Welcome to the ASUPD Student Blog. We are a group of writers who are excited to share our passions and love for writing with you all this year. I would love to introduce you to our Student Blogging team for the 2023-2024 year!
Lead Editor
Caroline 
Junior
Hello! My name is Caroline and I am the Lead Editor of the ASUPD Student Blog this year. This is my third year with ASU and my third year with the blog. I am so excited to write about my passions and hobbies and be able to share them with all of you. I am a competitive dancer and have been dancing for fourteen years. I am so excited to get to share all of our fabulous work with all of you.
When I write, I love to share my passions with others, and I will be filling my posts with dance and health topics. In leading the blog this year, I am going to be working on connecting our Prep School to our college and learn how to make meaningful connections to the university that one day many of us will be attending. I hope you enjoy all that our wonderful writers have to offer this year!
Sarah Green
Senior
Hey there! My name is Sarah Green, and I am a senior here at ASU Prep Digital (yes, I know I’m old). I live near Tucson, AZ, where people wear cowboy hats unironically. I have been a virtual student since kindergarten, but I came to ASU Prep Digital in my freshman year.
I joined the student blog this year because I wanted to practice my craft and share my ideas with a larger audience. You’ll find me writing about neurodivergency, public speaking, animals, animation, music, and current public issues.
When I’m not writing, I’ll likely spend my hours:
- Hanging out with my two Great Danes (one is convinced she’s a human)
- Working on my research project
- Composing music on the piano, ukelele, or guitar
- Traveling the country, teaching students how to impact their communities and tell their story
- Trying to draw
- Working on my photography and films
- Watching TV & Movies
- (My personal favorite) Sleeping
I am really looking forward to being part of the student blog this year and seeing the amazing work we produce!
Shannon Mo
Senior
When I’m not writing, you can catch me blasting my favorite tunes in the car with the windows down, (my favorite band of all time is boygenius) playing electric guitar, getting boba with friends, (strawberry milk tea is my go-to) or reading an entire book in a single sitting. If I could recommend one book to all my fellow peers, it would be Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke.
Giovanna Halbeck
Senior
I’ve always loved writing, and I enjoy writing about various subjects. I’m the most passionate when I’m writing about psychology, cooking/baking, movies, music, people I admire (artists, etc.), and just love or life in general. I also enjoy writing and talking about my education journey and the lessons I’ve learned along the way, I hope my experiences can help guide somebody else!
I definitely have a lot of interests but not enough hobbies. I love to cook and bake! I love finding new recipes, but I rarely follow them. Some of my favorite things to make are banana bread, a wide array of soups, and focaccia. I often write short reviews of movies I watch, and Romeo + Juliet (1996) is my go-to comfort film. I love the smell of rain, collecting pins, and crystals, and reading about dream symbolism. I have a Chi-Poonamed Noodle and he loves to run around outside. I like almost every genre of music, but my favorites are definitely R&B, Disco, and Soul. Some of my favorite artists are Sade, Fleetwood Mac, and Janelle Monáe. After I graduate high school I plan on going to ASU to study Family and Human Development to work towards my goal of becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I’m excited to get started writing and to improve my skills!
Audrey
Senior
Where do you live?: I live in Mesa, Arizona
How long have you been with the ASUPD Student Blog?: I’ve been with ASUPD for 2 years.
What are you passionate to write about?: I love to write about my life, but in secret messages.
Fun facts: A fun fact about me is that I’ve been zip lining in Costa Rica about 200 feet of rocks.
Emily Stelmach
Junior
Hi, my name is Emily Stelmach. I’m a junior and it’s my first year at the ASUPD blog. I’m super excited about it. Some things about me are that I’m a ballroom dancer. I’ve only been dancing for a little bit but I just had my first competition and I did really well. I love dance, it’s my favorite thing to do. I also like reading, and I love writing, which is why I joined the blog. I like to write little stories, I love creating characters and their life story.
Jiana Rush
Junior
Hello! My name is Jiana Rush, and I am a junior at ASUPD. This is my first year at ASUPD and with the student blog. I was born in Arizona and have always lived here in Glendale. As of recently, I have traveled to Cave Creek, AZ frequently to visit my grandparents.
My hobbies consist of pretty much anything creative. I love to read! I am a huge movie buff. Movies ranging from Good Will Hunting to Seven Pounds to the Austin Powers series should tell you just how much I appreciate cinema. I like to keep busy, especially because I attend ASU Prep. Having my hours occupied helps me stay on track and not procrastinate. I want to become a writer, specifically a journalist.
I love to write at any opportunity available, but I absolutely love to write editorials, or opinion pieces, and features. Journalism gets a bad rap sometimes because the people involved are not in it for the love of writing and the truth, but for the gossip and lies. Because of my God-given right to have an education, I want to take advantage of my resources and help bring positive light to the world of journalism through speaking truth.
I am so excited to be a part of the student blog and I wish everybody well on this journey, too!
Faith Jang
Junior
Salutations! My name is Faith Jang. I am 16 years old and currently a Junior at ASU Prep Digital. I have three sisters and one cat and live in Phoenix, Arizona, but I was born in Washington. However, if I were to choose between the two, I would say Arizona is much better. The cold would freeze me very quickly if I ever went back to Washington. I have been with the Student Blog since the last semester, and this has been one of the most fulfilling clubs I have ever been in. The Student Blog showed me that I do indeed have writing skills that people enjoy in a non-entirely academic setting. The types of works I love writing are poetry and short stories because they are just so much fun! That also means that I enjoy reading poetry and stories, too. Personally, I believe that good stories are art and that they should be treated as such, and this includes video game plots. For hobbies outside of writing, I enjoy drawing, cooking, playing video games, and making beaded items. I want to make a fun comic strip or webtoon with both my writing and drawing skills, but I still have a long way to go when it comes to drawing.
Elise Powell
Junior
⟶ Top Movies: Knives Out, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Howl’s Moving Castle, and 10 Things
I Hate About You.
⟶ Top Books: A Man Called Ove, Love is a Mixtape, and The Hobbit.
⟶ Top Artists (music): Dead Man’s Bones, Hozier, Djo, and Taylor Swift
⟶ Favorite Poet: Emily Dicknson
Kiara
Junior
Pets: I have seven pets… two dogs, three birds, one snail, and one leopard gecko! Having
many pets keeps me very busy, but in the end, it’s all worth it!
Books: I love reading. You can find me sitting with a cup of tea reading books about mythical
creatures, thrillers, and historical fiction!
Movies: When I am not caring for my pets or reading, i’m watching next awesome movie! I love
re-watching the same movie over and over again! Movies like The Breakfast Club, Back to the
Future, Footloose, Hairspray, and Grease occupy lots of my movie viewing.
School: I have started college classes, including English 101. Which involves a lot of writing! I
spend most of my time studying and preparing myself for college!
My favorite subject to write about is social justice and digging deeper into our struggles as a
society! I also love writing fun pieces about the different books I read and movies I watch. I am
super excited to be a part of the blog team and share some of my creative pieces!
Max
Sophomore
Hi!! :] My name is Max, not short for anything. My pronouns are he/they. I am a sophomore and this is my first year with ASUPD, and, of course, my first year with the student blog. I’ve lived in Arizona my whole life, but I’ve moved around a lot. I’ve lived in Glendale, Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Litchfield, and finally Goodyear.
I love writing stories, poems, informative pieces, my life experiences (so other people don’t feel alone), and reviews on music. I love talking about my opinions on things. I’m especially passionate about human rights and I have been my whole life, being someone who is queer, trans, and disabled.
I love music, specifically riot grrrl, punk, emo, “horrorcore,” and indie rock (I know I look the part). I also love reading, my favorite genres are gothic horror, YA, and fantasy. A few fun facts about me: I’m allergic to water, I play 6 instruments and sing, and I’m writing a thriller book.
Kierra Hamby
Sophomore
Hello! My name is Kierra Hamby and I am a 10th grader here at ASUPD! I moved out here in Arizona from California in 2020 and have loved it since. This is my first year in ASUPD and in the student blog. I couldn’t be more excited to use my writing knowledge to write to my heart’s content here on the blog!
I have always loved writing. Even when I was a small child, I loved making stories and characters to my heart’s content. I was ecstatic to start reading at the age of 4 and overall have always had that want and love for the writing world. I am really passionate about writing creative pieces most of all. I enjoy the freedom to expand my ideas and knowledge through my writing.
Now, let me tell you more about myself on a personal level.
- I enjoy writing, reading, and gaming! My favorite games include various Pokemon games and Genshin Impact.
- I have a certified emotional support dog named Kobe who has helped me and my brother through some hard times, I could never thank him enough. He is such a good boy.
- I have a red heeler named Bella, and she is the sweetest herding dog you will ever meet. She is a little invasive of privacy though.
- I have two cats named Pedro and Thunder who are both wild to the core of their being. I have raised them both myself from their kitten stages.
- I am a middle child of three siblings. I have an older brother and a younger sister.
Overall, I am very excited to start this new chapter of my writing with the student blog. I hope you enjoy my writing!
Natalee Tygard
Sophomore
and songs that make me cry (I know they’re extremely different but it just depends on my mood). One of my favorite things to do is cuddle and snuggle with my dogs. I have four dachshunds and a red heeler. I also love watching movies and TV shows, normally sci-fi. One of my favorite shows is Stranger Things. Another thing about me is that I love gaming. Some of my favorite games to play are Minecraft, Destiny 2, and Apex Legends. Another thing I enjoy doing in my free time is looking at,
editing, and taking photos. One goal I have this year is to use some of my own photos for my blog posts! Thank you so much for reading and getting to know me! I can’t wait to get started!
Celia
Freshman
Where do you live?: Fountain Hills, Arizona
How long have you been with the ASUPD Student Blog?: Since Fall 2023
What are you passionate to write about?: I am passionate to write about topics that are beneficial to the school as well as pressing issues in our communities.
Fun facts: I have been with ASUPD since 6th grade and plan to continue at this school all the way through 12th grade. My future ambition is to study law and become a lawyer. I enjoy playing ukulele, roller skating, and drawing.
Taegan Hardy
Freshman
Hello! My name is Taegan. I’m in 9th grade and I’ve been at ASUPD for a little over two years now, but this is my first year with Student Blog. I currently live in Tucson, AZ. Some things I love are:
-Formula 1: A couple of my favorite drivers from the past few years have been Lando Norris, Sebastian Vettel, Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, and Daniel Ricciardo.
-Ballet: I’ve been doing ballet for about 9 years now and hope to get on pointe within the next year.
-Writing: I’ve written plenty of stories in my life and am currently writing my own book called The House of Cards.
-Scary Movies: I absolutely adore horror movies and love all the aspects of creating them.
-Music: I unhealthily listen to hours of music every day. I love all genres but alternative has to be
my favorite. You can expect my blogs to be about the things I love, a random topic that interests me, or
perhaps an occasional debate about a philosophy. I hope I can spark intrigue in people with my
blogs about topics they may not have known about before. I’m excited to get writing and be
apart of the team!
Aiden
Freshman
Hi there! I’m Aiden and I am in 9th grade. This is my first year blogging with the ASU Student Blog! I am very passionate about the things that I write about. I usually write about anything that comes to mind, which typically happens all the time. One thing to know about me is that I am very creative. A lot of people have said that I come up with very interesting ideas that are beyond unique. And it’s not just in the field of writing either! If something or someone gives me an idea, I can create the most intricate pieces of artwork just by having a pen, pencil, laptop, or keyboard in my hand. I am also left handed! I’d love for you to check out the amazing things that I will and have created, so hop on board to see my creativity in action!
