An avid reader. An aspiring author. A medical drama enthusiast. A baker. These are all phrases that can be used to describe a student at SHS.

And now, the word “champion” can be added to the list.

Freshman Katie Mott was recently named the winner of the Montgomery Woman’s Club writing contest, in both the Poetry and Short Story categories.

It is rare enough for a freshman to receive first place in just one category, and to bring home the gold in both is quite the feat.

“If anyone could have done it, it would have been Katie Mott. If there was one person I could become and be them for the rest of my life, it would be Katie. She’s smart, humble, and an amazing person. She’s good at everything,” said Anusha Gambheera, 9.

In a pool of over 240 entries, Katie’s story, “Home,” and poem, titled  “Teenager” swept the competition, and is now advancing to the state contest.

Her story “Home” is about a family in a financial crisis who struggles to bond as a result of how little they have and their single father’s long work hours. However, after an impromptu camping trip, they come together.

“It basically conveys the message that nature brings people together, and you don’t need something physical all the time. It can be something as simple as leaves and trees, and instantly, you’re home,” Mott said.

The story, though short and sweet, delves into a powerful theme: Family is never broken, just bent, and it can just take something small to set it straight again.

“Teenager” describes the struggles that teens have in modern society. She highlights that they are constantly ridiculed for too much screen time, troublemaking, or even expressing depression.

“[The poem is] about all teens in general and how were perceived. Yeah, we tend to get in trouble more, we like technology a lot, but were way more than that,” Mott said.

She expresses the shared feelings of teenagers all over the world and lends her voice to express a powerful message. In an excerpt from her poem, she details how teenagers are the future.

“Some don’t understand our thoughts, but we are the next generation

We want to improve and live up to the high-set expectations

We will be the next leaders, doctors, and teachers

And we will be even better engineers, lawyers, and preachers,” Mott wrote.

What may be surprising is that Katie has not always been an author. It was not until the seventh grade, when she read some very influential poems, that she decided this was what she wanted to pursue. She had entered in several contests before and won an Honorable Mention in the Teen Poetry Contest just this past May. The Montgomery Woman’s Club Contest is the first writing contest she has won.

“As soon as [someone] told me [I won], I was so surprised,” Mott said.

Her friends and teachers express how much they adore Katie as a person and a student and are all happy to see her hard work pay off. It is safe to say that this is not the last time we will be seeing her name in a headline.