Science Hill senior published in national literary anthology

Science Hill senior Majaka Fofana will have her writing featured in the DePaul University Blue Book: Best American High School Writing 2026. Her piece, "Highway of Sonder" was selected and named as Honorable Mention, according to a press release from Johnson City Schools. The Blue Book editors read thousands of submissions from across the United States, and less than 3% of the pieces became finalists. Fofana said the idea came to her as she was brainstorming ideas for a creative nonfiction piece, knowing that she wanted to write about the highway in view of her bedroom window. "In my head, I knew that it meant much more to me than just a highway," she said. "It wasn't until I came up with the title 'Highway of Sonder,' that I was able to even start writing. Sonder is defined as the realization that everyone's life is just as complex as your own; it's my favorite word because to me, it's so fascinating to think about. The title basically summarizes exactly what the highway was for me: the constant remembrance of the lives of others who, too, had their own set of struggles and joys." She said being named a finalist and receiving an honorable mention stung a little bit, but she was overall proud of her accomplishment. "When I glowered over it to my younger brother though, he shook me out of it," she said. "He reminded me of the fact that I was still in the top three percent, which was an achievement in and of itself. I really do appreciate his grounded perspective that helped me feel proud of my achievement." The nonfiction piece underwent multiple revisions throughout Fofana's process. "I have the Google Docs app on my phone, so over the winter break as I was writing and revising, I was literally in bed all night for days typing and editing on my phone," she said. "I'm most productive in that position, I've discovered." Fofana said her time at Science Hill influenced her growth as a writer. "Taking all the creative writing classes at Science Hill with Mrs. Lifford being my CW1 teacher and Mrs. McDonald as my CW2 teacher, significantly altered my perspective on writing and helped me remember just how fun it can be," she said. "I used to love writing stories in elementary school, but over the years I had forgotten that love." She said those two teachers and their encouraging feedback helped her regain that love. "With Mrs. Lifford, I have no idea how she was able to read my very first attempts at creative writing and not cringe the way I do now," she said. "Mrs. McDonald is who showed me how cool poetry can actually be, and for that I will forever be grateful." Being published in the 2026 DePaul University Blue Book inspired Fofana to continue writing. "Being a finalist in the 2026 DePaul University Blue Book has shown me that I can write good things that make people feel what I feel, and that's inspired me a lot," she said. "I have a notebook full of ideas, and a half-finished first draft of a novel I'm really passionate about." She said she plans to continue writing in her spare time between nursing classes at East Tennessee State University. "I'm currently taking a dual enrollment creative writing class at ETSU and working on my final portfolio for it," she said. "Though I do plan on going to ETSU to study nursing, I have no intention of stopping anytime soon."