This week, during the second Literary Farrell Society gathering of the new academic year, Nina (Yr 13, Dolphin) captured the interests of her audience of over thirty eager sixth formers with motivating tales of her busy summer. Joe, the co-president of Farrell Society, found the afternoon to be “euphoric”, and there was a generally positive, uplifting energy.
Nina began describing her adventures in Alaska, in which she visited a small town and stayed with other young people as part of a community, which included reading academic journals, writing creatively and discussing philosophical questions such as “What does it mean to live well in a community?”. She expressed her enjoyment of these experiences, and how they have improved her abilities to write poetry and creative prose in English. In order to access this incredible opportunity, Nina revealed the rigorous application process she underwent, truly inspiring her audience to push themselves and work hard with an end goal as motivational as this.
In continuation to her academically and socially educational visit to Alaska, Nina progressed to The New York Times Summer School, an induction to the UN and Human Rights, where she attended conferences with leading writers and professors currently active in the world of journalism, at the forefront of modern-day writing. She also highlighted a shocking realisation she had when reading the lists of Pulitzer Prize winners since the early 20th century: that the majority of these winners were male, with only a few female journalists scattered amongst these names. Her story was eye-opening to all as she discussed the heavy topics of gender inequality in an honest yet motivating manner.
Inspiringly, Nina was able to keep up with her studies over the summer, even after more than a month away from her home in Poland. (Even finding time for the small matter of organising a sitting of the European Youth Parliament in Warsaw with over 100 delegates involved!). Florine (Yr 12IB, Dolphin) expressed her admiration at Nina’s driven work ethic and at how “she’s very brave for travelling alone”, and even during the time allocated for questions, one could sense a positive shift in the atmosphere; students were genuinely curious to find out how Nina had found these opportunities. The Farrell Society is extremely grateful that Nina shared her summer journey, instilling a sense of curiosity and wonder in all who attended.
By Carlota, Year 13, Rose
Co-President of Farrell Society