Join the Seniors from the Creative Writing department at the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts as they read from their capstone writing projects, the Senior Thesis. Each writer will read a selection from their poetry chapbooks, novels, and short story collections they have been writing all year. These works are daring and urgent--and written by some of the strongest young writers in San Francisco.
Itzel Alarcon is a senior in the Creative Writing Department at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts. She is the most proud of her poetry, having been published in multiple 826 Valencia anthologies. She was a member of the 2025 Youth Poet Laureate Cohort. Some of her favorite themes to work with in poetry include nature, family, and forgiveness.
Marley Manalo is a Senior at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts. She loves all things citrus, gold, and the sun. She is an aspiring fashion journalist who wants to work in NYC or Paris.
Kendall Snipper is a Senior in Creative Writing at the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts. She has been featured in Umlaüt, Synchronized Chaos, San Francisco Youth Anthology, and the 2024 & 2025 editions of American Highschool poets, among other literary spaces. She enjoys the craft of writing and bridging (or obscuring) the gap between the literal and the figurative. As a graduating senior, she is focused on giving others the opportunity to have their voices heard through various long-form projects.
Zeke Cooksey-Voytenko is a senior at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts. They are passionate about jewelry, media, and connections. His thesis is a culmination of highschool, his thoughts, and what he hopes life could be.
Filip Zubatov is a senior in the Creative Writing Department at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts. He enjoys writing plays and fiction, mostly about people making questionable decisions. When he's not writing, he's on a golf course.
Ari Nystrom-Rice is an artist and writer in the Creative Writing Department at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts in San Francisco. They love performing and sharing their plays, poetry, and fiction in the Creative Writing shows. They find their writing while walking, swimming, listening to music, and staring out the passenger seat window. They hope that regardless of what they do in life, creative writing will be a constant daily source of passion.
Zadie McGrath is a student writer from San Francisco. An avid reader and writer of fantasy and science fiction, Zadie uses speculative elements to explore themes of connection and discovery. Their work has been published in literary magazines such as Apprentice Writer, Backwards Trajectory, and Temple in a City, and they are currently working on a fantasy novel. Since 2024, they have also been an editor and designer for Umläut, Ruth Asawa SOTA’s student-run arts magazine.
Chloe Schoenfeld is a teen author, poet, and aerialist. She was born and raised in San Francisco, where she currently attends Ruth Asawa School of the Arts for Creative Writing. Schoenfeld's writing is often whimsical and thoughtful, exploring dystopias and hope. She has been published in multiple literary journals such as elementia magazine and InsideVoice. She is also a co-runner of Umläut literary magazine.
Tasha Leung is a writer, designer, animator, and a neverending lover of fruits. They are currently a senior in the Creative Writing department at Ruth Asawa SOTA, where they co-edit Umläut magazine, whose 25-26 issue can be found at theumlaut.org! Besides their thesis, they are working on collection dedicated to the sheep that help people fall asleep at night, and other underappreciated animals.