Grace Yu is a student at a high school in Manhattan, NY. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing music and making origami. She has been published in Taking Our Place in History: The Girls Write Now 2020 Anthology, as well as her school’s art and literature magazines. She received an Honorable Mention in the 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for Personal Essay/Memoir.
This piece challenges the gender stereotypes surrounding masculinity through two father-son relationships. The narrator’s father associates masculinity with anger, but the cowboy father teaches his son that true strength comes from being kind to others.
This is a collection of haikus written between January 10 and January 23 that captures our combined experiences.
This piece captures intergenerational strength and familial unity through a series of moments described through piano music.
“sayonara, hello” is a cross-genre piece that explores the discrimination and isolation immigrants face. It is told from the perspective of a young Japanese girl who searches for acceptance from the people around her.
“See the Sun” is an original song about friendship, and how the people who love you can lift you up out of the darkness. This work is my tribute to all of my friends, as well as a reminder to anyone who is struggling that they are loved and valued by everyone around them. Through this composition, I hope to raise awareness about mental health, especially anxiety and depression. Recently, I have seen some of my friends struggling with their own self-worth. I want them to know that they mean so much to me, and I love them.
