Creative Challenge Champions 2024-2025

Fairouz Bsharat is a Senior Literary Arts major at Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for the Arts and Technology and the current Virginia Youth Poet Laureate for Chester. She has won first place in the Fledge National Fiction and Nonfiction Competition, been named a young poet in the community by the poetry society of VA, received two Scholastic Art & Writing Gold keys, and a Scholastic Gold Medal and American Voices Award. Fairouz is published in GSU’s literary magazine Fledge, Young Writers USA, Virginia Bards Central Review 2022, American High School Poets – May Flowers 2023 anthology, The American Library Of Poetry 2023 Empowered, among other places. She hopes for her works to one day inspire someone in any way. To keep up with her work follow her @fairouzpoetry on Instagram.

Rebecca Gramlich Martínez is a seventeen-year-old fifth semester student at PrepaTec in Queretaro, Mexico. She has interests in music, reading, and writing, especially in English, and has been a fluent speaker of the language from an early age. Her hobbies include running, rock climbing, hiking, and spending time with her sister, brother, and friends. She always seeks new goals and challenges to pursue that have helped her grow and learn in different ways, such as sports, school, and improving social issues. She aspires to study Engineering and to keep finding new opportunities to learn and create new experiences.

Sophia Taghizadeh is a junior at Blue Valley Southwest High School in Overland Park, KS. Inside and outside of school, she participates in several extracurricular activities including speech and debate, swim and dive, and playing the cello. Sophia has been an avid reader from a young age and started writing as a hobby while in elementary school. She plans to further her education in college after school and hopes to continue following her passion for writing.

Timothy Martz is in his junior year at Delone Catholic High School. He is 16 years old, a hard worker, an avid writer, and he’s devoted to his faith. Besides NEHS, Tim participates in various other clubs at his school, including NHS and Mu Alpha Theta. He is very active in the music program at his school, as a member of concert band, jazz band, marching band, and chorus. He has also been a part of the theater program for years, his latest role being Mr. Webb in Our Town. In his free time, Tim enjoys playing piano, reading a good book, or spending time with friends and family.

Since Ximena Pérez Gómez was young, she has loved reading as she sees it as an escape from reality. She is not really into competitive sports, but she enjoys swimming as a relaxation method. She attends acting classes because she loves performing and the thrill of being up on stage. Among her favorite subjects we can find math because she sees it as a puzzle that is to be solved and English because she loves discussing the books she reads and writing. During her free time, you will find her either reading, writing an idea that suddenly popped into her head, or spending time with her French bulldog. She is excited about every new opportunity that comes her way and is always willing to learn and discover new things.

Born and raised in San Miguel Tenochtitlán, Jocotitlán, Regina González grew up in a close-knit family of six—traditional in many ways but always striving for progress. With three older siblings who set an impeccable example, she developed a strong sense of justice and an unwavering desire for debate. This passion for speaking up, combined with an instinct for knowing when and how to do so, led her to pursue her studies at PrepaTec Campus Toluca. For Regina, growing up meant embracing every experience—reading voraciously, building meaningful friendships, feeling deeply, failing at some things, and excelling at others, and falling asleep to the music that resonated with her soul. Today, she enjoys basketball (despite not being particularly good at it) and continues to navigate life with curiosity and determination.

Alvin Lee is a junior at River Hill High School. As the founder and president of the Student Justice Alliance, he has organized community bookshelves throughout Maryland to serve youth that don’t have reliable access to literature, developed web applications that democratize access to justice, and led forums and events with local civic leaders to inform and educate his community. As the founder and co-host of the Panorama Podcast, Alvin has interviewed guests across the political and civics spectrum like the Secretary of Maryland’s Department of Veterans, the former speechwriter for Paul Ryan and John Boehner, former US District Court Judge, and a Maryland State Delegate. The podcast has amassed nearly 30,000 total views. In his free time, you can catch him rewatching Wall-E or highlights of the Baltimore Ravens.

Asmitha Kasamshetty is a sophomore in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, passionate about both the arts and sciences. A dedicated violinist and performer of Indian classical music and dance, she channels creativity and cultural heritage through her artistic pursuits. Deeply committed to service, Asmitha volunteers with various organizations, rows with her school’s crew team, and actively participates in clubs that foster leadership and community. Her academic drive is reflected in her selection for the Summer Residential Governor’s School for Math, Science, and Technology and her role as Team Lead for Air Quality and Health on the Brain Research. Her creative writing was also recognized as a Topical Winner in the American High School Poets—Summer 2024 anthology. At the heart of it all, Asmitha finds strength in her family’s unwavering support and is deeply grateful to be surrounded by those who believe in her growth and dreams.

Mia Meikuang Tan Spruill, daughter of Christine and Mitch Spruill, is a junior IB diploma candidate at Princess Anne High School. An avid Lincoln Douglas debater, Mia revels in research, public speaking, and overthinking philosophical arguments. She has placed in state and national debate tournaments, competed as a Model NATO Challenger, and won first in the Governor’s School Humanities Research Competition for her group’s presentation on incarcerated women. Mia was one of eight recipients of the Hampton Roads Princeton Book Award, a testament to her passion for education and insatiable curiosity. Aside from school, Mia enjoys dabbling in the arts. She has been drawing recreationally for over 12 years and enjoys writing raps, rhymes, and poetry. One of her most notable works, “Hapa Girl,” received a Silver Key from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Similarly, her art has achieved the highest honor—prime real estate on the family fridge.

Abby Maurer is a sophomore in the IB program. She is a part of the Varsity Girls volleyball team and Varsity Girls tennis team, and she is actively involved in many clubs, such as Class of 2027 and National English Honor Society. She is most passionate about writing and stories and loves to read. She is a writer for her school newspaper, and she is deeply interested in digging deep into stories that are impactful to her community and those around her. She also enjoys hanging out at the beach, being with friends and family, and giving back to her community through volunteering with the Navy SEAL Foundation. Her family has always been her biggest support system, and she feels extremely lucky to have these people in her life to support her on her journey forward. She is planning on pursuing a degree in Journalism at UVA or UNC.

Violet (Skye) Pride, is a Don Tyson School of Innovation sophomore. She is a part of three honor societies, such as the National Honor Society, the National English Honor Society, and she is a part of the Thespian organization. Her academic strengths include history and theatre, and she enjoys frisbee in her free time. She is Anna Pride’s cousin and is related through connections to one of the people interviewed in the podcast, Guy Aimes. Overall, she is loved by many for her social and smart personality traits and fun essence. She has helped tremendously with this podcast through song choice and in-between interview commentary.

Anna Pride is a sophomore at Don Tyson School of Innovation and is involved in two Advanced Placement classes, along with three honor societies. These honor societies include National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, and National Speech and Debate Honor society. She is involved in various school programs such as debate and forensics, dance, and the Just Serve club. She helped make this podcast by contacting and figuring out who to interview, coming up with the questions, and, finally, interviewing and recording the commentary between the interviews.

Dani Henley is also a sophomore at Don Tyson School of Innovation. She is enrolled in one or more advanced placement classes, as well at the Thespian society. She is most well-known for her amazing creativity, through her short films, DJ career, and puppet making, she is extremely talented in her abilities. She uses her creativity to her ability through her academics. She helped make this podcast by helping find people to interview, reaching out and interviewing our second person, and editing the podcast.