For two young writers at High Level Public School (HLPS), creativity and resilience have helped them turn personal journeys into powerful stories. Both newcomers to the community in different ways, they’ve found their voices through storytelling and discovered how it can be a medium for self-expression, connection with others, and to inspire change. 

A Story of Heritage and Healing

Title: Kenai’s Tipi Teachings
Author: Neveah Laboucan

After the 2023 wildfire tore through Fox Lake, 17 year old Neveah Laboucan and her family relocated to High Level while their home and community is rebuilt. Moving to a new town and living in cramped quarters in a hotel has not been easy, but with encouragement from English teacher Mrs. Brenda Bailey, she discovered something unexpected: writing. It was difficult at first, but Neveah stuck with it and found comfort in her writing. She is now putting the finishing touches on a children’s book celebrating the culture and traditions of her home community.

Written for elementary school aged readers, her story follows a young boy living on reserve who visits his grandparents every day. Along the way, he meets different animals, each representing an important virtue. A turtle stands for truth and honesty, a bear symbolizes courage, and an eagle represents love and friendship. Each animal has a lesson that teaches the boy something valuable, creating a meaningful adventure for young readers.

Seeing a lack of representation of her culture in children’s literature, Neveah hopes to change that. Her dream is to become a teacher and write books for her students, ensuring that stories from her culture are shared and knowledge passed down to future generations. For her, writing is more than just telling a story—it’s a way to express herself, learn new things, and explore her creativity. This is her first book, and she’s excited to keep going!

“The perks of stories – writing or telling – it’s like you get to kind of express yourself. I’m glad that I’m learning new things while writing this book,” shared Neveah. “Writing makes me feel kind of free, I guess. And I get to use my mind in ways I don’t with schoolwork, when I’m working on my book I get to write whatever I want.”  

A Tale of Strength and Independence

Title: Luna’s Adventure Towards the Deep Dark Forest
Author: Jamnelle Regal

Jamnelle, arrived in High Level with her family two years ago, moving from the Philippines in search of better opportunities. She met Neveah, and the two quickly bonded over storytelling. Though writing is challenging for 16 year old Jamnelle, she’s only been writing since September, she has a vivid imagination and a passion for storytelling that shines through in her work.

Her story, written for middle school readers, follows a teen girl navigating a dark and dangerous forest to visit her friend in a nearby town. Along the way, she encounters three animals she must outsmart: a manipulative snake, a deceptive fox, and a huge and terrifying black wolf. Others have traveled this path before her and been tempted—or eaten. But armed with her intelligence and quick thinking she refuses to fall into their traps, proving her strength and independence. The protagonist of Jamnelle’s story doesn’t see herself as traditionally feminine and doesn’t know her mother well. Living with her father, the teen learned independence from a young age, to trust her instincts, and to embrace her strength and ability to handle things on her own.

Despite a vivid imagination, Jamnelle sometimes struggles with putting her ideas into words and is grateful for the support from Mrs. Bailey and Neveah. She’s learned that trying new things—even when they’re hard—is part of growing up and can be a source of pride and accomplishment. Interestingly, her main character is more confident than she is and has inspired Jamnelle to push through her own doubts. At first she struggled, but working alongside Neveah and Mrs. Bailey boosted her confidence and helped her embrace her own creativity.

“I’m happy Neveah and Mrs. Bailey were here with me, if they weren’t here I’d probably be panicking.” Jamnelle was unsure at the beginning, saying “I didn’t really believe in myself, but I saw Neveah and she was also at the same place I was. I thought to myself, maybe if I could encourage her, I could encourage myself as well. And then it worked!”

Finding Confidence Through Writing

Mrs. Bailey sees Neveah and Jamnelle’s journey as more than just about writing, saying “I think it’s been a process of them believing in themselves as well.” Both students have faced challenges, but through storytelling, they’ve discovered their strengths, learned to trust their creativity, and grown their confidence. Storytelling has given them a voice and the power to share their unique experiences with the world.

Looking Ahead

Both young writers have found their own ways to make an impact—one by preserving and sharing her culture with young readers, the other by telling stories of courage and independence. As they continue their writing journeys, they hope to reach more readers, challenge perspectives, and leave a lasting impression through their words. The world can look forward to many more stories from Neveah and Jamnelle—stories that will educate, empower, and inspire future generations!

Like any budding author, publishing is the next step! Neveah and Jamnelle are working on finalizing their stories and illustrations for publication, their books will be available for purchase in the spring of 2025. Watch FVSD News for more details on when and where to purchase!

Student Authors at HLPS