Sofia has applied to attend Syracuse Summer College Creative Writing: Fiction and Poetry this summer and is raising funds for her program fees. Can you help?
Sofia
Sofia
Interest:
Liberal Arts
Grade:
10th
School:
Cathedral High School
Location:
New York, NY
Successfully funded on May 1st, 2015!
Fully funded!
$2,670 raised
$0 to go
Still want to help? Donate directly to Wishbone so we can help more students like Sofia.
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Sofia
Sofia's Story

My passion is learning.

As a small child, I would always question my mom about everything. Why is the sky full of clouds? Why do all those houses look the same? Why are there people living in the streets? Why? Why? Why? I was curious about everything, and I had an insatiable hunger for knowledge. As I grew up, my mother’s simple answers only brought up more questions, and I was not satisfied. I often made my mom bring me to the library, and once I was old enough, I went there every day. Ever since then, I've turned my questions into personal projects.

In pursuing these interests, I've always taken every opportunity that came into my path, sometimes even if it would mean stepping out of my comfort zone. Attending Syracuse University Summer College would help me expand my horizons. It would give me new experiences and new things to learn. I would be met with more challenges, meet new people, and discover unexplored territories.

Anne
A Note from Ms. Ross, Sofia's Teacher

"Sofia is a student who sets high standards for herself, and ensures that she does everything in her power to maintain them. She would benefit greatly by being a part of the Wishbone community and surrounded by other passionate and motivated students. Sofia is very invested in her education, and I believe that Syracuse University Summer College will be a great opportunity for her to enrich her knowledge and begin preparation for college."

Campaign Activity
Sofia
Sofia posted an update
August 17
My Exciting Summer at Syracuse University

My summer at Syracuse University was one of the best experiences in my life. I studied creative writing along with twenty-one amazingly talented peers. We learned how important elements of writing, such as characterization, point of view, and language set the tone and change the meaning of certain pieces of fiction. In the morning, I studied short stories that we inspected as a class. Our goal was to understand what writing element was used in order to get the message across. We would then write our own short stories that reflected what we had just learned and recite them in front of the class. I then would go to lunch and return to study poetry with two different teachers. The process would be the same, except now, we would instead study, write, and recite poetry.

I enjoyed taking part in this workshop because I got to understand many things about writing that would fly over my head before. I now know things like: if the narrator speaks in the third person, he/she is trying to get your attention away from how he/she feels to the moral of the story. I also got some feedback from my teachers and my peers about my writing. This was very helpful. I also got to hear Arthur Flowers, a writer and performance poet, during class. He managed to inspire me even more than I already was. He talked about his passion for writing and gave us some tips on how to improve ourselves. He said: “writing is as important as any other profession so you have to take it as seriously.” My favorite thing he said was “writing is cosmic -- you can put worlds into it.”

While at Syracuse University, I stayed in a dorm called “Haven Hall.” At this program I was faced with a lot of independence that I never had before. I had to get up early in the morning to take a shower, change, go eat, and get to class on time. I was given class and lunch breaks during class and I had to choose wisely how to spend my time. This campus was fairly big so that also influenced how I dealt with time. I was given reading and writing assignments, so I had to make sure I balanced out my extracurricular activities and made time to print at the library.

During this program, we had something to do everyday, even on the weekends. My favorite experiences were visiting Colgate University and Hamilton College. I learned so much about these two schools that I never knew before. Hamilton College peaked my interest so much that I’m considering attending. I also went to Stone Quarry Hill Art Park. Here my peers and I wrote group poems. The bus rides were super fun because we got to discuss many things about each college, and I got to know Syracuse’s surroundings even better.

Attending this program helped me better myself as a writer and as an individual. I had so much fun and I hope to do it again soon!

Stone Quarry HIll park
Stone Quarry HIll park
Sofia
Sofia posted an update
June 26
Creative Writing at Syracuse University

I will be attending Summer College at Syracuse University. I will be taking a Creative Writing Program in which I will be able to strengthen my knowledge on writing. I will be staying at the university’s dorm for two weeks. Attending this program will give a glimpse of what college life would be like. I will write and study poetry and fiction, exploring all techniques of writing such as: narrative, voice, description, characterization, dialogue, image, and metaphors.

I chose this program because literature has a huge role in my life. I love reading books and poetry and short stories. Nothing else gives me as much happiness as words stringed together to make a bigger meaning. I enjoy reading, but I also enjoy writing. I like to put my thoughts, ideas and feelings into words. I wish to one day be able to touch other people’s minds and hearts the same way Night by Ellie Wiesel, or Robert Frost’s poetry does to me. Attending this program will help me achieve this. It would be one step forward towards fulfilling my goal of becoming a professional writer.

Success! Ms. Ross helped Sofia raise $2,670
May 1
Anonymous donated $1,452
May 1
Anonymous donated $1,218
May 1
Anne
Ms. Ross started this campaign
May 1
Sofia
Sofia was accepted into Wishbone!
February 11