Struthers High School students attended the 2024 YSU English Festival on campus to participate in many different activities on Wednesday, April 17th and Friday, April 19th.
On Wednesday, the students that attended were Addie Cool, Natalie Wolikow, Carley Johnson, Isabella Sferra, Isabella Sahli, Josh Robinson, Jojo Coats and Julia Hennon-Hird. On Friday, the students who attended were Amanda Maro, Morgan Howard, Charlotte DuBois, Riley Guy, Amira West and Temple Jones, who were all freshmen. For many, it was a new experience getting to participate in the festival at a high school level, which is what made it so fun for new and returning participants.
Melyka West, a sophomore who attended, was grateful for the time she spent at the Festival.
“It was a really fun experience. I got to meet a bunch of new people from all over, and bond over some of the same interests that we shared. I did also get to meet some of the authors and get their autographs and pictures with them,” says West.
Various students won awards while attending the festival. Melyka West came first place in the trivia games, Ashraf Karam Milad and Maro won Honorable Mention in Writing Games, Amira West won first place in the I Heart Limericks, Guy won Honorable Mention in the Journalism Workshop, and DuBois won 1st place in Writing Games. Their hard work and dedication really made itself known in how well all the students competed.
West highlights her achievement at the Festival.
“At one point my group won first place in trivia. We all got to pick a book and got a notebook as our reward. We also got a paper with our names on it saying that we won. It was a really fun experience,” says West.
The next English Festival will be held in April of 2025 and will feature a selection of new books. This year has been a great way for students to get involved and meet new people, and many of the Struthers students hope to continue the tradition for many years to come.
Alex Ashraf Karam Milad, a freshman, encourages students to attend future festivals.
“I would recommend going if you like reading or writing. Also, you get to meet the authors and hear about their writing journey,” says Karam Milad.
