Lorain Students Shine at Young Authors Conference, Helen Steiner Rice 5th Grader Wins Best in Show Illustrator Award

The creativity and talent of Lorain City Schools students were on full display at this year’s Young Authors Conference, held Tuesday morning at Elyria High School’s Performing Arts Center and hosted by the Educational Service Center of Lorain County.

Among hundreds of participants from across the county, Imani Musawwir, a 5th-grade student at Helen Steiner Rice Elementary, earned top honors—Best in Show for 5th Grade Illustrator—for her imaginative piece Firefly and His Journey Into Space.

Imani was one of several talented students from Lorain recognized as finalists in this year’s competition, including:

• Madelyn Evans-Hilson, 3rd Grade Author, Memoir of a Nerdy Dog – Larkmoor Elementary
   
• Ariel Chiorazzi, 4th Grade Author, Wasted Years – Helen Steiner Rice Elementary
   
• Toni Gonzalez-Sanchez, 5th Grade Author, The Deep Depth – Helen Steiner Rice Elementary
   
• Brycen Howell, 6th Grade Author, The Council of Protectors – General Johnnie Wilson Middle School
   
• Sebastian Medina, 3rd Grade Illustrator, Field Trip to the Moon – Larkmoor Elementary School
   
• Aniylah Barker, 4th Grade Illustrator, Christmas Night – Toni Morrison Elementary School
   
• Lana Thompson, 6th Grade Illustrator, Freedom – General Johnnie Wilson Middle School
   

In total, nearly 125 Lorain students attended the event from Helen Steiner Rice, Larkmoor, Toni Morrison, General Johnnie Wilson, Longfellow, and Southview. Each student was selected through a rubric-based process that celebrated creativity, originality and storytelling.

The conference gave students more than recognition—it gave them inspiration. They had the opportunity to learn directly from two professionals who shared their personal journeys and creative advice: Jenn Bishop, award-winning author of five novels for young readers, and David Spencer, illustrator of The Epic Adventures of Huggie and Stick and founder of Mischief Factory.

Bishop encouraged students to draw from their own lives, sharing how her love for storytelling began with doodling characters and inventing backstories as a child in Massachusetts. Now living in Cincinnati and cheering on the Bearcats and Reds, she reminded students that “stories can come from anywhere—even a pet rock.”

Meanwhile, Spencer brought energy and laughter to the room with a live storytelling and illustration session. As he sketched in real-time, students shouted out creative ideas, helping him build a brand-new story on the spot. His message: embrace your imagination, and don’t be afraid to be playful with your art.

As our young authors and illustrators returned home, they carried with them more than awards and accolades—they brought back renewed confidence, bold ideas and the powerful reminder that their stories matter.