For most high school students, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is just another required book on a syllabus. It is a story discussed in dull classrooms and then quickly forgotten once the final bell rings. But for Cassandra Koh, the classic tale became something much bigger. It became the spark for a deeply meaningful piece of writing.
On March 24, Cassandra stood in a crowded auditorium in Baltimore, surrounded by some of the most talented young writers in the region. They were all there for the annual Young Authors Contest, a competition that draws hundreds of entries every year. The structure of the contest is incredibly tough. Each grade level crowns a first-place winner and a second-place winner from a pool of highly qualified finalists. Then, from those top writers, the judges declare one ultimate winner for each grade. It is a long waiting game that tests the nerves of every student in the room.
When the judges finally called Cassandra’s name as the ultimate winner for her grade, the room erupted in applause. Among the loudest to cheer was Erin Park, an organizer who had been a constant source of encouragement throughout the entire selection process. Erin smiled warmly as she handed over the heavy plaque and shook Cassandra’s hand, cementing a moment that had been months in the making.
Cassandra was already thinking about what to write next. The trophy was a great milestone, but the real reward was knowing that her journey as a writer was just getting started. For any young writer, finding validation is tough. It is easy to feel like you are just shouting into an empty room when you are writing alone in your bedroom. This victory changed that perspective for Cassandra. It proved that her voice carries real weight and that her take on a very old story could still deeply move a modern audience. Even her teacher, Ms. Lynch, once called her “one of my best students.” As the crowd began to leave and the auditorium lights dimmed, Cassandra was already thinking about what to write next. The trophy was a great milestone, but the real reward was knowing that her journey as a writer was just getting started and that people were finally listening.
