User:EmilyHecht

User:EmilyHecht

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About The Author

Emily Hecht is an aspiring writer from metro Washington D.C. She is working towards her B.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from the University of Georgia in Athens, GA. After college, Emily hopes to pursue her M.F.A. in Creative Writing and ultimately work for an online or print political commentary publication. Emily's greatest strength as a writer is creativity, and it is also one of her greatest passions. In her spare time, Emily mentors and tutors ESL students at Classic City High School, Athens's punitive/alternative school, volunteers at various environmental conservation and protection organizations and is currently in the process of writing her first novel.

Early Years

Emily attended Interlochen Arts Academy, a prestigious boarding school for the performing arts, located just south of Traverse City, Michigan, where she studied operatic voice and creative writing. But, her stay at Interlochen was not her inspiration to pursue a career in writing. Emily was raised by her grandparents, Hazel and Ray Solomon, both retired teachers. Her grandfather, Ray, devoted his life not only to his students but also to philanthropy, and published a magnificent and moving collection of his memoirs before passing away in March of 2009. Ray believed wholeheartedly that changing the world was not only possible but necessary and that every person could make a difference. His book The Bluberry War and Other Stories: A Memoir has inspired many local businesses in the metro D.C. area to re-evaluate their missions to include the green movement.

Inspiration

Ray Solomon was born and raised during the Great Depression in The Bronx of New York City. As a child, he contractedStrep Throat which, untreated, was often fatal. He survived but was left with a damaged and malfunctioning heart valve. As a result, he was spared from fighting in World War II and the Korean War, probably saving his life. Instead, he dedicated he expressed his gratitude to others serving the country by being an incredible male influence and father figure to many children who's fathers were absent, fighting, or fallen. He taught atWalnut Hills High School in Cincinnati, OH for 20+ years and was principal as well. He was beloved by students, their parents, the faculty and the community. In the wake of the Cold War, he established an accelerated math and science program for Soviet immigrants and embraced them when other schools rejected their enrollment. As a grandfather, Ray instilled into his grandchildren an appreciation for nature. As a simple man, thankful for the many blessings in his life, one that he never let go unnoticed with the beauty and importance of the world around him. He and his wife, Hazel, grew all their own produce, supported local commerce, and encouraged neighbors and friends to do the same. His selflessness towards his children and his community never wavered, even after his death. The day after he passed away, a member of Ray's church called Hazel with an extraordinary story: suffering from a particularly difficult batch of chemotherapy, she had confided in Ray and the next day received a card and a bouquet of homegrown flowers from Ray's garden that he must have cut, prepared and sent the day he died. His compassion for and dedication to others is something that will never be forgotten by the people that knew him, and hopefully Emily will be able to continue his legacy of kindness not only by continuing on his wish and strive for positively contributing to the world, but also by sharing the stories of his contributions.

Writing Experience

In June, 2010, Emily will start an internship writing opinion/editorial articles for Boston's notorious The Weekly Dig magazine, affectionately known to locals as dig:

"Dig is the only publication in Boston that has an absolute lock on the 21-34 year-old demographic everyone’s after... We cover local news, arts, music, sex, food, movies and shopping in a lively, funny, incisive and, most importantly, dead honest delivery." (http://www.weeklydig.com/about)

Emily has also been recognized in her community for the quirkly and outside-of-the-box work she produces, such as a 2000 word essay about Shakespeare's Hamlet, written completely in iambic pentameter. In April 2010, an article Emily wrote for a new media and Shakespeare class will be published in a book concerning teaching Shakespeare in the 21st century.

Career and Personal Aspirations

Emily's career and personal aspirations mirror her grandfather's: first, to do what makes her happy, and second, to do something the changes the world. Her short term goal is to infiltrate her social commentary assignments dig with a subtle environmental agenda. Long term, she's still not sure, but whatever it is, it involves helping the people, plants and animals of the world live harmoniously.