Welcome to the seventeenth edition of Scribere!

     We are living in a period of hope right now, as the world returns to a semblance of the normal we remember from 2019. Because of that, it's increasingly important to remember the power of hope as an impetus for real-world impact. Hope is one of the driving forces behind people empowering others: hope that the future will be a place where people are more equal, both on paper and in reality; hope that we, as a society, can do better.

     Youth around the country—and the world—are already doing that: mobilizing hope to empower each other. On a local level, my own nonprofit, The Prose Train, is a collaborative storytelling project that gives writers a space to exercise their creativity in a STEM-heavy environment. On a national level, youth-led organizations like Dear Asian Youth provide a platform for marginalized youth to speak up. On an international level, activists my age inspire others to show up for causes they care about.

     I joined Scribere to be part of a team that inspires youth creativity on the internet. I've been thrilled to see messages of empowerment in pieces in this issue, from tributes to the power of storytelling to essays on how one's self-worth should not be measured by society's yardstick.

     As writers, we are in a uniquely powerful position to use our words to uplift others. Next time you write, I urge you to consider who you can empower with your writing, and I hope to see even more examples of that in the next issue.

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-- Irene T.

Editorial Board Member, Scribere

An online literary journal for youth ages 11-18. Our mission? To inspire youth creativity.