“I just love hearing about people’s stories, we all have so many hidden ones.”

Eva Shen

“I wrote a poem and it won a National Scholastic Art and Writing Gold Medal. I actually don’t really even like writing poems, so I actually have no idea how it won. My poem was called “Young Truths.” It mainly focused on issues that I felt really strongly about, and [this poem] came to me randomly, like surprisingly quick. I usually write short stories, but the poem came out complete. I think writing is easier for me because it also helps that I have a huge passion for just telling people’s stories. It also helps to draw inspiration from your favorite works, like I’ll read [someone’s work] and I’ll like it so much that I find myself imitating that author. For example, I absolutely love “A Hat Full of Sky” by Terry Pratchett, because he’s just such an amazing author, even though the book is more of like a children’s novel, I just love it so much.”