Student Testimonial: Juniper Institute for Young Writers

Andrew Barber - Juniper Institute for Young Writers

Why did you choose to participate in the Young Writers program? 

When I was looking at writing programs, I chose to participate in the Juniper Young Writers Workshop mainly to witness the greatness of other young creatives who shared my interests and hopefully also become a better writer myself.

How did you decide which writing program for teens was right for you?

After reviewing the writing programs that accepted me, I chose 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.

Walk us through a typical day in the oung Writers program. 

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 experience?  

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 for a writing program?  

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.