Although junior Kiki Ruggiero does not always showcase her literary talents for everyone to see, she has been quietly developing her own writing skills for a number of years. In addition to her honors English courses she completed in ninth and tenth grade, Kiki is currently enrolled in AP English Language and Composition taught by Mr. John Farrell. In addition, she took Journalism I as a sophomore and is currently in Journalism II, both courses taught by Mrs. Leslie Lordi. Kiki respects journalistic writing because it is blunt, precise and easier than poetry or surrealism to put to paper. Being apart of the Del.Aware and learning more about journalistic writing offers a sharp contrast to her other works.

In addition to journalistic writing, her favorite genres to write include poetry, surrealism and romantic tragedy, all of which require a sense of people's passions and morals, which Kiki states are her motivations for writing.

“The process of sitting there and letting exactly what you’re thinking flow onto the paper and being able to see and analyze what your thoughts are about certain things are is almost like a self- discovery.”

Kiki shares her writings with close friends, but has also branched out, as she has submitted work to Reader’s Digest and is planning to enter a Scholastic Arts competition this upcoming winter.

Kiki states her father as her primary inspiration for writing.

“As cliche as it sounds, I definitely look up to my father as inspiration. I’ve always grown up with him writing and wanted to be like him in a way, but I wanted to develop my own style.”