by Jeffrey Stanley
BFS senior Erin C. wrapped up her junior year last May with some exciting news about a major accomplishment in her life. She received a summer scholarship from the Alliance Summer Arts Program, or ASAP Award.
She became eligible for this coveted prize by earning a Gold Key in the 2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, a nationwide competition. Erin entered two poems, one of which she had written during a writing activity in Upper School English Chair Sidney Bridges' class last year. Along with winning the Scholastic Award came the invitation to be considered for the highly selective ASAP Award. She applied, with Upper School English teacher Jenna Goodman writing her recommendation letter.
Out of over 30,000 Gold Key winners considered for the ASAP Award, Erin was one of only 80 to receive it. The award enabled her to attend the Turnstyle Program on full scholarship at Chester College in New Hampshire.
Turnstyle is an annual week-long July residency for high school students. This intensive writing program is worth 3 transferable college credits and normally costs nearly $2,000 tuition. "It was intensive but it was enjoyable throughout," said Erin. "I took classes in the morning from nine to 11. From one to four in the afternoon we met with guest authors who wrote fiction, nonfiction, even surrealism. Each of them talked to us about their own writing and led us in writing exercises." Her busy day didn't end there. After dinner every night, classes resumed from 6 to 8 pm.
"It was fantastic," she said, "the energy from being around the other writers. I definitely knew that I loved writing but I kept learning so much about so many different styles."
Erin hasn't quite settled yet on the colleges to which she'll be applying later this year but she "definitely" intends to keep writing.