YOUTH OUTLET

YO Piece:
​"strange pastoral"

Youth Outlet: Author Reflection

by ​​Samantha Kirschman

My last three summers have all included a week at John Carroll University’s Young Writers’ Workshop, and those three weeks have had extraordinary, far-reaching effects. I enjoyed the friends I made, the works I was introduced to, the mentors I worked with, the wonderful atmosphere, and the act of writing itself.

The workshop’s results, however, lasted beyond the weeks in summer. The work I produced and workshopped there went on to win me both local and national contests and scholarships. Furthermore, this workshop has influenced both my desire to write and my belief in my ability to write professionally. I have loved reading and writing for as long as I can remember, and this workshop helped me take the idea of a career in writing seriously.

​I owe many, many thanks to Dr. Metres, David Lucas, Lydia Munnell, and all the amazing people I’ve had the opportunity to meet through this workshop for everything they’ve done.

Samantha Kirschman

Samantha Kirschman is 18 and has spent the majority of her 18 years in Cleveland. She is currently a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh, with an intended major in English Writing.