On November 28th, fourth-year mentee Emely Paulino was honored as an Urban Hero by the Catalog for Giving! Emely says, “Girls Write Now has changed my life. It has empowered me to take my writing to new levels that not only reflect my identity but connect to others as well. As I begin college, I will take with me all the memories that I share with Girls Write Now and with my mentor. My mentor, Jess, has helped me take risks; feel confident in myself and in my writing. She has inspired me to do the same for others and I will always be grateful for that.”
At the gala, Emely read this original poem before a crowd of more than 600 people.
The Evolution of a Writer by Emely Paulino
thirteen
seated in her English class
she is known as the writer, to everyone
but
herself
reading voraciously
yearning,
to write just as well
fourteen
seated in the back row
she feels foreign but at home
peering over
ponytails and headbands
curls and braids
at the poetry workshop
watching her first spoken word performance
inspired
fifteen
seated in a cafe in Astoria, queens
she is searching for her voice
but certain of her goals
developing her place in the Girls Write Now community
where voices are unique and reflect
different backgrounds and experiences
among these women writers she is growing
with a mentor, Jess, filled with support and motivation
she looks forward to their weekly meetings
confident
sixteen
standing in front of crowds
she is a poet,
a girl who writes now
a girl who reads her work out loud
a girl who is passionate about what she does
motivating others to search
down paved streets and up the cracked sides of buildings,
in the hustle of the crowded subway and school hallways,
past the skyline and bright lights,
for the urban hero within