Swathi Kella – Writing Contest Gold Medal

Swathi Kella is a junior at Ridgewood High School. She’s moved to about eight different towns in four different countries during her lifetime before coming to Ridgewood, New Jersey. For this reason, she loves the study of language, especially reading and writing. She’s carried this passion into school, where she is now on the highest honor roll. Following her love of writing and oration, she has become the captain of her debate team and the editor-in chief of her school newspaper. She also loves to participate in her school’s mock trial team and write for the literary magazine. Beyond school, she has been published in Imagine Magazine and has received Scholastic writing awards for her work. Additionally, she is the winner of the Congressional Essay Contest and has come in the top 70 of 8,000 participants in the New York Times Editorial Writing Contest. Some of her hobbies include dancing, biking, and watching movies. When she’s older, she wants to travel to many more countries and live in many more interesting towns like the ones from her youth.