SASHA WIZELMAN is a talented poet and a senior in Communication Arts and Sciences (CAS). She began writing poetry in her freshman year, when her English class entered a poetry unit, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. “The unit introduced me to the idea of poetry as more of a real concept and not just my journaling,” she explained.
As she grew more comfortable with her poetry skills, she began to delve deep into the topics of heartbreak, relationships, and personal growth. Now, she uses the art form as a way to share vulnerability from a young, female-identifying perspective. Wizelman draws on the experiences and teachings of women in her life, including her mother and aunt. She explained that she writes about “experiences that a lot of females can relate to, and it’s nice to know that you are not alone.” She hopes that her poetry teaches the lessons of feminism and the struggles of being a woman in today’s society.
With lines such as “Every hair I pluck makes me a coward,” from one of Wizelman’s untitled poems, she dives into the specific standards placed on female-identifying teenagers, and is able to express the complex message through succinct prose. Wizelman’s creative voice can be heard echoing throughout the hallways of Berkeley High School (BHS).