Standout Spartan: Liam Turner '30

Congratulations to Liam Turner ’30, whose poem, “It's Not Easy Being Black,” won an Honorable Mention in the 2025 Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) Middle School Sound Off contest, which was held in March. Students from around the world were asked to “sound off” in answer to the question What’s it like being a middle schooler in 2025?

Liam’s Middle School English Teacher, Mary Hopkins, said, “The AMLE is a wonderful organization focused exclusively on young adolescents. When I saw this contest, I knew my students’ poems based on Kermit the Frog’s song ‘It's Not Easy Being Green’ would fulfill the requirements well.”

“My poem helped me express myself by letting people know how I feel,” said Liam. “It felt great when I heard that my poem won an Honorable Mention!”

Liam’s poem, said Ms. Hopkins, is “a heartfelt expression of the challenges and possibilities he experiences as a young Black student. His words are honest and thoughtful. I am not surprised his poem was chosen for special recognition from the AMLE.”

“I really like writing poems” noted Liam, “and I would have to say my favorite type of poem to write is an acrostic [a poem or other word composition in which the first letter of each new line spells out a word, message, or the alphabet].” When asked what he loves most about being a Spartan, Liam didn’t hesitate. “It's the supportive teachers,” he said.

Way to go, Liam, and keep writing!