Soeun Lee (’27), one of The Echo’s editors, has recently distinguished herself on the national and international stage after winning several major writing competitions over the past weeks. A junior at Tenafly High School, Lee has earned recognition in prestigious contests and publications including Just Poetry, Critical Debates HSGJ, the renowned John Locke Global Essay Competition, and the JFK Profiles in Courage Essay Competition.
To Lee, writing is far more than ink on a page: it is an act of connection.
“Writing feels like a handshake across oceans,” she said. “Somehow, something that resonates with someone will also settle in someone else’s heart halfway across the world. And that’s just really lovely.”
For her, the craft is as much about listening as it is about expression.
“Listen to the river breaking over stone, listen to the pauses disguised as spaces in between, listen to the branches creak under their own weight, because those things aren’t beautiful in themselves,” Lee said. “They become beautiful by noticing.”
As a National Winner of the Just Poetry competition, Lee had her work published and recognized, an achievement she regards as personal as well. Just a year ago, she submitted to the same contest and was rejected. This season, she returned to claim the title of National Winner. To her, this journey reflects how writing evolves over time.
“So there’s really no need to feel forlorn if a piece doesn’t work out,” she said.
In addition to poetry, Lee has also ventured into academic research. Her latest paper on moral intuition, recently published in Critical Debates HSGJ, marks her second published paper. Unlike the immediacy of poetry, the reviewing process for research was longer. Lee mentioned that she got accepted for publication in April but took months to get through the reviewing process.
Lee also earned two High Commendations and three Commendations for her papers in the highly competitive John Locke Global Essay Competition with her additional awards this year.
When asked about where her inspiration comes from, Lee was quick to name her teachers.
“There are so many teachers who shaped the way I read, write, and see the world,” she said. “Mrs. McKenna, my eighth-grade ELA teacher, was the first to give me confidence in submitting to writing competitions I never imagined myself entering. Mr. Whitehead has been someone I could always talk to since freshman year, always understanding my love for writing, whether it be poetry or prose. Mrs. Malanka is the teacher I go to with the most half-baked, absurd ideas, and she’s somehow the one who trusts my writing more than I do. And Mrs. Oppedisano showed me that understanding a piece of writing isn’t about rushing to find the right answer, but about sitting with it long enough to love it so much that it becomes a part of you.”
Lee’s accomplishments reflect the larger culture of creativity and dedication within our writing community.
“For motivated students who love to write, competitions provide an ideal opportunity to connect with an invested audience,” Mrs. Malanka, an AP Seminar and AP Language teacher, said. “Many Tenafly students seek the challenge and opportunity to flex their artistic powers — to explore themselves, and to hone their craft.”
Mrs. Malanka added that witnessing her students’ growth through writing is one of the most fulfilling aspects of teaching.
“It’s a privilege to get to know them through their creations, to see them try new techniques and modes of expression,” she said. “I love to see a student’s delight when they’re surprised by what they didn’t think they could do.”
For underclassmen, Lee’s advice goes against what most students are taught.
“I know people say things like, ‘Don’t procrastinate,’ but for competitions, I’d actually suggest submitting near the deadline,” she commented. “The submission period for most writing competitions lasts over a month, and your writing style and voice fluctuate a lot during that time. I promise, the piece you write a month later is going to be so much better than what’s in your drafts right now.”
For Lee, every poem, essay, and idea is another way of listening to the world and sharing what she finds. Her journey reminds us that the most meaningful writing begins not with inspiration, but with attention.
