Middle school was one of the most agonizing and dragged out experiences I’ve ever had. High school would hopefully be my savior.

In middle school, I had no motivation to work hard. There wasn’t anything for me to look forward to because it was a constant routine full of boredom. That’s why seventh grader Emma looked at SOTA as if it were Christ himself. Just the idea of going to an art school where I get to write alongside people like me gave me more joy than all my three years in middle school combined ever did. It was immensely frustrating to only be able to have creative writing as a hobby rather than something I could put my energy into on a daily basis. Being taken seriously at SOTA as a writer while having three hours everyday to write makes me feel content beyond words.

Everyone at SOTA is here for a reason. They’re working toward a dream, to expand their talent and knowledge of their art, or any other reason they may have. It’s a school full of talented individuals who have a passion for an art form that they want to develop. I’ve met people who didn’t figure out they even liked art until last year, while other like myself have always done and loved their art form. For example, when I was seven years old I stole my dad’s computer and typed out my stories and ideas into the google search bar. I had no idea there was a platform called “Microsoft Word” that would have been much easier to use. Art can transform and take over anyone’s lives, no matter their age. SOTA exists to build off of that.

Strangely, I feel I’ve already adjusted to high school. I thought it would take much more time for reality to set in, but it feels like I’ve been at SOTA for a year. The already close friends I’ve made in Creative Writing might have contributed to that. Especially during the two weeks of the Summer Workshopping, which helped me understand more about creative writing while also getting close to fellow freshman. The other creative writer’s work amazes me to the point of wanting to dig inside their brain to find how they creating such beautiful writing. Some of their work is better than most published authors I’ve read. Even the voice and presentation while reading work out loud is astounding. Being exposed to writing everyday had already improved and changed my writing so I can’t imagine what it will be like by senior year. I look forward to the new experiences I will have everyday and what I will learn and see.

Emma Cooney, class of 2021