On Monday, November 6, 2023, two tenth graders, Megan Xique and Aiman Sajid, went to Taylor & Co. Books. “We’re going to a bookstore to meet authors and talk about our books that we published,” Sajid said. One week prior, they had their books published. Another tenth grader, Lnna Elaza, had her book published as well, but she was unable to attend this trip due to being sick.

During this trip, they talked to multiple professional authors, while also seeing hardcopies of their books. 

“I feel like it’s an accomplishment,” Xique said. “I might be able to do something different than the rest of my family. They work physical jobs, where you don’t need a degree. They work minimum wage.”

During this trip, Megan and Aiman engaged in meaningful discussions with multiple professional authors. They were also told the value of their books: $5.

Throughout the trip, they asked questions such as “What got you into writing?” The authors shared experiences from childhood that got them into the field. At the end of the trip, they were allowed to pick one free book.

When the young authors were asked if they thought that this experience contributed to their academic growth and if they had any further plans for writing, they all said yes. Lnna commented, “I feel like this motivates me to see that I have a lot of knowledge and take it a long way.”