By Srishti Sawant

Long before she ever analyzed a line of verse in high school, sophomore Sophia Stambolsky [10] was curious about how Helen Keller experienced a world built on physical sensation and memory. Last year in Dr. Martin’s 10th-grade honors literature class, that childhood interest came back when she read Eleanor Wilner’s poem “Of a Sun She Can Remember.”

“In elementary school, I became fascinated by Helen Keller and learned a lot about her life and story,” Sophia said. “Since Wilner’s poem explored life through the lens of Helen Keller, it brought back memories of that interest and inspired me to choose the poem.”

Her reaction to the poem led to international recognition. Out of 2,336 letters submitted from six countries and 36 states, the Academy of American Poets selected Sophia’s letter for publication in the Dear Poet 2026 booklet, complete with an official response from the poet.

In her letter to Wilner, Sophia asked direct questions about specific lines in the poem to look past standard historical facts and explore how Keller navigated reality through emotion and sensory details. “The poem inspired me to think about how Helen experienced the world through emotions, sensations, and memories, and how poetry can help readers understand her perspective beyond historical facts,” she explained.

Working through those lines shifted how she understood poetry, helping her see the medium in a new light. Sophia credits Dr. Martin for helping make that difference.

“Dr. Martin is one of the best teachers I’ve ever had, and I don’t say that lightly,” she shared. “Poetry has always been a difficult and rather boring subject for me, but having a teacher who truly cares about his work makes a world of difference.”

When the email arrived during a busy school day, the size of the accomplishment took a moment to sink in. Looking back at the thousands of entries from around the world, she finds it “pretty neat” that her writing stood out. Congratulations to Sophia on this incredible international achievement and well-deserved honor!