“’Up from the meadows rich with corn, clear in the cool September morn, the clustered spires of Frederick stand, green walled by the hills of Maryland.’ My grandfather muttered this as the race horn sounded.”
So begins ninth grader Sophia Schaefer’s tale of wind and weather, of relationships that run as deep as an ocean current, and of charting your own course—even if no one (or everyone) is following you.
Originally created as an assignment for her Williston Northampton humanities class last spring, Ms. Schaefer’s short story, “Great Day for a Race,” was recently recognized by the Boston Globe Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, where it received an honorable mention. The Boston contest is the regional division of a national program that recognizes creative middle and high school students.
Ms. Schaefer’s fictional story, which was based on an interview with her grandmother, was among 20,000 submissions, including 1,750 written pieces, from more than 8,000 students, according to the Boston Globe.
English teacher Doug Niedzwecki said Ms. Schaefer’s story had stood out for its balance of detail and authentic voice.
“I do recall clearly how well Sophia integrated the emotional feeling of how memorable and meaningful the past can be as seen through another’s eyes,” he wrote in an email. “’Great Day For a Race’ is an exceptional short story, and I am especially happy that Sophia enjoyed the writing process so much.”
