Student Testimonial: Juniper Institute for Young Writers

Andrew Barber - Juniper Institute for Young Writers

Why Did You Choose To Participate In This Program? 

I chose to participate in the Juniper Young Writers Workshop mainly as a way of getting to witness the greatness of other young creatives who shared my same interests and hopefully become a better writer myself in doing so.

How Did You Decide Which Program Was Right For You?

While looking through the writing programs I was accepted into, I chose to participate in Juniper because of the variety of classes they offered and the wide array of people I would get to interact with. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t experiencing just one kind of writing style coming from one kind of person. Juniper ensured a rich and diverse literary community which was a large deciding factor in my applying. They also offered a very generous scholarship.

What Was A Typical Day In Your Program Like? 

A typical day at Juniper consisted of attending uniquely themed workshops taught by brilliant, talented faculty members, and participating in open-mics where attendees and faculty could read their work aloud.

What Was The Most Memorable Part of Your Program?

The open-mics. I loved hearing from the many, many talented young writers and faculty members who participated in live readings. The work they read and the wonderful feedback from everyone in the community was invigorating and inspiring. I also loved the deeply meaningful feedback given to me by my instructors; the level of care put into it was astounding and I owe each one of them a lot.

What Advice Do You Have For Teens Looking at Programs? 

There is a place for you! There is an audience for your work! And people are just as excited about what you are writing as you are about what they are writing. This medium you love matters, and I would highly encourage seeking out a community that can help you improve your craft and interact with people from a wide-range of backgrounds who love it too. What you are doing matters.