On Wednesday “06880” ran a story on Staples’ robotics team — 1st in the Northeast, now shooting for an international championship.
That was only part of Haris Durrani’s week.
Today the senior learned he’s earned a national portfolio gold medal in writing.
Haris Durrani
Out of 185,000 entries in the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers contest, only 16 qualified for gold.
Past winners include Truman Capote, Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath and Joyce Carol Oates.
The honor is nice. Even nicer, it carries a $10,000 scholarship.
Haris will be honored onstage — at Carnegie Hall — on May 31.
Unless, that is, he’s got a robotics competition elsewhere in the world.
Haris is obviously one incredibly talented guy. Congrats to him. And, if the Westport News and the Minuteman haven’t done a profile on him yet, I certainly hope that they will.
Congratulations, Haris!
Haris is a wonderfully skilled, hard-working, and imaginative writer and deserves this highest of honors. Congratulations to him and his supportive mom and dad!
Last fall, Sunrise Rotary recognized Haris as an outstanding student because of his observations and insights on social issues. One of his accomplishments is an article co-authored with Cole Manley titled “Bubble Wrapped: Beyond Staples, Students Face Higher Levels of Diversity” that I recommend reading …
http://www.inklingsnews.com/archives/6786
Would love to see and read what he submitted. Is that possible?
Estelle Margolis
I’ll find out!
Haris was writing an astonishingly original and complex sci-fi story when he was at Bedford Middle School. He was also competing in robotics tournaments in his middle school years. He’s one of the most unassuming, funny, smart and helpful people I’ve known and deserves the terrific recognition coming his way!
In addition to being so talented, Haris is a young man that is polite, well mannered and humble. I truly love watching him running to class upon arriving to high school in the mornings. He is a man with a mission! And a warming smile!
Congratulations to Haris and his parents.
And now you know why I love my job. I spoke recently to members of the Coleytown PTA about the high school. I mentioned that the young children I saw upon entering the school playing with a ball in the gym will one day be at the high school. No one knows what direction those children will take. Some will show in middle school signs of what passion they will follow through their years at Staples and then in college. Some will have no idea until they come to the high school and take a course about which they know nothing and discover that they share their teacher’s passion for the subject. That subject could be English, science, a world language, television production, art, physical education or any of the other courses offered each year. That is why it is so important to maintain the wide array of course offerings for the incredibly talented students sent to us each year from the middle schools.
I agree with all the comments above. Haris is a joy to have as a student. His quick wit and marvelous talent for using the written word to make a point or tell a story are truly out of the ordinary. I am certain that we will hear about his successes in the future.
John- Sounds like another one of your lectures/plugs during this budget season. Let’s stick to the topic of Haris, not Staples. Seems like a nice kid!