Writing Genie Student Wins Talent in Writing Award and Publishes A Literary Gem

Hei Lui’s writing journey wasn’t always easy. Although she was doing well in English back in 4th grade, her English teacher challenged her to step up with her high expectations. Zhanyi describes Hei Lui’s journey from struggling to catch up with her teacher to becoming one of the most prolific and celebrated writers in school.

Hei Lui’s mom, Zhanyi, recounts how Genie Academy’s reading and writing program helped Hei Lui the most. As a student, Hei Lui’s strongest subject has always been Math, while her grades in other subjects have always been good. However, when she entered 4th grade, Hei Lui and many of her classmates had a hard time adjusting to an unfamiliar curriculum. “It was in the 4th grade where they began serious writing which is a pretty new concept to them,” Zhanyi shares. Coupled with her teacher’s high expectations, Hei Lui needed help catching up with her schoolwork. Her parents also had a hard time supporting her so they decided to enroll her in Genie Academy’s reading and writing class.

How she blossomed from then on was remarkable. She got her first literary work published in 4th grade, got into the English Honor roll in Grade 6 and every year since then, published another literary gem this year, and won the much-coveted Talent in Writing award in Marlboro Memorial Middle School! She has definitely exceeded expectations and we couldn’t be prouder! 

Hei Lui mentioned to Zhanyi that the biggest help she got from Genie Academy was teaching her how to write literary works fast. For her 2nd published piece, she didn’t have much time to prepare and edit. At first period, Hei Lui’s class was informed of their task to write a short story. Later that day, they were given time to write it then handed it in the same day.

Hei Lui already had the extraordinary ability to bring stories to life but this skill was turbocharged by Genie Academy. Zhanyi shares that it gave Hei Lui a step-by-step guide on how she can write a compelling piece. “[In Genie Academy’s book], they give you a structure where you can break down a topic into smaller pieces of work and then connect them together,” shares Zhanyi. “It gives you different prompts and ways to support your reasoning. It helped her organize her thoughts, break down the work into easy steps, and make it [come together] into a complete piece of work.” And for the most exciting part, read Hei Lui’s gripping short story below!

We couldn’t be prouder of being a part of Hei Lui’s upward trajectory. Besides her accomplishments in reading and writing, she’s also a Genie Academy abacus graduate and is doing Math almost 2 levels above her grade. “In a lot of ways, Genie Academy built a better foundation for her and helped reinforce what she learned in school,” Zhanyi shares. “I think things happen for a reason. She had a tough teacher and it pushed her to join Genie Academy and do her best.”

Zhanyi is proud of how she’s grown from struggling in 4th grade to now that she has all these achievements under her belt. On to bigger things, Hei Lui is in the process of writing her first book during her free time. “Her writing is quite imaginative and vivid. When I read her piece, it’s like the scene is playing through my head,” says Zhanyi. I couldn’t agree more! Awesome job, Hei Lui. We have no doubt you’ll continue to soar higher in the future!