Delaney "Laney" Ham (Holdrege - 5th Year SHP) is a rising freshman at the University of Nebraska at Omaha where she will serve as an understudy to the Pink Power Ranger and save lives across the city using only the power of poetry. The poet Melissa Lozada-Oliva once asked, “What is a power couple and how many watts do they have?” to which Laney calmly responded, “150-watts. That wattage produces approximately 2,600 lumens of light. That’s not poetry. But it is science.” When Laney is not producing lumens with her warmest-setting-smile or sitting with strangers at lunch, she enjoys toad-catching, apple-eating, and feeling grateful for the town that built her from cobblestone and coffee. Catch Laney on the big screen in–Club Can’t Handle My Anxiety–the musical prequel to The Panic At the Disco–coming to a theater near you in Summer 2025.

Elizabeth Meyers (Southern Valley - 5th Year SHP) Liz is a strong-willed and brilliant author. With a past shrewd with relationships and blonde mistakes, she makes up for it by wearing what she feels a fashion designer would wear. From screaming at websites for not cooperating to falling in love with different fonts, Liz is definitely a fun, delightful person to be around.

McCartney Elliott (Holdrege - 3rd Year SHP) McCartney Elliott is the human water gun that doubles as Yukon’s fun-loving mother. She makes him scarves, paints his nails, and keeps him protected. McCartney graduated from Holdrege High School, and is now going to the UNK. Cheering for everyone and everything while walking confidently wherever she goes. Like McCartney’s cheery mood, her favorite food is the frozen treat, ice cream. She is the most vibrant person, exploding with color. A natural born leader of the pack, but still sweet to everyone with the best sense of humor. McCartney Elliott is the kind of person everyone should want to meet.

Jacey "JJ" Kent (Cambridge - 4th Year SHP) Jacey will most likely elevator pitch her way into a three-book deal. When she isn’t daydreaming and coming up with the most absurd but interesting “What If…” scenarios about trillionaires and making artificial people, she’s trying to remember what time she might be leaving for basketball. She can be found perched quietly in the corner typing away at something everyone eagerly awaits to read. Despite being quiet, she’ll talk through a mouthful of smoothy. New to the radio, watch out for her new celebrity status mindset and wait in line to hold her novel in your hands when it finally hits bookshelves––could be any day at this rate.

Landon Boettcher (Franklin – 3rd Year SHP) Landon, a great human being, is in the creative writing class. His favorite color is orange, and the best food in his opinion is spaghetti. His phone number is ***-***-****. He graduated from Franklin public schools and will be attending Wayne University for film. He is the nicest person you will ever meet, always full of energy. Not the jumpy, eccentric kind of energy you might be used to. He’s more of the type that will crack a hilarious star wars pun out of a walnut. Or tell you a story that he has written. In conclusion, if you see Landon on the street, be sure to say hello, he loves just striking up a conversation with strangers.

Lilly Sayer (Cambridge - 1st year SHP) Lilly is a new addition to our creative writing crew. She’s clumsy enough to hurt herself in a room of pillows but smart enough to win almost any argument. She’s relentless and I want her to be my lawyer. She seems judgemental but she judges herself more than she judges others. If you play basketball with her she might hyper-extend your elbow or roll your ankle. She makes an ‘I’m gonna kill you’ face sometimes, but she doesn’t mean it. Hopefully. Her social battery has a three-day limit and her blankets always smell like her three corgis. She’s the most supportive person I know and I’m so lucky to have her as a best friend. She would bury a body for me no questions asked.

Maxine Fickenscher (Axtell - 2nd Year SHP) Born to fill the room with smiles, Maxine makes everyone's days better. Maxine is going into her junior year at Axtell High School. She is fascinated by astronomy, even incorporating some of the subject into her own writing. With it being her second year in the Summer Honor’s Creative Writing Program, it seems as if she has been in it her whole life. With such creative and heart touching pieces, it surprises everyone that she has only been in the program for two years. She loves fantasy and science fiction, proven with what she writes and reads. She loves the Sea Otter. Relating to the water, she loves to swim!

Jerzie Vap (Holdrege - 2nd Year SHP) Jerzie is a water connoisseur; her favorite kind is the “icelandic water she found at Target that one time.” She is also an avid hater of pillows and country music… and she’ll definitely tell you about it. She fills every room she walks into with an eruption of a laugh, usually evoked by fart noises and (appropriate) “your mom” jokes. She can typically be found reading political articles in her pillowless room while hiding from her siblings and shoving her stash of Cheetos and Xtreme Sour Bites into her mouth.

Matthew Garringer (Holdrege - 1st Year SHP) The extremely talented musical genius known as Matthew Garringer is a kind old soul, in love with Sweedish Fish and Black Liquorice. If you happen to spot Matt out in the wild you know his shoe game will always be on point, whether he is wearing his Marty Mcfly shoes or his classic back and white checkered Vans. His ultimate dream is to own a sea otter, but sadly his spirits were dampened when he found out that it’s illegal to do so. He has a flair for creating powerful works, with powerful words. He is truly an amazing writer and human being. 

Harper Fennel (Alma - 1st Year SHP)

Harper has the most bubbly personality and it pairs perfectly with her springy hair. She loves to run away from her boy problems on the track along with grass courses. She’s the only first year that has came into class like she already knew the ins and outs of SHP.

Allison Boettcher (Franklin- 1st Year SHP) Allison Boettcher is not one to race in a swim meet; she would definitely kick your butt. I heard her say if she had the option to be vegan, vegetarian, or pescatarian, she would be pescatarian. Seafood is her guilty pleasure. Allison is such a sweet girl and her bright smile will make your day.  

Isaac Haack (Franklin - 1st Year SHP) Isaac Haack is a Sci-Fi writer from a small town who in his free time enjoys eating shaving cream. Should his parents be concerned with this habit? Probably, though his father is more concerned with coming up with colorful nicknames involving “pickle.” He is the story problem to his twin brother’s math equation. His imagination is reflected in his favorite color, clear. Despite living closer to Wilcox-Hildreth, Isaac’s deep-seated hatred for the school causes him to travel the distance to attend Franklin High School. As the class of 2026, this will be his first year of high school. Barely a freshman and already he looks like a senior. His passion for word play and dramatizing situations surpasses his grade level in, giving him the ability to make everyday issues seem like life and death. Isaac Haack is a great writer with a bright future.