Milton Academy senior Enuma Lawoyin had her poem published in the winter 2012 issue of The Marble Collection: Massachusetts High School Magazine of the Arts-- the only statewide print and digital magazine of the arts for and by Massachusetts youth.  The magazine features students’ art, literature, music and video works. Enuma was then chosen to sit on The Marble Collection’s Student Advisory Board for her exceptional talent and dedication to the arts.  

Enuma is happy that TMC was the first to publish her work because she “[feels] a sense of community with The Marble Collection and all the other kids who were published in it.” She is now excited to get started with her work on the Student Advisory Board, which is comprised of dedicated high school students from across the state who volunteer their time to enable The Marble Collection to achieve its mission, realize its potential and fulfill its obligations to supporters and partners.

Enuma found her passion for the arts during her childhood years; “When I was younger I was preoccupied with rhyme scheme and meter, probably a result of my family’s obsession with music.  So I wrote a lot of poetry at home and in school,” she says.  Photography is also another one of her hobbies, although when she had to choose between the two, she decided to pursue creative writing in her studies.  

Having her work published gave her great confidence in her skills and motivation to continue studying creative writing.  “When I got published I felt like my words were important to somebody other than myself—to others I had never even met. I couldn’t help but feel like my voice was being heard, and I was also able to hear the voices of many other high school kids.”

Her experience with TMC not only assured her of her talents, but also improved them. TMC’s one-to-one critiquing process gives students a first hand experience with a professional publishing process. “I honestly felt like the process enhanced my writing. I ended up taking some of the critiques and my work benefited from it in the end.” Enuma will now begin her term on the Student Advisory Board where she will help other Massachusetts students achieve their dreams and give back to the organization that has already given her so much. 

About The Marble Collection [TMC]

TMC was founded in 2008 to enrich the Massachusetts high school community through educational literary and creative arts programming. The Marble Collection: Massachusetts High School Magazine of the Arts weaves the arts back into the fabric of our community, whereas TMC’s Student-Mentoring Workshop [SMW] provides students with one-to-one tutoring services to edit and critique their work before publication. Connecting the community through our interactive website (themarblecollection.org), TMC builds civic discourse and engages students in their creative potential. TMC envisions a community that cultivates and celebrates the literary and creative arts, in which we are the leading publisher and educator for developing teen media. TMC relies on grants, donations, sponsorships, subscriptions, and advertising sales to support our programs. TMC dually functions as a college guide by featuring advertisements from postsecondary educational institutions, featuring advertisements from: Mount Holyoke College, The Art Institute of Boston, Northeastern University, UMass Dartmouth, Bentley University, and more.

TMC is currently recruiting new Student Advisory Board members.  To get involved with the Board, please visit: http://themarblecollection.org/get-involved/

For additional information on The Marble Collection, Inc. please contact Deanna Elliot at: themarblecollection@gmail.com