LILY HE

YEARS AS MENTEE: 1

GRADE: Senior

HIGH SCHOOL: Millennium Brooklyn High School

BORN: Brooklyn, NY

LIVES: Brooklyn, NY

MENTEE’S ANECDOTE: No words can describe the moments of reflection, exploration, fun and jokes, and understanding that I’ve had with Lenna this year. When Girls Write Now started, I told Lenna that I wanted to try to write more memoirs this year, and although physically I haven’t written down much, emotionally I have shared so many stories of my life with her that I haven’t shared with anyone else. By talking to her, I am continuously learning and realizing new things about myself. She distracted me from the flaws of my story and instead taught me to focus on the strengths.

LENNA STITES

YEARS AS MENTOR: 1

OCCUPATION: Subsidiary Rights Coordinator, Taylor and Francis

BORN: Torrance, CA

LIVES: Brooklyn, NY

MENTOR’S ANECDOTE: It was inspiring to see how quickly Lily was willing to open up and share her writing with me. She really hasn’t shied away from letting me get to know her, which in turn paved a path for us to figure out more about ourselves, and the city we live in. I think Girls Write Now is the type of program that I needed growing up but would have been too timid for, as it really forces you to come out of your shell. I hope Lily continues to be fearless as she goes on into college and beyond.