High school is a time where students try and figure out what they want to be when they grow up. Some people aren’t as concerned as others, but for sophomore Skyler Clark, she’s got it figured out. This summer, Clark is going to a creative writing program at Stanford University in California.

“I started writing stories and enjoyed it, so I never stopped,” Clark said.

Skyler has been passionate about writing since she could remember. She wants to pursue writing as a career and said she hopes that the program will give her an admission boost. Clark used to want to go to Mizzou because she wanted to be a veterinarian, and now she wants to go to Stanford to become a writer.

Clark’s current English Language Arts teacher Jessica Hoffecker wrote her a recommendation letter.

“She has a very unique perspective when she writes,” Hoffecker said. “Her voice is very strong, and she’s got a great opinion about things. So she is perfect for the creative writing world, and she’s got a great imagination, and she’s got a great voice,” Hoffecker said.

The program is three weeks long, from June 19 to July 8. While at Stanford, she is expected to develop the imaginative, critical and technical skills necessary for writing fiction and poetry.  Skyler was accepted after putting together a portfolio. The acceptance rate is about 25 percent to get into these programs.

“I’d like to go to Stanford because their creative writing program is awesome,” Clark said.

This program could be a step toward her future writing career.