Enveloped by dozens of books that line the shelves around her, Anika Maji (12) pours the stream of words in her mind onto the screen. With her hands dancing across the keyboard, she uses imagination and her love of writing to craft one of her captivating stories. With the books that inspire her laid around her, she demonstrates her enjoyment of literature and her connections with people through each word she produces on the page. Her eyes remain fixed on the laptop as her mind brims with ideas, and she continues to set out to inspire others through her storytelling.

Anika’s fervor for writing stems from every aspect of her empathetic personality. Her open-minded personality reflects in the hours she spends on every one of her stories. She first got introduced to the concept of putting words down on paper for enjoyment in middle school, and ever since, she never wavered from her craft. 

“In seventh grade, when I wrote my personal narrative in expository writing, my teacher at the time suggested I submit the essay to Scholastic,” Anika said. “When I submitted it, it was cool because I didn’t know writing could be more than just imaginary worlds in my head.” 

As Anika’s love for writing blossomed, she explored a variety of different sub-genres such as expository writing and argumentative writing, which are just some of the fields she experimented with that correlated with journalistic writing. After joining the journalism program in ninth grade based on a recommendation from her eighth grade English teacher, Anika discovered a space where she could write more consistently and creatively in an academic setting.

Although she did not know much about the program at first, the fact that she could get to write more felt alluring enough to step into a completely unexplored subject. Doing so helped her learn more about her high school community, and go out of her comfort zone through interviews and shooting events.

“I’m really grateful that I made the decision to join journalism because not only did I get to learn about different types of writing, but a lot of other useful skills, like operating a camera,” Anika said. “Even though interviewing was scary at first, I have improved my communication skills along with my writing.”

Beyond writing, Anika also interacts with friends, classmates and teachers with her warm, welcoming personality. Although sometimes quiet at first, her listening skills and ability to make everyone around her feel seen and comfortable remains one of her greatest strengths. 

Anika strives for the high standards in everything she does, whether in academics or friendships she makes throughout life. Because she prioritizes making her writing as dynamic as possible, she derives immense satisfaction from completing a story. Although she encounters difficulties in the writing process from time to time, the end result and sense of accomplishment serve as her motivation to persist.

“When you’re a perfectionist, you just want to delete everything and start over constantly,” Anika said. “Even though it’s a bad thing, doing that helps me parse out my thoughts more and helps me understand what I don’t want to include in my writing and what I like about my writing, which helps me narrow down my ideas into a final draft that I am happy with.” 

Many of Anika’s peers and mentors acknowledge her unwavering determination and compassion in her academic and extracurricular pursuits. Close friend Trisha Iyer (12) enjoys her company because of her warm attitude and thoughtful personality. 

“For some people they have specific objects that make them feel more grounded or places that make them feel more at peace and I think, very rarely, you can find that kind of solace in a person and I think Anika is really one of those people,” Trisha said. “She puts everyone around her at ease and makes everyone feel worth noticing, which is a really special power.”

Even whilst doing the simplest of activities such as keeping her friends company or assisting a classmate with a difficult assignment, she encourages the people around her be their authentic selves. Close friend Vivian Chen (12) notes her ability to make others feel valued and appreciated. 

“While the lunch line was long, instead of waiting, Anika and I used to walk a big circle around campus and just talk, and it was always a nice way to destress with each other,” Vivian said.

In an academic setting, Anika continues to exemplify her commitment throughout all of her assignments. Anika learns for the sake of learning, as shown through her meticulous academic efforts, and puts in efforts in all of her schoolwork. Computer Science teacher Susan King observes the positive attitude and influence Anika brings to the classroom.

“Anika has such a gentle, kind, even mannerism that makes people want to listen to her, respect her, and she doesn’t anger their ego,” King said. “The way she gives people positive, constructive feedback in a nurturing way is a pretty incredible skill.”