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Bush Upper School Student is Selected for Creative Writing Summer Program
The Bush School is proud to recognize the academic and personal achievements of every student who strives to accomplish their goals. A driven Upper School student with a deep love for writing blazed her own trail by applying for one of the nation’s most highly regarded youth writing programs.
The Bush community is honored to congratulate Ryan F.-S. ’28, who was selected as one of sixty rising Tenth-Twelfth Grade students to attend the 2025 Fir Acres Writing Workshop in Portland, Oregon, from Sunday, June 22, to Saturday, July 5, 2025.
“The faculty at Bush have been so helpful to me while I was preparing my application,” shared Ryan. “Huge shout-out to my Spanish teacher, Caitlin, who wrote me a letter of recommendation over her winter break. Not only that, but writing for places like The Rambler and using the Writing Center have also helped me improve as a writer, along with, obviously, the critique and lessons I've been learning from my English classes. Bush has been such a supportive and helpful learning environment for me, and I am so grateful that I'm able to be here.”
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After submitting a fantastic creative nonfiction piece with her application, Ryan has earned the opportunity to write and study fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction alongside a team of published faculty for two refreshing and fun-filled weeks. Ryan’s favorite quote from her chosen piece is: "My brother isn’t as lucky as me when it comes to genetics; he tends to burn where I tend to tan." She shared that this sentence sets the tone for the rest of the piece and foreshadows the fact that her brother has been diagnosed with skin cancer.
“When I was notified that I'd been chosen to participate in the writing workshop, I was very surprised,” shared Ryan. “I was honestly not expecting that I would get in, but when I did get my acceptance, I was super hyped. The first thing I did once I had gotten the acceptance was forward it to my mom, and I practically screamed at her over email, telling her how excited I was.”
On the breathtaking Lewis & Clark College campus, Ryan will participate in daily writing workshops under the guidance of published faculty and advisors. By day, she’ll craft her creative writing and have the chance to explore the vibrancy of Portland. By night, she’ll socialize with fellow student writers and hear from distinguished visiting authors.
“I'm looking forward to meeting new people who love to write just as much as me,” said Ryan. “Although, I'm mainly super excited to just be able to write for two whole weeks. I know that might seem like a weird dream, but my favorite thing to do is writing, because it allows me to escape to other worlds where I can do anything.”
Ryan expresses immense gratitude for the faculty that guided her during the application process. Their support helped her better prepare her submission for the competitive entry. She also took advantage of various creative writing tools and opportunities offered while attending Bush.
“The faculty at Bush have been so helpful to me while I was preparing my application,” shared Ryan. “Huge shout-out to my Spanish teacher, Caitlin, who wrote me a letter of recommendation over her winter break. Not only that, but writing for places like The Rambler and using the Writing Center have also helped me improve as a writer, along with, obviously, the critique and lessons I've been learning from my English classes. Bush has been such a supportive and helpful learning environment for me, and I am so grateful that I'm able to be here.”
The Bush School is an independent, coeducational day school located in Seattle, WA enrolling 735 students in grades K–12. The mission of The Bush School is to spark in students of diverse backgrounds and talents a passion for learning, accomplishment, and contribution to their communities
3400 East Harrison Street, Seattle WA 98112 (206) 322-7978
The Bush School does not discriminate in matters of employment, recruitment, admissions, or administration of any of its programs on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. In addition, The Bush School does not discriminate in matters of employment on the basis of age or marital status