A Tinley Park High School student has won an Illinois State Writing contest, and was invited to Springfield, IL, to celebrate this huge achievement.
Amira Hammad, a sophomore at Tinley Park High School, initially created her submission as part of a writing class assignment. On May 1st, Amira made her way to Springfield for the recognition ceremony.
She said she never could have imagined this remarkable outcome.
“Writing has been an intense passion and aspiration of mine for as long as I can remember,” Amira said. “To go from mindlessly writing journal entries in the shadows of my own room to winning first place in a state competition and having my words heard on such a large platform is an accomplishment I never would’ve even dreamed of experiencing. I could not be more grateful for my teachers, family, and friends for the endless support they've given to this silly dream of mine throughout the years.”
Amira’s teacher, Kathleen O’Connor, is very proud of her student.
“Amira Hammad is an exceptional writer. She is a life-long, avid reader and deep thinker. Miss Hammad has the ability to empathize and think things through with a mature perspective. She is wise beyond her years and will continue to excel and remain curious long after some of her peers have stopped. I am incredibly proud of Amira!”
District 228 is incredibly proud of her accomplishment!