The Young Authors’ program, an initiative sponsored by the Huntley School District, provides a platform for kindergarten through 8th grade students to showcase their creative writing skills. The program’s goal is to foster a love for writing and storytelling, encouraging students to express their unique perspectives and ideas. Each student had the unique opportunity to pen their original stories, which esteemed community volunteers then evaluated. The selection process is rigorous; one exceptional winner was chosen for each grade level.
The judging panel, including dedicated community volunteers from Sun City, played a crucial role in the selection process. Their commitment and expertise were instrumental in identifying the most outstanding authors. Their names include Judy Cieciwa, Julie Ford, Pat Hector, Dolores Kuta, Mary Nogar, Diane Nolan, Sandra Pelka, Kathy Render, Joan Riffner, Valerie Tomanica, Barbara Yarbrough, Dolores Kuta, Karen Hutchings, Darcy Chadwick, and Heather Elder.
Judy Cieciwa, Sun City resident and volunteer said, “I have been judging Young Authors for three years now. It’s fun to read the different grade levels and see how the student’s creative writing skills progress. The length of a story isn’t as important as developing a good beginning, middle and ending. The main goal is to foster the love of writing. I volunteer because I enjoy working with the Volunteer Coordinator, other volunteers, teachers, and students. So much has changed since I taught, and yet much has stayed the same, and the students are wonderful and respectful.”
Eileen Delahanty, Volunteer Coordinator Huntley District 158, said, “I looked back at my records, and we have been hosting community members for our Young Authors Judging Program since 2007. We are so lucky to have an amazing relationship with members of our community who care so much about our students. Some of these volunteers I see only once a year, but they keep coming back, and we are so grateful for their support.”
The selection process for the winning stories was meticulous. Michele Busky, District Instructional Coach, coordinated the young authors from grades 3-5, Christy Gibbs coordinated the authors from kindergarten to second grade, and Tammy Carpenter coordinated the authors from grades 6-8. From numerous entries, the team had to narrow it down to 10 for the volunteers’ judging. The stories were evaluated based on their originality, creativity, grammar, and adherence to the theme. It was challenging, but the team thoroughly enjoyed reading all the stories and left the final decision to the volunteer judges.
Another Sun City Volunteer, Pat Hector said, “I’ve been volunteering at the school helping with the Battle of the Books starting in 2012 through 2019 when Covid hit. I’ve helped with the Young Author’s judging since 2022. Judging a student’s book is different because you can’t experience a one-on-one with the student. Each book had to be evaluated not only by reading what they wrote, but also how imaginative they were, grammar, etc. Each child put a lot of effort and creativity in their books, but our task was to select the book we thought was best which was not an easy task. It was a little sad that we couldn’t communicate with the writers how much their efforts meant to the judges. I look forward to volunteering in the future and appreciate Eileen Delahanty, Volunteer Coordinator Huntley, for all of her efforts coordinating these activities.”
The Young Authors’ responsibility was to write and illustrate the story. Parents could help with typing and handwriting, but the words should be from the student. It was an individual effort; there were no co-authors. The stories needed to be bound together.
“The students are not required to participate. These students have a passion for writing already and this program cultivates that passion. The winners will be notified, and they will be recognized for their winning stories at the next school board meeting,” Busky said.
Delahanty said, “I love my job and our community. Bringing generations together brings joy to my life. I’ve been blessed to get to be in this role. I’ve met so many incredible people from the Del Webb community over the last 22 years, and I can’t imagine my role with District 158 without them.”
The winning authors were Owen Ehmen, Elizabeth Ann Giese, Brooke Keute, Kyra Frandsen, Vivian Nava, Reese Jarger, Jameson Secor, Remmy Wehner, Kylie Frey, Isla Kolton, Joanna Chlastawa, Nicole Budyk, Boitano Arrigo, Kate Medina, Oliver Cottrell, Vanessa McHugh, Gianna Mastandrea, Olivia Calabrese, Jazmine Burrows, and Aliena Marin.
