Students in Monica Rodriguez’s Principles of Journalism, Multimedia and Design classes recently participated in the New York Times’ 100-Word Narrative contest. The contest required writers to write about a significant life experience in under 100 words. We will be featuring these mini, reader-submitted pieces in a two-part series. Here’s part one!

Breathe in Move Out

Trembling with fear, thinking about what I could’ve done, I followed my mom, dragging my feet one after the other. As we got to my room there was a gentle “click” as the door closed and she turned around to look in my direction with a pitiful smile that filled me with worry. “You’re not in trouble,” she said. Sitting down she took a deep breath. She looked into my eyes and said, “We’re moving to Hong Kong.”

Clarissa Echeverria ’25

The Big Fall

Tears ran down my face when I realized what I lost. It wasn’t even my fault. I was on the verge of having the game of my life. I was scoring, passing, and defending at elite levels. I went for a loose ball and that’s when it happened. Suddenly a pain traveled through my leg, like a rocket blasting into space. I chipped my achilles. The worst part, however, was not my ankle; it was my heart when I saw how many people were happy to see me helpless.

Jordan Bankston ’23

What Life Might’ve Been Like

I can’t help but wonder what my life would be like if he was alive. Would my grandma be happier? Would I be close to him now? I try to push these thoughts away, but it lingers in my mind like a song. Some time had passed since my grandfather died and it was time for the funeral. I remember the sadness and the dead silence on the private airplane with his ashes. My mother even forgot to feed me, so by the time we landed they caught me in a cabinet, full of chocolate. My dress was forever stained.     

Antonia Chamorro ’26

Before The Serve

The closer I got to the court, the faster my red-blood flesh paced. I touched my cheeks. My heated blushed skin made my hands repel against my boiling pigmentation. As I turned my head to face the volleyball court, I felt the droplets of sweat drip down along my long brown curls. The high-pitched sound of the metallic whistle rang in my ears and jolted me out of a trance. The pace of my heart stopped. My legs felt the vibration of the bouncing of the ball. All eyes were on me. I grasp the ball, trembling, ready to serve.

Gina Copetti ’25

So this is Goodbye

I was a young joyful girl living my best life with my family in Chicago when my world blew apart. It was a dark, gloomy, and just awful night. There was talking in the distance. My parents had something to tell my brother and I. “We are moving to Miami.” Those words broke my heart. Chicago had welcomed me with an open heart and I didn’t know what to expect from Miami. Would Miami be the same? I cried my eyes out. Even though I knew there was a new experience awaiting me, Chicago was always home.

Sophia Fernandes Kingston ’26

Astray in Paradise

I was five, and it was Disney! Superheroes at every corner and magic blowing everywhere. Life faded and fantasy conquered. I could do anything. I did do anything. I was following a blue butterfly when I strayed away from my Mom. I was lost in my own world, not noticing how far I’d gone. As it fluttered away, realization crept in. I was lost. I was alone. The magic faded and the world darkened. Where was my Mom? Where was I? I ran to the nearest phone and with shaky hands dialed my mom’s number. “Phew.” I found her.

Sophia Hanna ’26

Trying to Reconnect

Miami – it seemed nostalgic, yet scary. The heat infiltrated my skin like my thoughts: new school, new home, new life. Wanting friends, needing AC, where to start? Best option, reconnecting. I stared at the old phone chat “The gang,” as memories flowed. Would they remember? Could we go back to how we were, four years ago? Going from best friends to practically strangers. Would they still think the same of me? I tapped the call button, as my trembling hands pressed it twice, and then I heard it… ring, ring. “Hello?”

Agustina Iribarren ’25

Drowning In My Anxiety 

I felt my heart race like it had just run ten miles. I laid my warm hand over my fast-beating heart. My head seemed as if it was slowly going under deep water. My eyes flooded with warm tears that streamed down like waterfalls on my once-dry cheeks. My hands shook as I tried to steady myself. My body trembled. Time seemed to stop, I had to sit there and let it happen. I could not stop the panic attack. 

Alise Kling ’26

A Bump in the Road

Striding through the parking lot in a rush, I heard the engine of a car behind me. The car accelerated into my body, leaving me paralyzed in fear, glued to the ground. Before I could utter a word, the car continued its trajectory, consuming my left foot like a vacuum. My heart felt as if it had stopped. Helpless, I heard footsteps come closer. As a crowd surrounded my stiff body, my eyesight went into a haze. My brother approached, cradling my hands in his, crying out for help. With a blink, my world went dark.

Mia Tabet ’24