Sharing your writing with the world can often be a vulnerable, yet therapeutic, experience at any age. From seemingly innocuous anecdotes about daily life to lyrical prose about the complexities of falling in love, the written word allows its author the chance to identify, share and reflect on their unspoken emotions and thoughts.
High school brings along a host of exciting memories, hard-fought insecurities, anxiety over the future and joys of coming of age. This period of heightened emotions and learning can lead to incredible works of art; however, fear of rejection often leads to these works being hidden away.
Hammonton High School’s The Blue Review provides students a platform to share those talents with their community in a comfortable and open environment.
The literary magazine–founded in 2015 by sophomore English, public speaking and creative writing teacher Audrey Griess–is a semiannual publication combining student writing and art, centered around a student-selected theme.
Griess is a critical component of creating a safe space and helping students share their work.
“In my experience, most teenagers will tell you what they’re feeling when they’re comfortable with you,” shared Griess. “You’re not giving them the voice; they already have the voice. You’re just encouraging them to find the medium that best supports it.”
For many students, The Blue Review is their first chance to formally share their creative writing and to build their confidence as a writer.
Hammonton High School English teacher Audrey Griess has created opportunities for stu- dents to find confidence in their creativity through The Blue Review, Poetry Café and Poetry Out Loud. “You’re not giving them the voice; they already have the voice,” Griess said. “You’re just encouraging them to find the medium that best supports it.”
“Before coming to Mrs. Griess, I would hide or diminish everything I wrote because I was afraid of people thinking differently or negatively of me,” shared Mary DeRose, a former student and 2023 Hammonton High graduate. “The Blue Review was my first experience since childhood where my writing was published for people to read, and it motivated me to see writing as a tangible career.”
Much like The Blue Review, the annual Poetry Café, also founded by Griess and run by the Diverse Voices Club, allows students the rare opportunity to showcase their literary talents, with the chance to develop their public speaking skills.
“When I sit back and I’m watching the event, everyone is in awe of these kids. They are so surprised about their bravery,” said Griess. “Sometimes teenagers get this reputation for being poor communicators, but on Poetry Café nights… they are extremely effective, authentic, and uniquely themselves.”
Initially funded by the Hammonton Education Foundation and since aided by the Hammonton Education Association, Poetry Café provides its audience with an evening of light refreshments, jazz band and choir performances, and original spoken-word poetry presented by students.
“My very last Poetry Café was just so beautiful; I cried a few times throughout the night. The ambiance, decorations, and performances… it was all so satisfying to watch,” reminisced Journe Lucas, a former student of Mrs. Griess and 2026 graduate. “By the end of the night, I was exhausted but so grateful for the opportunities Mrs. Griess gave me to lift my voice.”
One special touch Griess provides has turned into a bit of a tradition for Poetry Café. Each year she prepares an original poem inspired by the concepts and imagery evoked by her students’ work that evening.
Poetry Café allows students the opportunity to present their own poetry, but so much can be learned from diving into classic poetic writings.
Expanding students’ ability to interact with literature outside of a curricular responsibility, Griess guides students through the national Poetry Out Loud competition, presented by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Its aim is to “lift poetry off the page, creating community and connection” by allowing high school students to select, memorize and recite poems from great poets like Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes.
This competition, which runs annually starting in February, not only allows students the opportunity to practice public speaking, but encourages them to develop skills in literary analysis, memorization and empathy.
While the program does offer many benefits–including an opportunity to advance to the national finals in Washington D.C.–Griess was initially wary as to if her students would find interest in competing.
“Because I encourage creative writing, I didn’t know if my kids would want to do classic poetry,” Griess questioned. “I thought: ‘They want to write their own poetry; they don’t want to read classic American poetry.’”
After further consideration, Griess decided to give it a chance, and it’s a good thing she did.
Lucas would go on to advance to the state finals in March 2026, an experience she proudly carries with her to this day.
“Winning and advancing taught me to stand tall, believe in myself, and speak with pure confidence,” Lucas shared.
Amongst her successes, Lucas also learned a very important lesson for young adults: there is as much to learn from your losses as there is from your wins.
“Losing didn’t teach me to be modest or take it on the chin, but it taught me to keep going,” she continued. “I’ve learned that a loss isn’t a wall you can’t break down, it’s a stone to build a bridge for your redirection… I love the person I’ve become because of my losses.”
Mrs. Griess’ impact goes far beyond the classroom, as many of her students have continued to explore their voices after graduation—a strong testament to her teaching and mentoring abilities.
For DeRose, who is currently enrolled in Stockton University’s Dual Degree Literature and American Studies program, writing has become a cornerstone of her daily life.
After two years as Editor-in-Chief of The Argo, Stockton’s newspaper, DeRose took a job as a writer for MickeyBlog, a theme park and entertainment blog. Last spring, she won Stockton’s Audre Lorde Poetry Award while having a poem published in its Stockpot Literary Magazine, and in 2025 her work was featured in a poetry anthology from Moonstone Arts Center in Philadelphia.
“I absolutely see a connection between Mrs. Griess’ classroom and where I am today, because without her class, I wouldn’t take writing as seriously as I do, nor would I be confident enough to put my work out there,” she gratefully stated.
Lucas opted for a different path in life, enrolling in a local trade school’s electrical program. While college wasn’t in the cards for her now, she hasn’t dismissed the idea entirely and remains steadfast in her love for sharing her written work with others, a love that was fostered by Griess.
“I’ve worked fiercely to publish my debut book, Love, journey” she explained. “But if I do end up at college, I could see myself being a teacher. After all, I have the absolute best example in the world.”
As beneficial as these literature programs have been to students, they have also provided purpose and excitement to Griess herself.
“It is one of the most joyful parts of the job,” Griess said. “A lot of our jobs as English teachers can sometimes feel quite clerical, but seeing a student create or perform something and be brave, it really makes it worth getting out of bed.”
