When Sawyer Bowen-Flynn attended Harvard’s Secondary School Program in summer 2023, she took “Beginning Screenwriting,” taught by Susan Steinberg. During the course, Bowen-Flynn wrote a screenplay and decided to submit it to the 2024 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, where it earned a gold medal.
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards recognizes the exceptional artistic and literary achievements of high school students. It is open to students across the United States and includes 28 submission categories.
Bowen-Flynn’s screenplay submission was about a young girl who stopped speaking in the wake of her mother’s death.
“I wrote it in an attempt to shed light on the confusion surrounding grief and mourning at such a young age,” she said.
SSP was integral to Bowen-Flynn deciding to pursue her passion for screenwriting and encouraged her creative exploration.
“I have always loved both writing and theater, but I had never before considered combining those two interests in this way,” she said. “Screenwriting was completely new to me, and I immediately fell in love with it. Since last summer, it has become my go-to structure for my creative writing, and it has helped to renew my love of writing as an art.”
Bowen-Flynn lives in Boston and her experience as a commuter SSP student was unique in comparison to her on-campus peers. Despite commuting to campus from her home and her day job, she still gained value from her fellow classmates.
“I was initially worried that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to get to know other students outside of the classroom,” she said. “I quickly found, however, that my classmates were incredibly kind and welcoming, and I remain in touch with several of them!”
Her connections to her classmates and instructor remain strong, as well as their support of her creative pursuits. Bowen-Flynn says she still values the feedback she received and applies it to her current work.
“A community of different perspectives and voices all contributing to a discussion can do wonders for broadening one’s mind,” she says. “I found my instructor to be one of the most helpful and supportive teachers I have ever had, and I still reach out to her for assistance, guidance, or just to catch up.”
