Senior Love Swayze showed falcon pride when she got a notification on Jan. 27 2026 that she won the Scholastic Writing Contest. The Scholastic Writing Contest is a creative writing contest for teens spanning across North America. Teens write stories and poems to try to receive the award. “I wrote poems, flash fiction, and I also submitted my Individual Written Argument from AP Seminar last year in the critical essay category. Three of my poems received honorable mentions and my essay received an honorable mention as well,” Swayze said.
Swayze does not just write for fun but for her personal interest in things. “I love writing because it’s a way to express myself. Personally, I love to write about the sad parts of life. The things no one wants to talk about. I try to use simple, mundane moments to show just how bad things can be, but at the same time, intertwine positive emotions like hope,” she said. Encapsulating this type of deep emotion through writing is no easy feat, but Swayze manages to showcase emotion and passion into everything she writes.
When speaking about her influences, she said, “I don’t have a favorite writer, but my favorite book is The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. It teaches that people should (1) be impeccable with their word, (2) not take anything personally, (3) avoid making assumptions, and (4) always do their best.” Swayze keeps these lessons in mind each time she begins writing. Guided by these values, she strives to create work that resonates deeply and evokes emotion in her readers.
Although Swayze is generally proud of her writing, submitting her work to this competition felt different. “Submitting it to a competition made me self-conscious,” she said. However, with encouragement from her peers and her teacher, Mr. Pattinson, she was able to build the confidence to enter. Receiving an honorable mention filled her with gratitude and a strong sense of accomplishment. “I was mostly proud, since I had never submitted my writing to competitions or anything like this before,” Swayze said.
Ultimately, the experience not only affirmed her talent but also strengthened her confidence as a writer, inspiring her to continue sharing her work with others.
