High school is the place where thousands of people go about their days in the same building, living simultaneous stories all intertwined. “A sense of community is built in [Sandburg] because everyone’s here every day and to just open your eyes to that” is a great way to describe the complex reality most miss at school. It’s the perspective of Sandburg alumni Becky Wills, author of the book in verse Stun. 

Wills visited Sandburg in an author visit, describing the process of writing Stun and announcing the winner of Sandburg’s Fiction Short Story contest, Leena Ahmad. Afterwards, Mrs. Wills hosted a writing workshop for participants in the contest and those in the Literary Magazine club. She was able to describe more of the how behind her writing and, in a later interview, give insight on her full circle experience of returning to Sandburg as an accomplished author. Leena Ahmad was also able to describe her process in writing her winning short story and how writing has affected her Sandburg life.

“I can’t even tell you [what it’s like returning to Sandburg], it’s a really special experience because I loved high school so much. I think often people could have a different experience because high school isn’t always the best time for people, but I felt so looked after and that this was so nurturing to me. I’m so grateful and it’s the authentic me,” is how Becky Wills described being back at Sandburg for her author visit. 

After graduating from Sandburg, she moved to New York and eventually England. Mrs. Wills wrote Stun, a book in verse, based on her experience growing up and the opioid drug epidemic growing up. Stun is the fictional drug and Amber is the main character, and Mrs. Wills described how writing her journey was a process of self discovery and understanding. 

Mrs. Wills also announced the winners of the Fiction Contest, first place being senior student Leena Ahmad. Leena wrote a short story about “a person remembering a time when they were young and on vacation in Las Vegas, and on that vacation they wandered away from their parents who were arguing” and the introspection that followed upon discovering a mermaid actress, Leena explained. Both she and Mrs. Wills are skilled authors, largely because of the encouragement and guidance they have received at Sandburg. “In my middle school, there wasn’t an emphasis on writing outside of school. At Sandburg with my best friend Lil, I had no experience in a place that focused on writing as a passion outside of school and it’s been so encouraging, especially the Literary Magazine because there’s always an undertone of ‘I’m taking what you’re saying seriously,’” Leena said, and that sense of community formed through writing reflects Mrs. Wills’s experience years earlier. 

A significant part of both their writing journeys at Sandburg was the Creative Writing elective taught by Mr. Maguire. This class is one semester long and offered senior year. Mrs. Wills was especially influenced by that class, she explained, “I took the class Writing Fiction and Poetry, which was the first time I really realized all that poetry could be and that it’s accessible to me. I think it was that class I took senior year with Mr. Maguire, there was a fellow student, a peer, that was writing so well that it was inspirational to me. If she could, I could too.” Leena took the class her senior year as well, and both were asked if they thought the class should be available to any grade level. Surprisingly, both had similar views in that it’s best as a senior year class. Mrs. Wills answered that the class came at the right time for her, and that most students may not be ready for it before senior year. Leena agreed with how English classes are necessary to understand much of what they do in the class and should stay as required to complete first.

That being said, each differs slightly in how certain aspects influence their writing and the topics they write about. Leena outlined how where she is writing changes what she is writing, as “I feel like the best places to write for me is somewhere completely removed and is completely new from where we normally are, because feeling a familiar feeling in a new context helps you to understand it in a different way.” Leena herself was going on a trip to Las Vegas the week before she wrote her story, and it was a way for her to share her feelings surrounding it. 

In comparison, Mrs. Wills believes that setting does not affect the writing process itself, but rather how the author thinks and that in turn may affect their content. Yet, it’s these differences between authors that create such entertaining, diverse stories. Mrs. Wills put it best when reflecting on the Fiction Contest submissions, as she commented, “I was really impressed by them and the bravery to embark on a really risky plot, like from the perspective of a cat or the magic realism used in the first place story. I saw myself in all of those submissions and I really don’t do that anymore. It has dwindled, so I was really inspired by the raw openness to try something.” 

This bravery and newness in stories is exactly why it is important to participate in the writing classes/clubs Sandburg offers. Getting involved is a key part in forming connections, and the best way to do so is sharing part of yourself through your work. Clubs like the Literary Magazine and the Aquila Newspaper, as well as classes like Creative Writing, are vital ways for students to express themselves and share their opinions with others. It helps to form the community that draws everyone together, just like Mrs. Wills described.