TA News

Thetford Academy’s Social Studies department recently hosted a Writing Forum focused on real-world applications for writing and the importance of effective written communication in everyday life. The event’s four alumni panelists, Nathaniel Cook ’06, Nathan Hill ’02, Erika Hoffman-Kiess ’86, and Lucy Wagner ’03, work in different fields, but all agreed that their professional success often depends on their ability to communicate clearly and effectively in writing.

The forum’s audience included students from all three first-semester required Social Studies courses and represented all high school grades. “The forum gave students a unique opportunity to hear from community members who went through and out of high school taking different paths – all of them achieving success in their chosen fields,” said Social Studies teacher Casey Huling. “The panelists were honest about what can happen when writing isn’t clear and all shared the importance of knowing your audience and being flexible in your communication style.”

Each speaker shared their journey from high school to their chosen careers and how and when writing matters for their work. The panelists – whose careers include business owner, economic development leader, team leader in material management, and financial adviser – had no shortage of examples. “It amazed me how easily I identified the long term impact of approaches I had learned decades ago. I could share, ‘this is why (blank) matters and this is how I use it every day,'” said Erika Hoffman-Kiess.

Lucy Wagner agreed, adding, “It was great to be on a panel with fellow TA alumni representing our diverse experiences. I especially enjoyed reflecting back on my high school days and what advice I would give to students that would prepare them for writing effective communications in the real world. My hope is that the students can appreciate how important writing is and what a powerful tool it can be no matter what career path they choose to pursue after high school.”

After the discussion, students talked about the experience, acknowledging just how much writing goes into most careers. It was impactful to hear from alumni – once TA students like they are – that clear communication is important, the language and words you use matter, and how less is often more when it comes to writing clearly. All which is applicable to writing for Social Studies, school – and life.