Words have the power to inspire, challenge, and transform. In this collection of student writings and performances, we hear from NEHS student members who are unafraid to explore deep, personal, and urgent themes—environmental preservation, freedom, self-discovery, and redemption. Each piece reflects a different perspective, yet they all share a common thread: the desire for change.
Read on to experience the beauty, strength, and urgency in the winning submissions from the NEHS Monologue Writing & Performance Creative Challenge.
Look out for the upcoming Civil Rights Interview Podcast Challenge (applications are open April 7-21, 2025) and prepare your submission!
Freedom
by Regina González
PrepaTec Toluca, Mexico
The thought of liberty has come to me lately, not the kind that I already have but the one that only comes from peace, from freedom, from a security that cannot be doubted. From that kind of freedom: the one I wouldn’t even question the reality of.
Is the freedom that I have now enough? When the cities are still burning even though they are way too far from me to feel the warmth, when the bodies of the ones that I could have called friends are still showing up in numbers I have forgotten.
Thomas Jefferson once said “I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery;” are we at that point? When expression has become a privilege rather than a right for everyone to have in China, when my own voice is forbidden in Afghanistan, where the normalized sound of war surrounds us since birth, Aleppo screams and we choose not to hear, the Gaza Strip is falling down at our feet and regardless of all that, we still choose not to look down. Even at this point, the desire to stay blind to it clings to my gut and permeates my thoughts as much as the real world does; I remind myself that I have to grow against challenges in order to prove myself.
We need to stop teaching violence, to stop believing that sense of superiority that blinds us. Mahatma Gandhi said “An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” I don’t want to go blind; I want to go out at night, not looking twice over my shoulder, without having my keys between my fingers, and still feel safe.
I want security, without persistent fear, without the hidden scars and the silence that beats with my blood and moves in each of my muscles, that is felt in all of my nerves and stays in each of my words.
Finally, give me something else to ask for other than liberty in a world full of limits and narcissist control, banned words, songs and books. In this world in pieces and going through massacres, they must hear me sing, scream it all; it must be heard, it just has to be heard, no more whispers about my dead body and fresh blood becoming figures and percentages. I want my body in songs and my blood to become old, just like this idea of peace has become.
I need a change.
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.
The Voice of the Earth
by Ximena Pérez Gómez
Fundación Colegio Americano de Puebla, Mexico
I love this world; I love this world because it is full of trees and birds and humans and nature and life. I love this world because I have built it. Bit by bit. I have been here since the first creatures were born, since the first trees were planted, since the first birds started singing, and since the first fish started swimming. I have been here since the very beginning. I love it with all my heart and soul. I am this world, its life, its pulse. I have been here since the first humans took their first breath, since the first humans took their first steps. I have watched them grow and evolve. I have given them water, fish, and all they could ever ask for.
I watched when they built their first cities. I saw their first building being constructed; the first factory being assembled. And yet they forgot about me. They still use my waters. Of course they do, they need me. But now they throw their dirty waste to my sparkling transparent waters. How dare they? They have forgotten they need me. They keep polluting my reservoir forgetting the fish they consume drink of that same H2O. They forget I am the reason they are alive.
And yet I am asked, do I still love them? I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t love the creatures that have sickened me and yet I still do because I have watched them since birth. I know they have destroyed me, but they are destroying themselves more. They are fighting too many wars among themselves and forget what truly matters. They are too busy thinking of those green pieces of paper that come from the trees and those golden coins to think about their fellow neighbors. They are too preoccupied thinking of themselves to notice their surrounding dying trees. They are too immersed in their own lives to think about me, their only water supplier.
And yet I still love them. Because I believe they can change. They did it once, they can do it again. I believe they can change for the better. They can open their eyes and see what’s in front of them. Even though they are our destroyers they are also our saviors. I just would hurry. Hurry before it is too late and there is nothing left to save . . .
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 a 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 for every new opportunity that comes her way and is always willing to learn and discover new things.
Where Passion Dies
by Leah Robinson
Langley High School, Virginia
You tell me I need to change, why do I need to change when there’s nothing I’m doing wrong?
Yeah, I know I’m not perfect, but neither are you, sir.
I need to change who I am because you don’t like the person I’m becoming.
But how would you know? I don’t even know who I am!
And why should I?
Not even 18, and you tell me who I should be, but I don’t even know me, sir.
And I’m tired—tired of this place, this school, these people.
I’m here to learn to read and write, but if anything, I’ve lost it.
Sir, I used to love to read, I loved to write.
From Charlotte’s Web to my own diary—every page, a new adventure, a new escape.
You’d have to pry the flashlight and paperback from my youthful grasp,
Hiding under the covers, devouring stories long past bedtime.
But now? Now I can’t remember the joyous addiction of flipping pages.
It’s like my aged fingers creak now with how you tell me how to read.
Oh! And without reading, how could I ever pick up a pen?
I click-clack away on the keyboard at your command, yet I’ve lost what it is to write.
I only know the formulas I am told. The five-paragraph essay, the topic sentence,
The thesis, the conclusion—robotic, soulless. I was an obedient student, sir.
But obedience has its price, doesn’t it?
You tell me I’m wrong, but who says you’re right?
Do you hold the monopoly on truth? On what it means to succeed?
You point at my grades, my mistakes, my so-called potential.
Yet you miss the spark I used to carry, the fire you’ve doused with your rules.
You say I need to find myself, but how can I do that
When every part of me is shaped by what you demand?
Do this. Don’t do that. Speak like this. Think like that.
It’s no wonder I’m lost, sir—because you’ve given me no map.
So, you’re telling me I need to change. Well, maybe you’re right!
Maybe I do need to change.
But here’s the twist, sir—maybe you need to change too.
Change the way you see us. Change the way you teach us.
Because we are not machines. We are not blank slates for you to fill.
We are stories waiting to be written.
So, I will change, sir, but not for you.
I will change because I owe it to myself to be the person I’m meant to be.
And maybe one day, you’ll see—you’ll see who I am,
And you’ll wonder why you ever tried to rewrite me.
Leah Keely Robinson is a senior and the President of her NEHS Langley High School chapter, located in McLean, VA. Inspired by her friends, family, and teachers, Leah has developed a deep love for literature and its ability to bring people together. Whether in her cozy reading nook surrounded by pillows or at a bustling café crafting stories of her own, she finds joy in exploring and sharing the power of words. Through her leadership, Leah prioritizes community service, demonstrating how literature can create meaningful, real-world impact. She hopes to inspire others to discover the same joy and connection that stories have brought to her life and community.
I Need Change
Timothy Martz
Delone Catholic High School, Pennsylvania
“I need . . . I need a water.”
I remember the bartender giving me a look. I’d been one of his customers for a long time, and he could tell that I was completely wasted. He nodded and went to find me something non-alcoholic to drink. At least he knew where I was coming from. He’d met plenty of guys who’d taken a risk and lost a fortune. As he was leaving, I caught a glimpse of the mirror behind him and immediately turned away. The last thing I wanted to see was my reflection. I already knew I was in terrible shape.
A little bit about me: For one thing, I had a drinking problem. But it was a byproduct of a problem I’d had for years. There’s a song that talks about people “paying anything to roll the dice just one more time.” Yeah. That was me. At first it was just a way to pass the time with my friends. But eventually, gambling took control of my life. I got so caught up in it all that I lost everything that really meant something. My job, my health, my friends, even my wife and kids. Every day I look back on the mess I was in, and I’m so glad that I escaped.
The bartender returned with a glass of water, which helped to clear my head. I stayed there for almost an hour. It got me thinking. Boy, this has been a low for me. How many glasses of that stuff did I have? Six? Seven? And something clicked. I was sober enough to realize that something wasn’t right. Honestly, I had this deep, lingering feeling of regret. It hit me that I had abandoned my family and friends to pursue . . . what? Gambling, of all things. I’ve got to go home, I told myself.
In retrospect, I didn’t overcome my problems overnight. Change is a gradual movement, but it takes initiative. All you need is an individual, or a group of individuals, who have the guts to improve their society. In my case, it was a personal resolution, and I struggled for months. But I didn’t give up. I believe in a God of hope, not of despair. I sure as heck didn’t then. I’ve come a long way since that day at the bar.
I checked my watch. I had no idea how long I’d been there, but it was time to leave. With perfect timing, the bartender came over to check on me, and I let him know I was finished. I pulled a wad of cash out of my wallet and handed it to him. He seemed surprised. “You didn’t drink that much,” he said, counting the money.
“Keep the change,” I replied.
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.
National English Honor Society
The National English Honor Society (NEHS), founded and sponsored by Sigma Tau Delta, is the only international organization exclusively for secondary students and faculty who, in the field of English, merit special note for past and current accomplishments. Individual secondary schools are invited to petition for a local chapter, through which individuals may be inducted into Society membership. Immediate benefits of affiliation include academic recognition, scholarship and award eligibility, and opportunities for networking with others who share enthusiasm for, and accomplishment in, the language arts.
America’s first honor society was founded in 1776, but high school students didn’t have access to such organizations for another 150 years. Since then, high school honor societies have been developed in leadership, drama, journalism, French, Spanish, mathematics, the sciences, and in various other fields, but not in English. In 2005, National English Honor Society launched and has been growing steadily since, becoming one of the largest academic societies for secondary schools.
As Joyce Carol Oates writes, “This is the time for which we have been waiting.” Or perhaps it was Shakespeare: “Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer . . .” we celebrate English studies through NEHS.
National English Honor Society accepts submissions to our blog, NEHS Museletter, from all membership categories (students, Advisors, and alumni). If you are interested in submitting a blog, please read the Suggested Guidelines on our website. Email any questions and all submissions to: submit@nehsmuseletter.us.
