Alumni News

Award-Winning Author: Wyoming Middle School alum Jasmine Warga won a 2020 Newbery Honor for her third novel, Other Words from Home, about a young girl who must move from Syria to Cincinnati, Ohio. Jasmine is also the author of My Heart and Other Black Holes and Here We Are Now. Her fourth book, The Shape of Thunder, is coming out in spring 2021.

Jasmine says that Power of the Pen provided a supportive environment that formed her work ethic as a writer. "Power of the Pen taught me that writing is all about practice," she says. "The more hours you put into your craft, the more you will get out of it."  You can follow Jasmine on Twitter @jasminewarga. Read more ...

Data Analytics Professional:
At first glance, data analytics might not seem like a career where story writing skills are critical. But for Power of the Pen alum Erin Blackburn-Smith, analytics manager with Tropical Smoothie Café in Atlanta, Georgia, her ability to weave a strong narrative is integral to success in her career.

Data analytics professionals are tasked with spotting trends to guide decisions, and data sometimes reveals surprises that decision-makers might resist. That’s where the ability to tell stories comes in.

Read more ...

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Alumni, we would love to hear from you! Whatever your career or hobbies, Power of the Pen would like to know about your life now and how Power of the Pen influenced you.

Please tell us about yourself, and send us photos - either from your time as a Power of the Pen writer or from today!

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Your donation helps thousands of Ohio middle school students develop their creative voices. In the 2019-2020 season:

» About 2,700 students participated in 16 district and 8 regional tournaments;
» Nearly 12,000 pieces of writing were evaluated;
» More than 600 judges provided individual feedback on student writing;
» Countless volunteers helped keep tournaments running smoothly; and
» More than 70 stories were selected to be published in the 2020 Book of Winners.

Our supporters make it possible for Power of the Pen to encourage young writers to develop their talents!

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Join Our Tournaments

Volunteers make sure that Power of the Pen district and regional tournaments are a high-quality experience for everyone! You can help by:

» Serving as a judge to evaluate writing and provide feedback;
» Taking photos or videos;
» Sorting stories in the tab room.

If you never had a behind-the-scenes look at Power of the Pen as a student, now is your chance to see what it takes to make it all come together!

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