My Saving Grace
By Kamara Fraser

‘My Saving Grace’ is about my dream of becoming a doctor as a high schooler during the Covid-19 pandemic.
I once found pleasure in a place most children dread The home to checkups and surgeries And emergency room visits Where I would observe my heroes helping and healing Using Walmart stethoscopes and toys from Target I used to diagnose my best friend and stuffed animals A game I enjoyed Playing the part of the hero On career day, my white coat was buttoned I wandered the school halls with my tools in hand Proud of my make-believe profession Then the world changed The pandemic spread quickly With it, loneliness became all too familiar a feeling Locked-down, locked-in, and lock-ing people out Together, my family watched the news Could we be next? The fear splintered me like a puzzle Death rates rose, my sanity declined Agonizing news lingered and my helplessness grew But always, the end of shift applause would piece me back together Essential workers up at the brink of dawn Dressed in hazmat suits and superhero capes Making sacrifices that nobody can see Scrubs on, saving lives and gifting breath I dream of becoming a hero Of protecting a life with my bare hands I will bring color to a world in black and white for I am the light in the dark Remember me

Taking Root: The Girls Write Now 2022 Anthology

For more than two years, our young writers have weathered an adolescence shaped by an ongoing global pandemic. But a harsh climate can also produce work of rare depth, complexity, nuance and humor. The Girls Write Now mentees in this collection have found new ways to build community and take root. This anthology is a catalog of seeds—each young writer cultivating a shimmering, emergent voice. In short stories, personal essays, poetry, and more, they reflect on life-altering topics like heartbreak, self-care and friendship. The result is a stunning book with global relevance of all this generation has endured and transformed.

Kamara fraser
Kamara Fraser is a 10th grade student from New York City. When she’s not doing her homework, she enjoys baking, reading mystery novels and submitting personal essays for writing contests. She is interested in going to college to pursue a career in medicine.