Future Leader: Zoe Leavitt

Wayland -

 

As the power of the written word becomes more of a lost art, 16-year-old Zoe Leavitt gives hope for future writers.
The Wayland High School junior spent hours researching and writing her winning essay for the first-ever Wayland Veterans Memorial Freedom Prize, for which she was recognized at the town’s Memorial Day ceremonies. Her submission was reprinted in the local newspaper, which brought her praise from neighbors and friends.
"It was exciting," Leavitt said. "I was kind of surprised people actually read it, it was so long. I got a lot of comments about it, so that was cool."
Leavitt’s topic was "The Paradox of Freedom: Freedom of the Press During Wartime," in which she explained the long history of tension between the news media and the U.S. government over the suppression of press coverage during wars.
"My dad used to work with journalists, and he knew some resources I could use," Leavitt explained.
"I started out believing that the press should be able to publish anything it wants to. But, as I did my research, I realized that there’s a line where the press should be censored, and that line is when people’s lives are in danger. And, although I think the press has a duty to report the news, the ‘news’ doesn’t always involve gratuitous details about strategy and so forth."
The judges were full of praise for her efforts. Said Jacob Montwieler, social studies curriculum leader at Wayland Middle School, "I think Zoe’s paper is a good reminder of the ways in which citizens must continually strive for freedom or risk its erosion. It very thoughtfully described the specific role the press plays in that continuing work. As a result, it was a careful, historical analysis balanced with a reminder for us as people and as citizens."
Leavitt had plenty of her own journalism experience to draw upon as one of the editors of Wayland High School’s student newspaper "The Last Word."
"I work on the layout, and organize and edit all the articles," she said. "It’s a pretty big commitment. Right now we’re trying to get more news articles and opinions."
Leavitt’s recent articles in the paper have focused on the No Child Left Behind Act and the reason for rising lunch prices in the cafeteria.
Leavitt has tried to perfect her craft at various writing programs and conferences.
Two summers ago she traveled to London with a group called Teen Ink along with 25 other girls from across the country.
"It was great. We stayed at the University College of London, took classes in the morning, and went around London in the afternoon. It was amazing."
Last summer she participated in an intensive writing program at the Putney School in Vermont, with six-hour sessions every day.
"I loved it," Leavitt said. "We’d get writing prompts where we would be shown a picture, and have to create characters from the picture and turn it into our own story."
Leavitt was also chosen by a Wayland High School English teacher to attend the New England Young Writers Conference at Middlebury College this past spring.
Leavitt said she has been interested in writing her whole life, and remembers creating short poems back in first grade. She has always kept a journal.
"I don’t have quite as much time during the school year anymore, but I definitely try to write in my journal as often as possible. Sometimes I’ll look back at some of my old entries and just laugh, it’s a little weird."
Leavitt rounds out her school experience with athletics, having participated in a sport every semester at Wayland High School. She is on track to earn the 12-season award at the end of her senior year. Right now she is focused on track and field.
"The team is doing well. And this season I’ve improved a lot so I’m really excited," she said. "It’s a nice balance from everything else going on in my life."

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