By Anneliese Duong
Deeply immersed in the pages of her notebook, scribbling away and flipping pages, junior Hannah Park lets herself run wild in a world filled with imagination.
Joining Fountain Valley High School’s journalism class, Baron Banner, was the perfect place to cultivate Park’s passion for writing, a hobby she’s had since elementary.
“I had some friends in Baron Banner and I wanted a class where I could hone my writing skills and just have a broader skill set,” Park said. “I love the idea of sharing information with people.”
Learning how to write well and interestingly was a struggle for Park but through persistence and drive, she discovered how to be proud of her work.
“I wasn’t the best writer in elementary school. We would always have writing competitions but I would never win any and I would always get discouraged. I just said ‘it doesn’t matter if other people don’t like my work as long as I’m happy with it,’” Park said. “So I kept writing and in middle school, I was a little bit more successful. [I believe] just depending on myself for validation, instead of what other people thought was what helped me.”
Using writing as her creative outlet, Park is currently working on a science fiction novel based on what would happen if the earth was not powered by the sun. Park first had this spark from a dream she vividly remembers.
“It doesn’t really resemble my dream that much anymore but I remember that feeling of ‘I can do anything,’” she said. “That sparked me to create this story.”
With Baron Banner, Park hopes to not only connect with other students who love writing but to spark readers into seeing things from a different perspective.
“I like writing about new things that people don’t know about,” she said. “[I’d like to] take something that’s really common and give a new voice to it because sometimes people don’t get the whole truth.”
Outside of school, she regularly plays the piano and reads books. Park’s passions exceed beyond the pages as she continues her high school journey, hoping to pursue a career where she can use her strengths to help others.
“I really like biology right now. So maybe become a doctor, do research for a disease or maybe even do something with writing,” Park said. “Anything I can do to make the world a bit safer.”
Passionate, curious and artistic, Park has no boundaries to her potential and is only just beginning her journey to success.