Kate Welsh featured in Louie Magazine as one of the "Top Teens to Watch"
Updated at September 09, 2008 13:52
from Louie magazine-
Kate Welsh-Fresh Ink
Crossroads College Prep-
By: Mallory Vargon
-Class of ‘09
Aspirations make the difference between people who are an inspiration and those who are content being average. Kate Welsh, Crossroads College Prep class of 2009, is someone you aspire to be like. A writer who is extremely eloquent with words, Welsh notes that she would like to be remembered for the bigger picture, "I’d like to be remembered for – as the book Miss Rumphius presents – ‘something that makes the world more beautiful.’ Really, anything that has changed the world for the better," says Welsh.
With a stellar resume that many college grads would be happy to have, Welsh is not only well spoken, but accomplished. She is founder and editor of her school literary magazine the Curiouser, is editor of the yearbook, was a grade representative and will be co-president of the student council. Welsh has also been recognized with numerous awards, including the Johns Hopkins’ University Book Award for writing and the St. Louis Poetry Center’s Beverly Hopkins Memorial Contest (third place). She also placed in the Nancy Thorpe Poetry Contest through Hollins University and received an honorable mention in the same contest the year before. Welsh also wrote a one-act play for a summer program in 2007 and plans to do so again this summer.
These accomplishments are only a stepping-stone to her higher aspirations. "I would love to work as the editor of a literary magazine, kind of like I do now for Curiouser, but on a much larger scale," says Welsh. "What would be beyond ideal is to be one of the editors with The New Yorker. It would be amazing to be able to wake up everyday, knowing that you would be surrounded by words and faces of some of the most influential people in the literary world."
Welsh also recognizes that she could not have gotten where she is, or get where she’s going, without support from her family and friends. "I’ve been really lucky to have an incredible family, wonderful teachers and amazing friends," says Welsh. "My parents were the ones who first encouraged my interest in writing in elementary school. As I got older, teachers became very supportive, informing me of upcoming contests and, in ninth grade, helping me start up Curiouser, my school’s literary magazine. "1 don’t know if I could pinpoint one person that really pushes me to reach my goals; really, it’s my family, teachers and friends combined. My mom, really, has been the most helpful in pushing me towards opportunities and encouraging me to be proactive."
It is clear that Welsh is destined for great things. She plans to attend a small liberal arts college in the Northeast. She hopes to study abroad while she’s there and go on to graduate school for English.