Rabbit Trap

Sam Milks is a 12th grade student attending Traverse City West Senior High School and NorthwestEd Career Tech Center in the Writer’s Studio program. He is an artist with his hands in an array of hobbies ranging from graphic arts to crochet. He also plans to join the Cybersecurity field after graduation.

Drowning in the Deep

Annie Stempin is a senior at Traverse City West Senior High. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her friends. She looks forward to continuing her education at Michigan State University this fall.

Behind Closed Doors

Elyana Marschner is currently a senior at West Senior High School and plans to attend Ferris State University in the fall majoring in dental hygiene. This is her fourth year as part of the varsity track team.

Dying Flowers

Katelyn Popp is a Junior at West Senior High and has lived in Traverse City for the majority of her life. School is her number one priority, but in her free time she enjoys writing, reading, playing tennis, and spending time with her friends and family. Although her plans for continuing education are in the mathematics field, she will continue to enjoy literature in her free time.

Kathy Kozachenko: Local Legend and Unspoken Queer Hero

Keira Wesley is a senior at Traverse City Central High School, and will be attending Michigan State University in the fall to major in Linguistics. Growing up, she fell in love with writing; it gave me her voice that she, as a very introverted person, didn’t have before. Through writing, she became passionate about research, politics, and literary analysis. She can’t wait to continue writing in college and beyond!

Fostering New Female Spaces on the Net

Tess Tarchak-Hiss is currently a junior at Traverse City West Senior High. She explores the world around her by watching a copious amount of Great British Baking Show and playing roller derby as her alter ego Gretchin’ McFreakon.

Palimpsest

Elijah Flechter is a senior at Grand Traverse Traverse City West Senior High.

Anti-Ode to Starbucks Drive-Thrus

Lola Russell is a senior at the Greenspire High School and Career Tech Writers Studio. She is passionate about storytelling, and plans to attend college next year to study film.

Kendall Kotcher

Kendall (she/her) joins the National Writers Series with a background in theatre, marketing, and teaching for several nonprofits in Detroit and in Traverse City like Brainstormers, Traverse City Film Festival, Parallel 45 Theatre, Mashup Rock & Roll Musical, and Old Town Playhouse. Her passion for storytelling and events has indubitably led her to NWS. Outside […]

Hanna Lee-Kleb

Hanna joined the National Writers Series with a background in account management, digital marketing, and communications. She has worked with leading publishers like Penguin Random House and several digital marketing agencies, specializing in client engagement, campaign strategy, and brand development. Originally from the East Coast, Hanna relocated to Traverse City in 2020, quickly embracing the […]