On a Thursday afternoon in November, thirty-two volunteer mentors convened at Madison High School’s library. They had been trained by Writers in the Schools to help students work on their essays for college and scholarship applications. Soon the students in Mr. Fredgant’s class filed in and were matched one-on-one with a mentor.
Susie Bartley from Franklin High School gave a presentation on tips for writing a great college essay, and then everyone got to work. Most students came with a draft of their essay, so mentors were able to help them with nuts and bolts issues, such as grammar and punctuation. More importantly, mentors helped students craft their work to showcase their experiences, achievements, and unique challenges and triumphs. Just as Ms. Bartley advised, when students portrayed themselves as a phoenix rising from the ashes, they worked to “focus on the phoenix, not the ashes.”
Judging by the conversations we overheard, the energy in the room, and the written feedback we’ve received, it was a highly successful event. Students said they will implement the mentor’s advice as they revise their essays, and mentors came away with a sense of accomplishment and excitement for what these students will achieve.
Thanks to all our mentors, the students, the teachers and staff at Madison and to Susie Bartley for helping us make this happen. We’re excited for the next session at Franklin on November 15!
Upcoming Events

Oregon Book Awards Fiction and Poetry Finalists reading
April 25, 2018
Featuring: manuel arturo abreu Omar El Akkad Samiya Bashir Allison Cobb Stephen…

Verselandia! 2018
April 26, 2018
Come celebrate Portland’s creative youth during our seventh annual Verselandia! poetry slam.

Oregon Book Awards Ceremony 2018
April 30, 2018
Join Literary Arts’ annual celebration of the state’s most accomplished writers in…

Memoir Students End of Year Reading
May 6, 2018
A reading featuring students from Jay Ponteri’s year long memoir class: Matthew…

Dao Strom, Shayla Lawson, Elena Passarello
May 9, 2018
In partnership with the Northwest Academy Visiting Writing Series Shayla Lawson is (and…

Words That Burn: Staged Reading
May 15, 2018
Words That Burn brings to life the distinctive voices of conscientious objector William…