About | IWS

About Us

OUR MISSION

Founded in the summer of 2023, Inkwell Writing Studio's goal is to inspire and empower young writers to reach their full potential. We believe that writing is a beautiful and powerful art that can tell a story, educate people, move people’s hearts, and even change the world. Everyone has their own unique voice and story to share, and we want to hear those stories. Through our workshops and mentorship programs, we provide a supportive and inclusive environment where students can develop their skills, explore their creativity, and connect with other aspiring writers. Our ultimate goal is to inspire a new generation of writers who will make a positive impact on the world through their words.

MEET THE TEAM

Co-Founder

Kenna Zhang

Kenna is an 11th grader in Cary, North Carolina. In fourth grade, she discovered her passion for writing poetry, often finding it an escape to express herself more unconventionally. She has been published in multiple books, including "Witness: From Appalachia to Hatteras" (published for select poets from Gilbert-Chapell's Distinguished Poet Series), "Pinesong" (winners of North Carolina's Poetry Society annual contest), and "Resilience: 2022 Poetry Collection." Additionally, she has also won multiple Scholastic Regional Writing Awards. She received first prize in Nexus Poets' annual poetry contest in 2021 and was runner-up in 2022. Kenna serves as co-editor-in-chief for the literary magazine Tiger Leaping Review. She hopes that her experience collected from years of poetry writing can be shared with younger students to help them find their love for writing as well!

Co-Founder

Claire Zhong

Claire Zhong is a rising 10th grader in Cary, North Carolina. She's always had a passion for writing, especially creative writing, and she loves creating new worlds and characters and spinning stories with them. She's written 3 fiction books - Kitty Magic and Superpowers (2018) and The Kitty Adventures (2019) for young readers, and A Dream of Magic (2022) for middle-grade readers. A Dream of Magic has won first place for young author fiction in the 2023 Story Monsters Ink Book Awards and was a finalist in the 2024 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Claire is also a Gold Key winner in the 2024 Scholastic Regional Writing Awards. Additionally, she won first prize in the 2022 STEM & ROSE "Share Your Story" contest. Now, she wants to share her knowledge and passion with young writers in Inkwell Writers Studio's summer workshop in the hopes that they will grow up to reach their full writing potential!