Writing

Class Time(s):

Option A: Friday, 4:30 - 5:00 PM PT

Option B: Saturday, 1:30 - 2:00 PM PT

Grades: 1 to 8

Program Leader: Rena Hwang

Program Description: YAPA Kids Writing sparks an interest in writing through incorporating the students’ own experiences and imagination to strengthen their composition and elaboration skills. By integrating writing revolving around classic genres and topics as well as creative thinking, students are able to express themselves through the art of words. Under the guidance of local high schoolers, you will learn the basics structures and beneath-the-surface intentions of well-written works to strengthen your own pieces.

Program Teachers: Maggie Lee, Alyssa Yao, Angelica Wang, Maggie Dong, Audreena Javid, Erin Wang, Danielle Boswell, Jennifer Liu, Jay Wang, Suranjana Sooraj, Esha Khangura, Catherine Park, Katie To, Annie Hua, Sai Rohan Jaya Prakash, Nikhita Chintareddy, Grace Baek, Saloni Singhal, Dominique Ruedaflores, Britt Vanlerberghe, Chris Sean Venette, Alexandria Pak, Grace Jeong, Aryanna Mendoza, Radeyah H Almamun, Isabelle Reksodiputro, Nora Zhen, Sayem Kamal, Rowan Hillhouse, Isabella Wang, Madison Hounsell, Priscilla Bissah, Abhiram Cheedepudi, Kayla Tashiro, Erica Wang, Lily Parekh, Christelyn Larkin, Yalda Said, Eleanor Henderson, James Grace, Urooj Ali, Antwnila Haroun, Shrimoyee Sen, Emily Katz, Rena Hwang, Mia Wang, Lila Rowland, Emily Katz, Olivia Lyons, Fyona Mortel, Josslyn Rose

Teacher Bios

Maggie Lee

Hey there! My name is Maggie Lee and I'm a junior at Moreau Catholic High School. Writing has always been a passion of mine. Since I was a little kid, I have written many short stories, poems, and more. I can't wait to share my love of writing with you all and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do!

Esha Khangura

Hello! My name is Esha Khangura, and I am a senior at Mission San Jose High School. During and outside of class, I took on the role of editing my peers’ essays due to the commendation of my writing ability by my English teachers. Writing is essential to daily life because it is the foundation of communication, allowing people to connect with one another and express themselves. Due to the importance of writing in everyone’s lives, I aim to aid in the improvement of others writing skills.

Angelica Wang

Hai hai everyone! My name is Angelica Wang and I'm a freshman at Monta Vista High School. In 8th grade I was the president and founder of Kennedy Middle School's literature club. I am also a writing contest enthusiast, and have won small scholarships and awards for my works in realistic fiction and poetry. I love reading and writing and I'd love to share that with you. See you in class!

Maggie Dong

Hi! My name is Maggie Dong and I am a rising sophomore at Branham High. I enjoy writing and I love expressing how I feel through my literature. I am also part of the YAPA Journalism group, where we interview people and write about our analysis. At school, I practice and gain experience through my English Honors class. Looking forward to teaching you!

Audreena Javid

Hello everybody! My name is Audreena Javid and I am a rising junior attending Cupertino High School with years of tutoring and writing experience. As a young kid, I was always invested in writing and enjoyed the endless possibilities there was to it. Now striving in literature, I would like to spread my passion for this subject to younger kids in a fun and elaborate way!

Erin Wang

Hi! My name is Erin Wang, and I am a junior in high school. I love being able to create stories and bring characters and ideas to life. I believe that writing is a great way to express one's feelings and emotions and is a great way to communicate with other people. I mostly enjoy writing fiction, but I have experience in writing educational essays as well.

Danielle Boswell

Hello! I'm Danielle Boswell and I currently go to Santa Clara High School as a Senior. My experience ranges from AP classes (AP English Language, AP Seminar, AP European History) in school to short stories out of school. I've also had experience tutoring 7th graders and entertaining younger children. Writing has been a great passion and skill of mine so I can't wait to share it with you in the classroom!

Jennifer Liu

Hello, everyone! My name is Jennifer Liu and I'm a rising senior at Santa Clara High. Writing is an incredibly essential part of life, and the best way to improve it is through practice :) As a part of my school's yearbook team and by taking different AP classes (AP English Language & Composition and AP Seminar), I have experienced first hand how exciting it can be and how it helps stimulate one's imagination. I hope that everyone will learn something new and utilize this new information to create something amazing.

Jay Wang

Hey! My name is Jay Wang and I am a rising Senior at Mark Keppel High School. I have taken numerous honors English courses throughout high school including AP Language & Composition. Additionally, I have a personal blog in which I write entertainment stories, argumentative pieces, and commentary on current events. For as long as I can remember, writing has been one of my favorite things to do, and I hope I can make it your favorite too!

Suranjana Sooraj

Hello! My name is Suranjana Sooraj and I am a rising junior at Cupertino High School. I have always found writing as a way for me to escape stress and reality and it helps me find my deepest feelings. I have been an active member of a nonprofit organization, where I volunteered as a writing tutor for middle schoolers. I am also a part of the future Core Scholars group in our school, where we assist kids with their history and literature assignments. I have gained plenty of experience teaching kids of different ages through tutoring sessions and I hope to help spark an interest for writing within young learners, while also helping them polish their skills!

Esha Khangura

Hello! My name is Esha Khangura, and I am a rising junior at Mission San Jose High School. During and outside of class, I took on the role of editing my peers’ essays due to the commendation of my writing ability by my English teachers. Writing is essential to daily life because it is the foundation of communication, allowing people to connect with one another and express themselves. Due to the importance of writing in everyone’s lives, I aim to aid in the improvement of others writing skills.

Catherine Park

Hi! My name is Catherine Park and I'm a rising senior at Valencia High School. Literature and writing has always been my passion, so I am excited to share some of my knowledge with y'all! I have taken up to AP Lang and I have experience reviewing and helping my peers with their writing assignments.

Katie To

Hey! My name is Katie To and I'm a junior at Mark Keppel High. I believe writing is such a powerful tool. It can be used to express your ideas and persuade people. Your writing can impact the lives on who you choose to write for. My goal is to teach the students strong writing foundations that can help them become a great writer.

Annie Hua

Hi guys! My name is Annie and I will be a senior at Fremont High School! Writing is a vital skill to have that can help you in many subjects in school as well as in life! I want to share my love of writing with you all.

Sai Rohan Jaya Prakash

Hey, my name is Sai Rohan Jaya Prakash. I am a sophomore at Monta Vista High School. I love writing because it lets me express my emotions on paper and I feel that s a very fun and important skill one should have.

Nikhita Chintareddy

Hey y'all! My name is Nikhita Chintareddy. I am a junior at Vestavia Hills High School. I have had a passion for writing since I was young. I am thrilled to be able to teach y'all and share as much as I can!

Grace Baek

Hi! My name is Grace Baek and I'm a junior at Cypress Bay High School. I've always loved writing both creatively and more factually. I'm really excited to be able to share what I know with you guys :)

Saloni Singhal

Hi everyone! My name is Saloni Singhal. I'm a sophomore at Cupertino High School. I've loved writing ever since I first picked up a book an aspired to be like my favorite authors some day. I hope to share my love and knowledge for writing with all of you!

Dominique Ruedaflores

Hello! My name is Dominique Ruedaflores and I am a junior at Ramona Convent Secondary School. As a young girl, I have always had an immense passion for writing whether it be short stories, poems, or essays. Reading and writing serve as a creative escape into another world of people, places, and ideas, where one's imagination is truly emphasized. Currently, my favorite class in school is AP English Language and Composition and I cannot wait share my knowledge and passion with you all!

Britt Vanlerberghe

Hi everybody! My name is Britt Vanlerberghe and I am a junior at Fremont High School. I have always loved writing and creating stories. My favorite subject in school has always been English because of all the different stories we were able to read and then write about. I'm so excited to share my love for writing with you all!

Chris Sean Venette

Hey there! I'm Christian Venette, and I'm a rising junior from Daniel Maramba National High School. I'm a very enthusiastic and passionate writer, and I see writing as a way to express my feelings and emotions. I've been a part-time journalist, and I've joined a lot of writing competitions. I believe in the power of writing, and I look forward to share some knowledge and insights that I've gained through my intensive training and experiences as a writer.

Alexandria Pak

Hi everyone, my name is Alexandria Pak! Ever since I was young, I've been very passionate about reading, which later extending into writing. I have won 5 school-wide creative writing competitions and recently started outlining and writing one novel and the first book in a projected series. Writing has always been very important to me, as it helps show creativity and ideas that can't be expressed in other ways!

Grace Jeong

Hello! My name is Grace Jeong and I am a junior at Northridge High School. I love to read and write as a hobby and at school. I am so excited to join you as we journey through the depths of writing!

Aryanna Mendoza

Hey everyone! My name is Aryanna Mendoza, I am currently a junior at Buena Park High School. I really enjoy hanging out with my friends and family and running for my cross country team. I also love to write, and have loved it since I was in 2nd grade because I love the way we are able to express ourselves through something as simple as a word. I am so incredibly grateful to get this opportunity to spread more love for writing to other young students in hope they are as passionate about it as I am!

Radeyah H Almamun

Hi everybody! My name is Radeyah H. Almamun. I am currently in my junior year of High School and have had a passion for writing from a very young age. I believe it to be incredibly therapeutic, a great form of expression and a doorway to places beyond imagination. Regardless of genre the text is or whether it is informative or creative, writing is absolutely limitless and I cannot wait to take part in having young minds develop such passion and explore the endless worlds of creativity through writing.

Isabelle Reksodiputro

Writing is fun, but it's even more fun at YAPA Kids! Hello everyone, my name is Isabelle Reksopuro and I'm a sophomore at Clackamas High School! Ever since my fingers found a keyboard and a pencil, you could find me scribbling happily at the idea of a new story. I find that a pencil is much mightier than a sword, and that our world becomes much easier to handle with words as your allies. I'm excited to work with you all!

Nora Zhen

Hi! My name is Nora, and I have always been very passionate about writing. Writing can be interpreted differently by everyone, while allowing individuals to creatively express themselves in beautiful and unique ways. I have been teaching English at various programs throughout the past couple years, all of which have helped me develop great writing skills. I look forward to teaching with the all the members in this program!

Sayem Kamal

Hi! My name is Sayem, and I'm a 10th grader Roslyn High School in New York. I really like writing short stories, essays, and creative writing. I'm excited to go into depth in the world of writing and see what we can come up with!

Rowan Hillhouse

Heyyy I'm Rowan. I'm a sophmore in highschool and I like to write. Writing is a way to tell stories, whether it's your own or someone else's. That's why I love it, and I hope I can push others to love it just as much.

Isabella Wang

Hi I am Isabella Wang and I go to Baldwin School of PR and I am a Junior this year! I really enjoy creative writing. I love incorporating sarcasm into my writing. I've took journalism in freshman year and I am currently in HL English(my school uses the IB system). I can't wait to get started teaching writing and even improve a little myself while I teach it!

Madison Hounsell

Hello, my name is Madison Hounsell and I am a sophomore in high school. I have always had a passion for writing and reading. I love writing essays and diving into the world of creative writing. I am beyond excited to be apart of this program.

Priscilla Bissah

Hello! My name is Priscilla Bissah and I currently a junior at Buford High School in Buford, Ga. Right now, I am taking AP lang and I have taken many difficult courses in writing. Ever since I was kid, I have enjoyed writing books and essays during my free time. I enjoy making the writing interesting and appeal to the audience. I love writing and hope to allow my students to love it as well!

Abhiram Cheedepudi

Hello! My name Is Abhiram Cheedepudi and I am currently a Junior at Independence High School in Frisco,Texas. I am currently taking AP language and Composition and have always loved reading and writing growing up. Some of my favorite books include Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. I have learned a lot throughout the years and wish to pass my experience down to the next generation of writers.

Kayla Tashiro

Hello! My name is Kayla Tashiro and I am currently a sophomore living in Vermont! I have always had a passion for reading which then developed into my love of writing! Throughout the years I have always enjoyed book reports or argument essays as well as just writing for fun! One of my favorite writing forms is verse! I am really looking forward to passing down my joy for learning as well as writing!

Erica Wang

Hello, my name is Erica Wang, and I am a junior at Calallen High School. Ever since I was little, writing has always been a favorite pastime for me. Currently, I am self-studying for AP English Language and Composition. I wish to help students foster an aptitude and love for writing.

Lily Parekh

Hey, my name is Lily Parekh, and I'm a sophomore in high school in Toronto, Ontario. I have loved reading since I was young, and always enjoyed doing writing projects in school. Lately, I've been getting into writing poetry, short stories, and even a novel! I'm super excited to get young kids excited about these things as well, and I'm happy to be part of the team.

Christelyn Larkin

Hello! My name is Christelyn Larkin, and I'm a junior attending North Shore High School. I believe that writing is one of the most influential tools the world will ever have because books build people and change lives, so I've always dreamed of writing a book to inspire generations beyond me to always accomplish the impossible as my legacy on earth. Thus, I write a lot of science fiction short stories, which has earned me a few writing awards locally and nationally, and I want to spread my passion in a unique way!

Yalda Said

Hi everyone, my name is Yalda and I go to Deer Park High School. I love writing and I also take the course at Colombia.

Eleanor Henderson

Hi! My name is Eleanor Henderson and I am currently a sophomore at University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. I discovered my passion for writing around middle school. Over the years I have experimented with many genres of writing such as argumentative, fictional, poems, analytical, narratives, and historical fiction. However, I have found writing argumentative and fictional pieces the most entertaining for me. My goal is to let kids of the future understand how writing doesn't have to be just for education and that it can be something that's actually fun.

James Grace

Hi everyone! My name is James Grace and I am a sophomore at La Salle Academy in Rhode Island and I am going to be teaching a writing course at YAPA Kids! I have always loved reading, which helped me explore different authors' writing techniques as I grew older and helped me appreciate all that writing has to offer. I can't wait to meet you all!

Urooj Ali

Hello :) My name is Urooj Ali, I am a junior at JFK Memorial High School in New Jersey. I currently take AP Language and Composition and have taken honors English classes in the past. I love writing and in my freetime I do poetry and read, its been a huge coping mechanism for me and a way for me to escape the world and I want to share my love and appreciation through my teaching.

Antwnila Haroun

hey everyone! My name is Antwnila Haroun and i'm from Canada. I currently take AP english class as well as an elective called writers craft. I enjoy reading books because in my head I create a whole movie and it's the perfect way for me to release some stress. In the future I am actually hoping to write and publish a book! I think it's veryy important for kids to learn to write our english language well as they can succeed in life!

Shrimoyee Sen

Hi! My name is Shrimoyee Sen and I'm a sophomore attending Roslyn High School in Roslyn, New York. My passion for writing began in 6th grade when we were prompted to write a narrative on virtually anything. From there, I began exploring different forms of writing and also became an avid reader. I'm particularly fond of historical fiction (for both reading and writing) and currently am learning proper semantics and sentence structure.

Emily Katz

Hi! My name is Emily Katz and I am a junior from Georgia.While sometimes writing can seem like a chore, it actuallly really fun! I love being able to analyze, argue, and bring new topic to the surface. I am currently taking AP Lang and I love it!

Rena Hwang

Hey! My name is Rena Hwang and I'm really excited to be a part of the Writing Program! I attend Warren Highschool as a freshman in Illinois. Writing has always been a big part of my life and I want to guide others to view writing as a way of openly expressing themselves. :)

Mia Wang

Hi writers! My name is Mia Wang and I'm currently a high school sophomore. I love reading and writing in my free time. I'm also in debate and Model UN, both needing crucial writing skills! I'm happy to be working with all of you:)

Lila Rowland

Hi y'all, my name is Lila Rowland. I'm a freshman in high school based in Washington State. I've always loved reading and writing; currently I'm taking an honors english class and exploring the possibility of writing my own novel. I love working with kids so the idea of enhancing their writing journeys is a dream!

Emily Katz

Olivia Lyons

Hi everyone! My name is Olivia Lyons, and I am a junior at the Donwingtown Stem Academy in Pennsylvania. I am currently in a higher level IB english course, and I love it. I cannot wait to share my love of writing with all of the students in YAPA!

Fyona Mortel

Hi hi, my name is Fyona Mortel!! I attend Southeast Career Technical Academy in Nevada, and I'm currently taking AP Lang, along with an imaginative writing class. Writing is one of my favorite hobbies, and I always love learning more about it. I hope to make writing a fun and enjoyable experience for others, too! :)

Josslyn Rose

Hello! My name is Josslyn Rose and I'm a sophomore at Mililani High School in Hawaii. I love reading and writing, and I am so excited to be a part of this program. English classes have always been my favorite, so I hope to spread my passion to our students here at YAPA Kids!

Chloe Lee

Hi everyone! My name is Chloe Lee and I'm a sophomore at Sunny Hills High School! I've always loved to write since I was young and I am so happy I get to share it with you:)