YC Student has Poem in National Publication
by Chrystal Houston

Sarah Geiger was seven years old when the Oklahoma City bombing took place a block from her school. That act of terrorism made a deep impact on Geiger, who combated her feelings of anger, fear and frustration with an ordinary weapon: a pen. Recently, a poem she wrote about this terrifying experience was published in a book of student poetry called Excellence. The book, published annually, is put together by the America Library of Poetry and features the works of 3rd-12th graders.

“I’ve always loved to write,” said Geiger, who says she’s been expressing herself through the written medium since about the fourth grade. Though she’s been writing for years, she has just recently decided to make a career of it; Geiger is an English Education major, with big plans for teaching and writing.

Geiger says she was influenced to follow this career path by her high school English teacher, Mrs. Powell. It was Powell that convinced Geiger to submit her poem, entitled Oklahoma Plains, to be considered for publication.

“She always told me what a good writer I was, and tried to help me focus my passion,” said Geiger, who describes herself as a “private poet.”

“I wasn’t expecting to get in [to the publication],” she said modestly. “I wouldn’t even have thought to try except that others encouraged me to.” Now that she’s had a taste of success, however, she says she is pursuing publication more seriously, and looking for other outlets for her work.

Such as in the case of Oklahoma Plains, Geiger says she writes mainly from experience. “Anything that hits home to me or anything I’ve personally experienced–it triggers something in my mind and I think, ‘oh, maybe I should write about that.’” Geiger also likes to use others’ experience to write from, using it as an opportunity to view the world from other perspectives through poetry. “Sometimes, all of a sudden, I have the urge to go write something. If I feel enlightened, I need to tell about it,” she said.

Geiger says she loves all forms of writing, from research to creative, but admits that she finds poetry the most liberating. Geiger is in her first semester at York College. In addition to writing, she also plays volleyball for the Panthers. She hails from Colorado Springs, CO, where she attended Pike’s Peak Christian School.

To read Sara's Poem, click here.