Poetry written by two Pathways to College Scholars, Traron Henderson and Alissa Washington, was featured in the Bishop Boswell Playfest 2024. The Scholars will receive a royalty for their work.

Both selections were published in the 2023 edition of Scholar Voices, the Pathways to College annual literary magazine, which gives all Scholars the opportunity to have original works of art and writing published nationally.

Henderson, grade 11, attends high school in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and began as a Pathways Scholar during middle school. His poem, “Rap,” was named a winner in the genre of poetry.

Washington, author of “Alissa Marie,” is a 2024 graduate from Gary, Indiana. She is a member of the National Guard, which will fund her college dreams.

Reflecting on the Playfest experience, Washington shared that watching someone dance to her poem made her feel inspired and proud, knowing that her words had come to life on stage.

Before joining Pathways to College, Washington says she never saw higher education as an attainable goal. Through Pathways, she discovered a deep passion for philosophy and is now set to become a first-generation college student.

McKenya Dilworth-Smith produced the Bishop Boswell Playfest through the Morning Bishop Theatre Playhouse, where she serves as executive director. Dilworth-Smith is also a Pathways teacher focusing on bilingualism.

The Playfest performers dramatized the Scholars’ work as part of the celebration of excerpted plays. In its 15th year, the 2024 Playfest focused on the themes of family, history, loss, and love. The Playfest is a platform for novice and emerging playwrights of color and diverse perspectives, writers, and poets to showcase works in progress. Youth and community members come together to stage scenes from various diverse and ethnic backgrounds.

Held in the Bergland Auditorium at Indiana University Northwest on November 9, the Playfest was produced by J & M Excursions LLC.

About Pathways to College

Pathways to College is an after-school program that helps students of color in under-served communities develop the habits of mind for success in college and in life. While only 30% of students enter Pathways having been identified as “high achieving,” fully 100% of graduating Scholars earn college acceptance and 90% enter college.

Contact: Alyssa Alston, Director of Communications

communications@pathwaystocollege.org | 202-924-1691