Central Senior's Writing Honored with 2007 Achievement Award in Writing
National Council of Teachers of English selects Alissa Walkner as one of 561 honorees
Hands have always fascinated me with their flow, their personality, and the stories they tell.
They float through the air, cutting like a knife or making generous offerings in hostile environments.
Alissa Walkner's hands and those of friends and strangers are a window to a person's passions and life. At least, that's the
perspective the Crystal Lake Central student brought forth in her essay "Hands," which she wrote for her sophomore honors English
class. Now two years later, a refined version of that essay—coupled with the ability she showcased in an impromptu essay
session—has led the senior to be honored by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) with its 2007 Achievement Award
in Writing.
Walkner is one of less than 600 students selected for the award, which honors high school students from the United States, Canada,
the Virgin Islands, and American schools abroad. Students are nominated by their teachers and judged based on a written piece of the
student's choosing, and an essay on a subject selected by the NCTE's Achievement Awards Advisory Committee and completed in a supervised,
seventy-five minute period.
"I've always enjoyed writing," Walkner states. "Freshman English at Central opened me up to how I think about things, and through
subsequent classes and journaling on my own I've developed how I write and use metaphors and voice."
Her essay, "Hands," was originally crafted for teacher Christine Lashin's sophomore honors English class, later appearing in the
2006-2007 edition of Central's literary magazine, Scribo. Lashin and then-Scribo sponsor Renee Bartholomew recognized the potential of
the piece immediately.
"Alissa's essay was really inspired," Lashin states. "She had such an incredibly unique perspective. She was able to capture
physical characteristics with imagery while also telling so much about herself. Two years later it is still the model I use for that
assignment and the best essay of that type I have read."
Lashin and Bartholomew nominated Walkner's essay for the NCTE award in Spring 2007, and in April Walkner completed her impromptu
essay, writing about a literary character and the lessons he or she teaches that might apply to a problem in the world today. Walkner
argued that Winnie the Pooh reminds readers to pursue wonder and contentment in their lives rather than succumbing to desires for
menial materialism.
Though she has not decided on a college for next year, Walkner plans to use the writing skills she showcased for this award while
studying English and possibly religion/philosophy at the next level.
Community High School District 155
