Lawrence Asa Holloway: The Poet Who Knows It

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After attending a creative arts camp at the Center for Creative Youth at Wesleyan University, Lawrence Asa Holloway, a senior at the CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering in Windsor, experienced his own creative awakening.

Sahara Sidi

Sahara Sidi

Although he enjoyed writing poetry in middle school, Holloway admits he had gotten “distracted” while transitioning to high school. His time at the camp in Middletown served as a reunion to his poetry.

He said that taking part in poetry slams increased his confidence. He said he shook off his anxiety the second his poems began, and he appreciates the self-esteem boost each stanza brought him.

“I love to write,’’ he said. “It’s the kind of thing that I’m mad I discovered so late in my life.”

Holloway’s thirst for knowledge shows in his rigorous course load. Not one to shy away from clubs, Holloway is active in the Gay/Straight Alliance and the anime club and has served as a writer on his school newspaper for two years.

Before his time at Wesleyan, he wrote a free verse poem that drew the attention of his advisor. After reading the piece, the advisor encouraged Holloway to attend the six-week camp.

“I’m pessimistic,’’ he said. “I wanted an experience that allows me to be creative and hone my writing skills.”

Drawn to the variety of subjects and freedom offered at the camp, Holloway overcame his social anxiety, which he said has been an obstacle in his life, and went for it.

Holloway describes his experience in one word: “inspiring.”

When considering careers, Holloway has weighed what can lead to financial stability. He had considered pursuing the field of video game design but has deemed it too competitive, and he was dissuaded by the amount of math involved.

“I hate math,’’ Holloway said. “I recognize its importance, but is something I just can’t do.”

Since attending the camp at Wesleyan in June of this year, Holloway has devoted himself to the art of writing and the important outlet it has given him. He plans to pursue a career in journalism and hopes to enroll in Emerson College in Boston in 2017.

“I’m scared of the challenges I’ll be faced with, but I’m welcoming the growth it brings,” he said.

Sahara Sidi is a student at Appomattox Regional Governor’s School, Richmond, Virginia.

 

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