Article by Phoenix writer Michelle Paszek ’24:
Let me tell you a story, one of beauty and passion, and one that I’ve obsessed over time and time again in my youth. Once upon a time, there was a bird born among roses, a creature of magnificence set aflame by an angel of paradise. The bird flew out into the world, spreading light everywhere it went, leaving and returning in an inferno of inspiration. This bird is known as the Phoenix.
I’ve always loved fairy tales, and this story comes from a book that I’ve had for years: Hans Christian Andersen’s Complete Fairy Tales. Although the promise of new worlds to explore was temptation enough, it was the allure of the gilt pages and bright blue cover with vibrant roses curling around the edges that truly won me over. On my first read, I consumed the stories faster than a wildfire, rapt with the words that lay within. The Phoenix Bird struck a chord with me and quickly became one of my favorites, one of the ones that I would reread over and over to my heart’s desire.
Now, it seems like it was destiny for me to pick up that book. But to get into that, I must tell you my own story, one of growth and inspiration. Once upon a time, I was a young girl with imagination in my blood and drive in my bones. I could spend hours dreaming up fantastical worlds of magic and adventure. The myth of the Phoenix had touched me, and I embraced it.
I joined the Kellenberg family in 6th grade and began to bleed the blue and gold colors that marked my childhood fairy tales. I became a Firebird and embarked on my own adventure, discovering the magic in writing along the way. Eventually, as though it were fate, I made my way to the staff of PhoenixOnline, Kellenberg’s school newspaper, where I further developed my skills. My flame grew brighter as I wrote about a wide range of topics from various club meetings to sports games to general happenings around the school, ultimately being named Editor in Chief of the school news publication.
And the Phoenix has been with me along the way, appearing as our Kellenberg mascot, in the stained glass in the lobby we walked through every day, in our class ring, and even in a mural in the school greenhouse I once wrote about for my beloved school newspaper, fittingly named after the mystical bird.
Now, this is where my story is still being written. I’ve finished my journey through Kellenberg, graduating with high honors and moving on to the next chapter of my life at Cornell. The Phoenix Bird has been my source of inspiration, and I’ll proudly carry its flame with me as I continue to grow.
To those reading this tale, I encourage you to nurture that spark of inspiration from the Phoenix and let it grow into a flame that can light the world with your talents.
