I have won two Scholastic Art & Writing Award silver keys and two gold keys.  In 9th grade, I won a Scholastic Gold Key award for poetry, and later received a scholarship to attend the Putney School Summer Programs, where I studied theater and poetry. 

I am passionate about writing because of its ability to raise social awareness and to affect many people in individual ways.  A poem can hold different meanings for each person who reads it, but all of these meanings are legitimate. When I started writing, I was focused completely on poetry, but Girls Write Now has given me the opportunity to explore many different genres, including personal essay and short story. I hope to continue writing, both in my journal and creatively. Along with writing, I love to act, be outside and spend time in Canada. One of my favorite books is The Usual Rules by Joyce Maynard.

L’Eunice Faust
My name is L’Eunice Beryl Mercedes Faust. I’m in the 9th grade and I attend school at the High School of American Studies at Lehman College in the Bronx, NY. I live in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. I’m a writer simply because I let my thoughts onto a page – everyone can be a writer, if they have something to write on and something to write with. My preferred genre of writing is poetry, although I do write short stories.

Although I aspire to be a psychologist or psychiatrist, my goal as a writer is to expand my vernacular and my diction choices. I love to bake, read, and relax with my friends, or go shopping with my girls. I’m a new mentee at Girls Write Now, but I want to spend the whole four years with my mentor, Tasha.

Jennifer Fuster
I fuse reality with fantasy to produce fiction. My stories are usually set in suburbia because I was raised in Florida, the sunshine state. I currently reside in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, which is basically the opposite of suburbia. I always try to implement humor in a story even if it has drama. I’m in eleventh grade and attend Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School. In the future, I aspire to publish a few novels and my main career will revolve around something more artsy like animation or graphic design. I love making people laugh, drawing, and learning new things. As a new mentee in GWN I look forward to improving my writing and expanding my opportunities as a future writer. Having control over a pen and piece of paper is pretty much all I need.

Tina Gao
I am a senior at International High School at Lafayette. I currently live in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. I was born in China and this is my fourth year in the U.S. and my third year in Girls Write Now.            

I was hesitant to write before and wasn’t sure whether the audience would like my writing or not. I want to focus more on my own voice this year. I seek both resonance and exciting new experiences in stories and those are what I want to bring to her readers. I also want to expand my imagination and to be skilled with different genres of writing.

Rachel Garcia
I knew I was a writer when I wrote a memoir to help me cope with my friend’s death, and when I started using poetry to explore relationships and my world. I began writing stories in elementary school but I didn’t consider myself a writer until I realized I was using writing to express myself and share my story with the world. I am Rachel Ann Garcia. I am 15 years old and I live in Queens. I have never lived anywhere else. I am a sophomore at the Institute for Collaborative Education.

This is my second year here at Girls Write Now and I love it. I feel privileged to be a part of a community of girls who are so bright and full of life, especially since all of us share the same passion. At the workshops when the girls get up to share with the group what they have been working on, I am left feeling inspired. I plan to keep writing, keep growing, and keep sharing my story with the world.

Sasha Goodfriend
Everybody calls me Sasha. I am a happy person, eager and open to learning new things. I am a senior at the New York City Lab School for Collaborative Studies, and I thrive on hard work and challenges. I love living in New York City (Manhattan specifically) and try to take advantage of the great opportunities there.

I consider myself a writer because it is the method of self-expression I feel most comfortable with. Besides school essays, I am most comfortable writing short stories or memoirs. When I’m not writing, you can find me either dancing (hip-hop, jazz, salsa, or swing), teaching Model UN, leading my school's student government, teaching seventh-grade advisory, attending a Girls Learn International Junior board meeting, leading a social action lounge night at my temple, or ushering at the latest off-Broadway play. If I’m not any of those places, I must be out of the country, backpacking in bliss. Last summer, my mom and I backpacked in India, China, Tibet, Nepal & Thailand. The trip changed my life, leaving me with an invisible backpack of experiences and a new set of eyes to look out on the world.

Brittney Gyles
My name is Brittney Gyles. I was born in Brooklyn, New York and was raised in Brownsville, East New York. I currently live in the same place where I was raised. I am in 10th grade and I attend Grand Street Campus's School for Legal Studies in Bushwick.

I consider myself a writer because the things I have written or even jotted down on occasion, freely and not on or by demand have been things that most people I know wouldn't even give second thoughts. Things that no one would believe because those who have known me from when I was younger still cannot believe how much of a transition I've made to get to this point. I just find that writing is what keeps me some type of sane and it keeps me intact. I can express myself and not have to worry about the pages reading themselves and judging me. I feel safe in my book.

When it comes to writing, I'll write ALMOST any genre EXCEPT essays. Don't get me wrong, I'm open to everything but essays are my pet peeve. As a writer my goals are basically to improve, to make adjustments, to experience pain because writing is a form of art and what writer hasn't experienced a bit of pain to get where they're going? Last but not least, my goal is to listen. To hear not only with my ears but also with my pen and my book.

Journalism is more of a sideline career but my main career is to become a Computer Forensics Investigator (CFI) and work on the technical side of crime. Other than all that yadda yadda and whoo ha, in my spare time, I work at the technology & newspaper club in my school as well as the poetry club. I read pure horror & mystery books whenever I get the chance and at times, I'll set my foot out of that narrow box. I do play video games (Final Fantasy, Mortal Kombat & Kingdom Hearts and Hitman ROCKS!) Finally, I spend a little time listening to music and hanging around on the net. I joined Girls Write Now to expand and improve my writing. I can gladly say I am a new mentee as of September 29th '09 AND proud of it too!

Marjorie Hopkins
I was born a ‘Marjorie Jane Hopkins’, but I have grown up as a ‘Meg’, nicknamed after my mother’s favorite character in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I was born in Staten Island, lived for six years in Las Vegas, lived for three more years in Staten Island, and then finally settled in Battery Park City with my family. Throughout these constant changes of venue, what could I do but write? I began to write my first ‘novel’ when I was seven years old, got about sixty pages in, and abandoned the idea in fifth grade. I focused on my second attempt all throughout middle school, finishing the first draft in eighth grade. Now, as a senior in Millennium High School, I am working on my third.

A little about my writing: I love writing because it is a way for me to explore different worlds and character interactions firsthand. I believe that a little bit of myself goes into all my writing. I have won a Gold Key for short stories in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. I mainly write longer fantasy and science fiction pieces, while my prose poetry and flash fiction is usually realistic fiction. My goals as a writer are to become better and better with every piece I write and perhaps even write professionally as I get older. Aside from writing, I am an avid reader, fencer, singer, and lifeguard. I am a new mentee in Girls Write Now and have been with this wonderful organization since the beginning of the year.

Kathryn Jagai 
I was born and raised in New York City, and I am very much the typical New Yorker. This includes braving four trains to traipse up to Hunter College High School on E. 94th St, where I am currently a sophomore, an hour commute from my home in Brooklyn. Fortunately (if I'm not doing homework), this usually gives me a fair amount of time to read, draw, listen to my expansive music collection, or write. I started my first novel in fifth grade, but also enjoy writing poetry, songs, and short stories. When I graduate (two years from now) my dream is to be a novelist. This is my second year with GWN. 

Dalina Massiel Jimenez
I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, where my passion for reading sparked. Moving to New York City gave me the opportunity to branch out and read books of different genres and writing styles. Now as a tenth grader in High School for Health Professions and Human Services, I constantly switch from one style or genre to the other. I believe my versatility when it comes to writing will help me achieve my dreams as a psychologist and writer for both kids and adults.  

As a new mentee with Girls Write Now, I hope to enhance my vocabulary and learn to put all my ideas on paper. Even though writing can be a bit tough, it is one of my favorite hobbies as well as spending time with my friends, reading stories online, and listening to music. Writing is one of those hobbies I sometimes, or most of the time, find hard to do regularly but when I do find the time it does wonders to my day.

Growing up without electricity in the Dominican Republic got me reading and writing. I would read anything from The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh to college textbooks about acid rain. Today I live in Washington Heights, I’m a sophomore at Health Professions and Human Services High School and this is my first year at Girls Write Now.

I write fiction as well as memoir. When I'm not doing anything that relates to writing, I'm chatting with my friends, spending time with  family or taking walks. One of my long-term goals is to write self-help books for kids.

Massange Kamara
I am a 16-year-old girl, born and raised in West Africa (Guinea). I moved to the United States in 2004 at the age of 12. I went to a middle school called Urban Science Academy where I learned English as my 5th language.  I’m currently a junior at Bronx International High School.

Most of my writing includes personal experiences and poetry has always inspired me.  My goal as a writer is to publish a nonfiction book someday.  This is my first year working with Girls Write Now as a mentee and so far I’m enjoying every single moment of this program.

Ceasia King
I was born and raised Ceasia Mecca King in Brooklyn, New York. This is the place where I still reside and where I learned to stand up for myself. I wasn’t your usual young girl--I was more like a self-conscious, calm individual, looking for a way out from the day-to-day drama. I was once an aspiring rapper, now I am an ambitious writer. Ever since I was young, I knew writing poetry was in me. I have grown into a determined, and sometimes aggressive, young leader.

Currently, I am a senior attending Millennium High School in lower Manhattan. When I was more focused on becoming a rapper, I would pretend I had a beat in my head and start writing lines and forming my raps. It would start with something like: “I’m learning without lessons, got answers with no questions.” Even though this passion for writing rhymes lasted for a while, I transitioned into writing poetry. Maybe it was when I had to perform Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise” in my eighth grade English class and I won first place. Either way, if someone were to say “express yourself in the easiest way,” I would immediately start forming a poem. When communicating my thoughts or my innermost feelings, writing allows me to be myself and focus more on being a better person rather than on whether or not anyone is judging me.

With Girls Write Now, I want to take my writing a step further and write about personal issues in different styles like memoir or fiction. This will allow me to explore different aspects of writing and prove to myself that I can handle other types of writing. One day I want to become a well-known writer who writes books for young people and who will also mentor young aspiring writers. I plan to make a book of poetry and tell the story of all the things I’ve seen. I’ve been told that my poetry reveals the strength and self-motivation in me. With a variety of topics like the influence of my surroundings, family drama and other relationships, my poetry says a lot about who I am. Writing and music are creative outlets that really save me. Without the sound of knocking beats and Lil Wayne saying “Yes, I’m the best (and no I aint positive I’m definite,)” or Maya Angelou writing “You may shoot me with your words… But still like air I rise,” I don’t feel complete. This is my first year with Girls Write Now.

Daelina Lockhart
My name is Daelina Lockhart, I am 16 years old and live in Staten Island, New York. I am a junior and currently attend CSI High School for International Studies. I consider myself to be a writer because I have a certain type of drive for picking up the pen and paper and being able to express myself through writing. I’m passionate about writing because I am able to express myself freely and openly without being judged. My favorite genre of writing is poetry because, for me, it comes naturally and I’m able to easily connect or create a rhythm. I enjoyed not only writing poetry, but also reading it.

My goals as a writer are to become a published, well-known poet. My career aspirations for my future include becoming a cognitive psychologist, an artist, and a poet. My hobbies include painting, drawing still-lifes, listening to music, and writing music. This is my first year with GWN.

Kerline Louis
I was born in Haiti. I grew up in a big, tall house in Carfour with a beautiful garden in the backyard. I started school at age three. I went to kindergarten in “Petit Laika” and spent my elementary years in a sister school in Haiti. Now I attend Brooklyn International High School and I am in the 10th grade. I currently live in Nostrand, Brooklyn, New York.

I will never forget June 26, 2006. I came to America with a dream of being a Haitian American author. Ever since I was three, I participated in every poetry contest and everything that had to do with writing. When I was five, I told my dad that I wanted to be a writer. I spent most of my time writing poetry in French and when I moved here, I started exploring metaphors and writing English poems. When I am not writing, I love reading books by inspirational authors like Maya Angelou and Judy Blume. This is my first year with Girls Write Now and I am already enjoying it.

Octavia Lowrie
My name is Octavia Lowrie. I was born and raised in the South Bronx. I am a junior at the School For Excellence. Growing up I loved reading books by Roald Dahl, John Steinbeck and R.L. Stein. I love writing. When teachers would assign writing projects, all my friends were complaining but I was excited, getting lost in my work. I wrote two plays that were acted out. To have my plays acted out felt so good and to act in them felt even better. My goal is to write plays based on life issues and also perform in them. My sophomore teacher, Mr. Bernstein, wanted to see my writing grow to help me achieve my goals so he connected me with Girls Write Now, where I’m now in my first year. This is where it really starts.

Erika Marte           
I was born in Santo Domingo, the capital of the beautiful island of the Dominican Republic. My four sisters and four brothers and I came to the Bronx, New York in 2000, where I still reside. I am now in the 11th grade in the Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice High School. I am a third year returning mentee and Girls Write Now gave me the opportunity to see that I could not continue on with life without exercising the art of writing. Writing in itself is an award that I have achieved the moment I learned of its power.

I love to write and experience all kinds of genres. However, there is something about poetry that inspires me to give it my all and expose myself in ways that I couldn’t think possible. I enjoy reading books as much as I enjoy writing. Reading a good book that gives you goose bumps and that you refuse to put down is a sensational experience. I also enjoy debating and participating in the mock trial team. My goal in life is to become a lawyer and to one day teach the beauty of writing to others who don’t quite see it. I’d rather write than eat rum raisin ice cream and that means a lot.

Meghan McCullough
My name is Meghan McCullough and I have lived in Forest Hills, Queens my entire life. My school, the Baccalaureate School for Global Education, is quite a mouthful, and so we call it B.S.G.E. for short. I am a junior at B.S.G.E., which is located in Astoria, Queens, just a short way from home. With help from both mentors at my school and at Girls Write Now, I was able to win two Silver Keys in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards; one in 8th grade for poetry, and one in 10th for memoir. I take a creative writing class once a week, taught by students from Sarah Lawrence College. When I am not writing, I enjoy kicking back with a hot caramel macchiato and listening to my favorite bands while reading a classic. This is my third year at Girls Write Now, and I am excited to form many new memories here with my mentor, Heather Kristin, and my fellow mentees. 

Arielys Mendoza
Hello all my awesome readers! As some of you may already know, I’m an author and my name is Arielys Mendoza. I’m in grade nine at Hostos Lincoln Academy and I am absolutely crazy about writing! The obsession dawned first in middle school. In book clubs we all read books—and I despised reading so very much back then. But something about those books made me interested, the twisted plot was genius, the fantasy and horror fascinated me; made me beg for more. I started writing more, and more of my hobbies were guitar playing, poem writing and listening to Metallica! Then it was destined for my goal to be a writer before I was twenty. Ever since I enjoyed very much to read and write my own little stories.

Currently, I live here in New York with my dad, his girlfriend, my sister and stepbrother. I love them all so much and they accept me for my strong passion. I know I am a writer for I put time into my pieces and different things that I attempt writing. I look up things and try to lay a strong foundation for my stories. I won awards for English, including medals. Though I haven’t published anywhere I am confident that I will someday soon. I favor writing fantasy, horror, romance all mixed into one because I truly love fiction. I also love to write poetry to express myself and it can be an amazing thing to do to relieve all emotions.

As far as my career, I would like to be an author and pursue another job with it, like being a teacher, doctor, or any other job so that I can have two. I always thought working twice as hard was always the best, and that it benefited you in the end after all the arduous work. This is my first year in Girls Write Now. My current mentor is Ingrid Skjong. She’s awesome and so is the program and I can’t wait to get started with all the work! Thank you Girls Write Now for giving me so much confidence in being a writer! 

Nadia Misir
Legend has it I grew up dancing on the streets of Queens, New York until I danced a little too close to death when a Fed Ex truck almost sent me flying to the other side of Queens.  I am currently a 17-year-old senior. The first decade or so of my life is a blur to me. I live at the end of the 'A' line, but NOT the one that heads toward Far Rockaway. Every morning on the elevated platform of the Lefferts Boulevard station the giant whale above the fish market greets me. It should be noted that there is not one Starbucks within a 5 mile radius of my neighborhood. I think that’s a pretty damn good accomplishment. Although, a Subway sandwich shop is coming soon. You know, I’d prefer living in a dream catcher. 

High school ushered in the age of my passionate love affair with the New York City subway system. I attribute some of my education to Millennium High School, where the school mascot is a mythical bird. Most of my education I attribute to the people, places and things I encounter in the city and on my travels abroad. I’ve learned everything I need to know on the subways: how to read a map, how to be charitable, how to power walk, how to navigate an underground maze, how to fall asleep and be my own alarm clock. After a long day at school I would prefer sleeping in the Gobi Desert though. Millennium is pretty cool too though since it is located on the 11th, 12th and 13th floors of the old ITT building in the financial district.  We’re across the street from Goldman Sachs too. We said friendly hellos to our neighbors across the street during the peak of the financial crisis. Every morning the guy in the pushcart makes my tea just the way I like it. It’s only a buck. 

I love to write. I guess you can tell since my "about the author" statement is so long. You must think I’m pretty full of myself to be writing this much. But if you’re still reading, you must be pretty taken up with what I’m writing. Kidding. My second passionate love affair was with bubble tea. Chinatown is my primary hunting and gathering ground. I love to people watch around there and record conversations while I pretend to read The New Yorker.  Sometimes I’ll secretly sketch people and places too. It’s okay though because this is all in the interest of art. The ‘Missed Connections’ section of Craigslist is also a wealth of inspiration. 

I love traveling and exploring airports. This past summer I waltzed around the airports of Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, London and New Delhi alone. I love languages and am currently learning Mandarin. I’d like to think I’m a writer because of my hopeless aspirations and dreams and my desires to share them with you, dear reader. In an ideal world I will be able to balance the study of medicine, Chinese, Japanese, other languages and writing along with the rest of my life.  If the next about the author statement starts off with “Nadia Misir WAS”, then you’ll know how that turned out. In the meantime, I’ll be dreaming of reveling under overcast skies in a helicopter taxi in Brazil, biking through the forgotten alley ways of Asia and dancing in the monsoon rains of God knows where.  All of these make for a vivid dream world, which I cannot help but share with you, dear reader. This is my second year in Girls Write Now.

nadia [nah-dee-ah] noun-noun 1. Zoology. A tiny teenager primarily found hiding between the bookshelves of the Strand or Mid-Manhattan Library and in the bubble tea parlors of Chinatown. 

Deiona Monroe
April 23, 1993 marked the beginning of a new life for a baby girl, brought into the sticky lusciousness of Harlem, New York City. Her name is Deiona Danielle Monroe and she is me. Now developed to the age of 16, I am an 11th grade student attending The Beacon School.

Most, including myself, describe me as funny, intelligent, friendly, outgoing, loud, expressive and many other adjectives that seem to never end. I find myself dancing (Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz, Tap and African), reading all genres of books, trying to maintain a self-earned balance with a job for the Harlem Children’s Zone, having fun throughout New York City with friends and recently, September 2009, I have begun participating in a lively and warming program called Girls Write Now.

However, one thing I find myself doing most is writing. Since I have grasped the capability to write, I haven’t been able to stop. Through writing, I have been able to express things that I simply cannot put into verbal expressions, mostly through Poetry. These non-verbal expressions have won me Regional and National Scholastic Writing Awards for Poetry. I want to extend my writing beyond the genre of Poetry; enhance what I am capable of writing. Writing has given me a new sense of life and well being; something that I can truly be passionate about. I have tried new things but have failed to continue on with them. On the contrary, writing has become a passion that I simple cannot live without; if I don’t write, I am no longer Deiona.

Yvonne Ndiaye
I was born in the Bronx. When I was seven my father sent me to Senegal, which is in Africa. I was there for ten years; I came back in July 2008. I’m an eleventh grader in Brooklyn International High School. From my English and Theater classes last year, I knew that I have writer skills. I was published in a book from BAM for Poetry. My goal as a writer is to publish a book with my own poems. I also want to be a psychologist and writer at the same time. I like to go out, have fun, and read books; I’m a new mentee in Girls Write Now.

Ariana Nicoletta
According to my birth certificate, I am Ariana Rose Judith Nicoletta. To my classmates, I am Ariana Nicoletta. To my close friends, I am “Ari.” To my parents, I am known as “young lady.” Lastly, according to my brother, I am “sis.” However, to most of the world, I am just plain Ariana. My whole story begins in Staten Island, New York, where I attended pre-school and elementary school. Though I still reside in the same area, I attended Mark Twain Junior High School in Brooklyn, New York and currently board the 6:40 am Staten Island Ferry to Manhattan, New York, where Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School is located. There, I am currently a junior, a drama major, a Relay for Life supporter, an active member of the Environmental Club and the Data and Technician Officer for ARISTA, the honors program in my school.

My passion for writing began with my mother reading me my favorite story, “Beauty and the Beast,” in which Belle, the protagonist and the heroine, is an avid reader. Committed to following in her footsteps, I began reading books. While most children had television shows, I had my stories. Then, when I was six years old, I discovered that I too could create stories. I was at an elementary school book fair, just rifling through various books, when I came across one with no words, only blank pages. Thinking that there was a mistake, I showed the book to my mother, who then introduced me to a book called a “journal.” Upon hearing this, my six-year-old mind blew with excitement. It was then that I realized that I would be able to write.

Though my journal entries have become less frequent, the stories never end. I have taken to writing fiction and poems, mostly based around events that have happened in my life. Last year, I received a Golden Key Award from Scholastic Awards for my personal essay, “Cesare,” which was based on my deceased godfather. By the beginning of next year, I am hoping to direct “ Columbinus” a play written by Stephen Karam and PJ Paperelli that is based around the events on the 1999 Columbine High School shootings. I'm also planning to write my own plays.

I have various plans for my future. I would like to write and direct plays, submit articles, teach acting, and/or go into the medical profession. Though this seems like a handful, I am not worried. I have my entire life ahead of me. Please remember… I am only sixteen. This is my first year in Girls Write Now.

Emely Paulino
I am a ninth grader at The Young Women's Leadership School of Astoria. I was born and live in Queens, New York. I love writing because I love taking small things from life and building a story around it. My favorite genre is short fiction, but I am also interested in poetry and non-fiction. My goals as a writer are to publish a novel and a short story anthology, as well as work in a field related to writing. I also love to read books, but have too many favorites to list here. I love to watch baseball and spend time with my cousins and friends. This is my first year with Girls Write Now.

Anna Poon                 
My name is Anna Poon and I’m very proud to be back for a second year as a Girls Write Now mentee. I live in Brooklyn, but I go to school in Manhattan, where I’m a junior at Hunter College High School. So I travel a lot, almost every day, whether it’s from one borough to another or from math class to an exotic, imaginary world.

I’ve seen the future, where the line between human and machine becomes almost indistinguishable, but I’ve also witnessed the past, the mythic birth of a powerful beast called New York City, whose sparkling, multifaceted voice demands to be heard. Yet most often, I see and experience the human struggle to discover one’s identity and to discover one’s voice. I’ve got a voice, an overactive imagination, and they can only be used to tell stories.

As an avid traveler of the worlds of fiction, I hope to go professional one day and publish the stories and poems that advertise my favorite places to visit and my favorite people to talk to. In the meantime, I’ve got a journal, a cello, and a yoga mat to keep me occupied.

Ashley Richmond
Brooklyn is a place where you can believe in a dream and make your dreams come true, where you can start out with nothing and end up with something. And how do I know, you ask? I know this to be true because I was born and raised in Brooklyn. My name is Ashley E. Richmond. It was in Brooklyn where I made my decision to be a singer/songwriter/author.

I’m a Leo, the creative sign, so many people told my parents that I would be destined for the arts and they were right. I am a junior at a performing arts high school, Dr. Susan McKinney SSA, (I’m a singer) and a writing program. In the past year, I recorded a song in a studio for the first time, and I was also interviewed for GWN. I had just begun writing short stories, songs, and poetry again, and when I got my acceptance letter from GWN I couldn’t wait to start my first year with Girls Write Now.

Justine Q. Robinson
I was born at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx and have lived in the same borough for as long as I can remember. I’m a senior at the Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice, which is just a few blocks from Yankee Stadium (Let's go Yankees!) and a short Bx6 bus ride to Hunts Point near where I live.

I'm a new mentee at Girls Write Now and new to this whole writing scene. However, I now consider myself a writer. I love the fact that when I write creative pieces or poems, I can go places that I've never been before. I can be anything I want with just a pen and paper. I'm not sure where I will go with writing, but one of my career aspirations is to start my own nonprofit for children. I want children to feel special and encouraged just as I had been at a young age.

I like to bake cupcakes. I enjoy spending time with my friends and my mother. I LOVE to laugh! I enjoy stepping, which is why I started the step team in my school. My favorite color is green. And if I could be any animal, I'd be a butterfly. This is my first year with Girls Write Now. 

Hannan Saad
My name is Hannan Saad and I am 17 years old. I was born and raised in Brooklyn and I am a senior at Midwood High School. Part of being a writer is being able to express yourself with absolute freedom and whitout any limitations or judgements. I find that writing is my safe haven whenever I feel down, lonely, or lost. Writing helps me see the bigger picture of many problems and dilemmas that I might face in my everyday life. Although writing your feelings on paper sometimes challenging, I have learned to express myself not only in writing, but verbally as well. I have built my communication and social skills and learned how to get my point across with ease. Writing, along with reading, are amongst the important things in my life, and without them I could not live. Writing is the air I breathe that keeps me going. Without a pen in my hand, I would not be the person that I am today, a young writer, ready to show her work to the world.

Jé-Vonna Jariann Latoya Sampson
I was born on August 28th, 1991 in Georgetown, Guyana. At the age of nine, I moved to America where I attended a public New York City elementary school. In the 5th grade, I discovered my talent for writing after winning several awards and recognition. As I continued my academic career, my focus on English and writing greatly increased even as my style evolved from realistic fiction to research and now opinion pieces.

My writing has been featured on blogs such as Yahoomusic.com, YahooOMG.com, AOLEntertainment.com, Vote18.org and Facebook.com. I began casually blogging in the 10th grade on entertainment websites, not knowing that it would turn into a hobby. I was able to be heard and express myself, and I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I saw my name up on the site with the others. I felt even better when I saw that other bloggers liked or agreed with my comment or viewpoint. When asked why I write, I reply: “I write because expressing myself with pen and paper is what I do. It is the clearest and most efficient way for me to convey my feelings.”

At the moment, I am a senior attending PACE High School in the Lower East Side, and I hope to attend Loyola University Maryland in the Fall of 2010. There I intend to concentrate my studies on Communications by majoring in Public Relations and Writing. I am often referred to as upbeat, determined, driven and dedicated by my teachers and counselors. This is my first year as a Girls Write Now mentee. With the help of my mentor and this community of women writers, I hope to develop my writing style and be a more confident writer.  

Tashi Sangmo
My name is Tashi Sangmo, and I am a senior at the International High School at Prospect Heights in Brooklyn. I was born in a very small village in Tibet into a nomadic family. I grew up as a shepherd—tending sheep all day long on the green grassy mountains along with my grandmother.  At the age of 8 my journey to India began when I left my family behind and traveled to India to the “Tibetan Government in Exile, India”--where I had the opportunity to go to school for the first time in my life.  I studied in India for 5 years and then came to the United States along with my mother.

Right now I live in Brooklyn. I am a returning mentee; this is my second year in Girls Write Now. My comfort in and passion for expressing myself through writing tells me that I am a writer. I am interested in reading and writing poems and memoir. Last year, with help of my mentor—Nancy Shapiro—I wrote memoirs about my childhood and my escape to India, and I read some of my memoir pieces at GWN’s reading events. This year, I am deciding to explore more poetry. So far I haven’t won any awards or scholarships, but being part of GWN makes me feel as though I have won something—self-confidence and improvement in the English language.

I am going to a college this year as the first person in my family to do so. I am very excited about it. I will go to Tibet after I graduate from college and teach English to Tibetan children inside Tibet. Perhaps I can build a school there. 

Emily Sarita 
My name is Emily Sarita, and I am a sophomore at the NYCiSchool. I have lived in Brooklyn, New York, my whole life. I recently started writing again two years ago, and I consider myself a writer because writing is something I love to do. I like to write fiction the most, because it is a way I can express myself and create a world that I might want my life to be like. My goals as a writer are to publish my own book and a series of books, with the hope that I can inspire someone through my writing. Besides writing, I love reading books and talking to my friends. I like reading romance, horror, mystery, and even realistic novels. This is my first year in Girls Write Now.  

Syeda Showkat
I was born in Bangladesh—a tiny speck of dirt off the coast of India. I came to this country as a four year old and am now living in it as a Bengali-American-Muslim teenager. My life, like my identity, is a jumbled mess of emotion and irrationality. Don’t blame me, it’s my “raging teenage hormones.” 

I write because I have to. Not because I want to (which on rare occasions I don’t) and not because I necessarily like it (sometimes it’s just plain frustrating). I write because my mind won’t leave me alone! I know I know… but I’m not psychotic, I promise. I’m amazingly short (like every other Bengali on the face of the earth) and I have intense opinions of right and wrong. My personal pet peeves include: writing for an audience, BO, and slurping. I love talking to inanimate objects like the TV or computer when it decides to be stupid. This is my first year in Girls Write Now. 

Cherish Smith
I was born at the turn of the new year nearly 17 years ago. I goes to Brooklyn Community Arts and Media High School, where I am a junior and am frequently found writing away during classes like Biochemistry and Math. In fact, that’s where most of the novel Alexei in Hell was penned along with my twin sister Joy.

I have been a fiction writer since the third grade and I will continue on until well after this, though occasionally she will try her hand at writing a play or musical. Now I live by the sea with her mom, sister, and the seagulls.  This is my second year in Girls Write Now. 

Joy Smith
I’m a New Yorker, so I like writing books that are set in big cities like New York. Because I’m a teenager in the 11th grade and attend Brooklyn Community Arts and Media High School, most of my characters are around my age. I’ve been writing since forever and will be way after I die.

I’ve been published in BCAM’s Faces and Voices and GWN’s anthology. I would love to get my book published, but until then I spend my time between Brooklyn and Queens going to school, playing the guitar and going to Broadway shows. This is my second year at GWN. I have an identical twin sister and an older brother and am an aunt to a nephew. 

Shannon Talley
My name is Shannon Talley, I was born August 9th 1993 in the Big Apple, New York. I live surrounded by a bunch of restless neighbors; people that yell at their children and ones who slam their front doors a little too loud. But this is the place where I grew up. The Bronx.

I’m your typical sixteen-year-old girl. I like to write, read, sing, draw, and hang out with my friends anywhere as long as we’re having fun. I also like to play sports. I like gold and tennis and I’m trying to get into track. I’m in the eleventh grade and I go to a music school, Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music. You can say that I am talented in many ways. I’m a singer and I can draw, but writing is my greatest passion. I’ve been doing it since I was little and I can honestly say it’s something that I’ve always been good at.

I love writing fiction. To me fiction is like being able to be the God of your own little world that you create where you can control characters and story lines, you can change it up and do whatever you want with it. I also love fiction because there are many types of fiction. (Science fiction, historical fiction, realistic fiction, etc.)

I’m currently an undiscovered writer but I hope one day to become a famous novelist, I want everyone to know my name and love my works. This is my first year in Girls Write Now and I couldn’t be happier. I think this program is going to help me improve my skills a lot as well as teach me more about the things that I don’t know.

Ayodele Temple
Ayodele Temple attends the Urban Assembley School for Law and Justice. She is a junior. Ayodele joined us on a very special day, November 4, 1993. She loves trying new things. She has many hobbies which make her use her creative talents, such as writing her own poetry, knitting, and, at the moment, sewing. Ayodele loves poetry out of all the others because she can write anywhere. She one day hopes to have a portfolio of 100 poems or more. Ayodele Temple has many dreams and one of them is to help teens because she is one and when she becomes an adult she hopes to leave an impact on childrens' lives. She hopes to leave footprints in their hearts.

Pamela Vasquez
Hello, my name is Pamela Vasquez. I go to Flushing International High School, I’m a SENIOR, YAY! I live in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City. But, I’m originally from Colombia. I have been in this country for around four years. I consider myself a writer because I like to write about the experiences around me and how they affect me. I also like to write about stuff I don’t like and that I’m not able to change. I also consider myself a writer because this is the only way I can express my ideas without being judged. I have won many awards in school, for leadership, from the book club, humanities and math class. No, none of my work has been published.            

I like to write memoirs, personal essays, and nonfiction. My goal as a writer is to become a journalist some day, and that’s actually what I want to present as my college major. But more specifically, fashion journalism. I like to go to the movies, listen to music, read about fashion and see new trends. I’m a new mentee in Girls Write Now. 

Quanasia Wheeler
My name is Quanasia Wheeler and I'm in the eleventh grade at the Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice. I live in Harlem in Manhattan. I consider myself a writer because I wake up wanting to write and use it as an outlet from life. Every year I am on the principal's honor roll. I prefer to write poetry, but I also like to write fictional short stories.

I would like to be a psychologist, so as a writer I hope to be able to write for more mature audiences. I love to party and listen to music from Evanescence and Paramore. This is my third year as a GWN mentee and I hope to continue being a returning mentee up until I graduate high school. 

Krystal Woodley
I was born on March 18, 1992, in New York City’s Lenox Hill Hospital. As a young African American woman maturing in the 21st century, and attending public school in Harlem, the main form of expressing my feelings was through writing. I always felt my writing was unique and had a story for those silenced by various tragedies. My writing reflects me and my experiences such as any hardships I have survived and obstacles I have overcome. My writing covers what truly impacted my life; the many people, things and mistakes I encountered over the years. Writing allows us to escape and explore new, unidentified land; once conquered by knowledge, it is then expressed to the world and we become better people.  This is my first year in Girls Write Now.