May 29, 2025
Gilbert Middle School is home to one of the most promising young writers in the area, state, and — dare we say it? — country.
His name is Kiernan Ryan.
We are so pleased to let you know that Kiernan, an eighth-grader, was recently recognized as a 2025 Promising Young Writer by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Kiernan received a First Class Distinction on the essay he submitted for the contest, which is the highest level of distinction a student can receive out of four different distinctions. His name, essay, and Gilbert Schools’ name will be published on the NCTE website.
“I have scored for this contest in the past and the caliber of writing students submit is above and beyond excellent,” Lauren Stephens, an eighth-grade Language Arts teacher at Gilbert Middle School, said. “Basically, Kiernan earning this is a huge deal.”
The Promising Young Writers Program represents NCTE’s commitment to early and continuing work in the development of writing. The school-based writing program was established in 1985 to stimulate and recognize writing talents and to emphasize the importance of writing skills among eighth-grade students. Schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, US territories, Canada, and American schools abroad are eligible to nominate students.
This year, schools nominated 226 students to participate in the Promising Young Writers Program. Students were nominated from 34 states, as well as Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. Internationally, teachers nominated students in India, Russia, and Taiwan. Two to three independent judges evaluated each submission holistically on content, purpose, audience, tone, word choice, organization, development, and style.
Please join us in congratulating Kiernan on this outstanding achievement. Gilbert Schools takes great pride in the academic success of its students and Kiernan is another example of the excellent work that is produced.
