Most students, when asked, can think of one important memory that affected them one way or another. Whether about an event, a person or even a personal experience, many things can shape someone’s perspective on life. While most people don’t discuss these topics, three students chose to speak up.
On Jan. 28, 2026, three Texas High students won scholastic honors for their personal essays and memoirs. Cruz Hopkins, for her “The House He Shattered,” and Jontevia Marshall, for her “From Lost to Found,” both won the Silver Key award. As well as that, Kristopher LaPointe won the Honorable Mention for his memoir, “Shopping Cart.” Using these essays, students learned many new things about writing, as well as more about themselves.
“[The students] brainstormed and drafted two separate memoir pieces, [and chose one to] revise for specific literary features,” Texas High English teacher Kara Wicks, said. “If they were [interested in submitting their memoir to the competition], I left additional stylistic notes and met with them as necessary to revise and edit their pieces for submission. After the writing is finished, they [could] upload the work with parental permission.”
Through these memoirs, teachers hoped for more than just students learning additional skills; they also wanted students to see writing as more than just another assignment.
“Writing as an art builds so many skills which apply outside the medium of memoir: critical thinking, expansion and control of vocabulary, communication, grammar, literary and personal awareness, and memory,” Wicks said. “I want students to see writing as an art and not a chore. Giving them time to write creatively and explore their personal history is a good way to accomplish that.”
The memoirs allowed students to express themselves and their struggles through this creative outlet. This assignment turned these personal experiences into an artistic form of self-expression.
“My memoir was about how my relationship with my father shaped me into who I am today,” Hopkins said. “The thing that inspired me the most was the night my mom and dad got into a huge fight and caused us to spend our time trying to force him to leave.”
The students could write about any topic they wanted to address and use their creative freedom to express themselves as they pleased, inspiring personal and meaningful memoirs.
“My memoir was focused on a theme that time changes us, so I told a story about my old friends in middle school and how, over time, we all drifted apart,” LaPointe said. “I used a shopping cart as a metaphor for how we all changed.”
With this given opportunity to voice their struggles, one of the students saw their chance to speak out about the issues they saw in themselves and their peers in hopes of making a change.
“My memoir was about the struggles that came with growing up as a mixed girl trying to mold myself to others’ standards,” Marshall said. “I wanted my story, as well as others that may be similar, to be heard. Internalized hatred is a real thing that should be addressed among high school students so they know they aren’t alone.”
These awards from the competition greatly acknowledged the dedication and effort the students invested in crafting their essays, leaving them with a strong sense of accomplishment.
“It felt great knowing that my work as well as my story was recognized in such high regard,” Marshall said. “I believe it goes to show that speaking your truth is rewarding, whether it be emotionally or physically satisfying.”
The skills students learn through this writing style can benefit them far outside the classroom, improving them as writers but also as individuals with a voice and opinion that can influence their community.
“Writing is also a highly valued skill that shows you know how to take in information, process it in relation to all the other information you know, and communicate it to other people,” Wicks said. “Writing gives us time to process our experiences and emotions as we move forward in life.”
