Niya Williams is a 15-year-old Philadelphia native and current freshman at Kensington Health Sciences Academy (KHSA). Her decision to attend the school was somewhat controversial because KHSA is not a recipient of overwhelming public commendation, but she came to the conclusion that KHSA was where she belonged because of the school’s supportive faculty members and  devotion to helping its students enroll into college.

Niya has found success in the classroom during her freshman year, having been admitted into two honors courses, Language Arts and Math, and she has been given the opportunity to display her wide range of academic talents. The only course that she is not fond of is gym.

Outside of school, Niya is a basketball player — currently on leave because of back injuries — who helps her mother tend to senior citizens and is an active participant in political debates.

Niya’s political fervor stems from a person that she considers a role model for herself, and hopes will become a role model for all women across the country: Michelle Obama.

Niya’s true passion lies in the pen. She finds great joy in writing short stories, spoken word poetry, and sonnets, although she finds the latter quite difficult to complete. Spoken word is her favorite type of poetry because it allows the speaker to better express her feelings through various tones and gestures, creating a more intimate relationship between she and her audience.

Although Niya has a tendency to become nervous when performing, she still prefers spoken word to other forms of poetry.

Niya hopes to use the Acel Moore program to expand her skills in writing so that her craft will be better developed, as well as adopt a plethora of different writing styles from published writers and amateurs alike.