Haileigh Pettit, Editor-in-Chief
Haileigh Pettit is a freshman in college. She enjoys reading books, writing music and poetry, and studying anything and everything science. Her goal is to finish and publish her first novel while she completes her associate degree in science. You can find her outside at any point throughout the day, drawing inspiration from people in the afternoon or from the sky at night!
Haileigh Pettit is a freshman in college. She enjoys reading books, writing music and poetry, and studying anything and everything science. Her goal is to finish and publish her first novel while she completes her associate degree in science. You can find her outside at any point throughout the day, drawing inspiration from people in the afternoon or from the sky at night!
Editorial Staff
Sanjana Balaji is a freshman at BASIS Chandler. She enjoys writing in her freetime and letting her imagination run wild. She has contributed to blue guitar and ink and feather through works of art she made. Outside of school she learns Indian classical dance (8 years), Indian vocals (7 years), tennis (3 years), and western violin (4 years). She loves eating anything that has caffeine or chocolate, and her favorite drink is a white chocolate mocha. Her hobbies are baking, reading, painting, and spending time with her friends. She isn’t sure about what she wants to pursue as a career, but is interested in pursuing criminal law.
Maryam Chisti will be a freshman at Hamilton High this year. She loves drawing, or anything to do with the creative arts really, and cats. Just cats everywhere. Along with cats, running and manga are the food that she lives off of.
Nevyn Parisa Haque is a student of Grade VIII, European Standard School, Dhaka Bangladesh. She is 16 years old. She was awarded for British Council Reading Competition in 2014 and came in 9th position of the WINGS Learning Centre first Annual General Knowledge Quiz Competition in 2018. She campaigned at her school to raise donations for Nepal’s Earth Quake victims in 2015. Her essays, book reviews and photography were published in The Key Lit Magazine, Ink and Feather 2020 Spring and Summer Issues, Teen Belle Magazine, IHRAF Youth Anthology on Human Rights and Social Justice, and IHRAF PUBLISHES_YOUTH. She takes a keen interest in community service and anti-bullying campaigns. She has completed her Virtual Rotary Youth Exchange program 2020-2021 as a pilot exchange participant in Bangladesh. Her pastimes include reading, travelling, trying different cuisine, and taking pictures.
Daniya Siddiqui is a freshman at Hamilton High School. She enjoys writing in her free time, especially for her Substack newsletters. She is a competitive dancer, and she spends most of her time in the studio. Daniya is also involved in volunteer work; she is the co-leader of an organization called Help Humanity Today and is part of She’s the First at school. Along with that, Daniya is a part of several political organizations. She intends to pursue journalism in the future.
Suvasini Subbaraman is a freshman in high school. She enjoys the creative arts, such as music and art. She has played the violin for 3 years, has sung Indian classical music for 8 years, and has drawn for over 5 years. She enjoys doing many things in her free time, such as drawing, watching anime, and reading manga, mainly from the author, Ito Junji.
Nandini (Nan) Warrier is a freshman at Paradise Valley High School. She loves running, playing the piano, and singing. She has played piano for over 7 years. Her favorite subject is writing and she enjoys helping her friends edit pieces. She has participated in academic competitions and hopes to continue in high school. Her hobbies include reading and baking.
Ameerah Zafar is a senior in high school. She enjoys reading, writing and sleeping, but drawing holds first place in her heart. Her current hobby is staring at art pieces for unhealthy amounts of time in order to study and improve. She intends to pursue chemistry in the future.
Sanjana Balaji is a freshman at BASIS Chandler. She enjoys writing in her freetime and letting her imagination run wild. She has contributed to blue guitar and ink and feather through works of art she made. Outside of school she learns Indian classical dance (8 years), Indian vocals (7 years), tennis (3 years), and western violin (4 years). She loves eating anything that has caffeine or chocolate, and her favorite drink is a white chocolate mocha. Her hobbies are baking, reading, painting, and spending time with her friends. She isn’t sure about what she wants to pursue as a career, but is interested in pursuing criminal law.
Maryam Chisti will be a freshman at Hamilton High this year. She loves drawing, or anything to do with the creative arts really, and cats. Just cats everywhere. Along with cats, running and manga are the food that she lives off of.
Nevyn Parisa Haque is a student of Grade VIII, European Standard School, Dhaka Bangladesh. She is 16 years old. She was awarded for British Council Reading Competition in 2014 and came in 9th position of the WINGS Learning Centre first Annual General Knowledge Quiz Competition in 2018. She campaigned at her school to raise donations for Nepal’s Earth Quake victims in 2015. Her essays, book reviews and photography were published in The Key Lit Magazine, Ink and Feather 2020 Spring and Summer Issues, Teen Belle Magazine, IHRAF Youth Anthology on Human Rights and Social Justice, and IHRAF PUBLISHES_YOUTH. She takes a keen interest in community service and anti-bullying campaigns. She has completed her Virtual Rotary Youth Exchange program 2020-2021 as a pilot exchange participant in Bangladesh. Her pastimes include reading, travelling, trying different cuisine, and taking pictures.
Daniya Siddiqui is a freshman at Hamilton High School. She enjoys writing in her free time, especially for her Substack newsletters. She is a competitive dancer, and she spends most of her time in the studio. Daniya is also involved in volunteer work; she is the co-leader of an organization called Help Humanity Today and is part of She’s the First at school. Along with that, Daniya is a part of several political organizations. She intends to pursue journalism in the future.
Suvasini Subbaraman is a freshman in high school. She enjoys the creative arts, such as music and art. She has played the violin for 3 years, has sung Indian classical music for 8 years, and has drawn for over 5 years. She enjoys doing many things in her free time, such as drawing, watching anime, and reading manga, mainly from the author, Ito Junji.
Nandini (Nan) Warrier is a freshman at Paradise Valley High School. She loves running, playing the piano, and singing. She has played piano for over 7 years. Her favorite subject is writing and she enjoys helping her friends edit pieces. She has participated in academic competitions and hopes to continue in high school. Her hobbies include reading and baking.
Ameerah Zafar is a senior in high school. She enjoys reading, writing and sleeping, but drawing holds first place in her heart. Her current hobby is staring at art pieces for unhealthy amounts of time in order to study and improve. She intends to pursue chemistry in the future.
Advisors
Alina Chisti, Advisor
Alina Chisti is a senior honors student at Hamilton High School. She is currently one of the Editors-in-Chief of the Ink & Feather Literary and Arts Magazine and an intern for PeerSquared Inc. Her work has been published in the Arizona State University anthology, the Blue Guitar Junior literary magazine, and the Scarlet Leaf Review. Alina is the president of her school’s tutoring club and an active volunteer for local and school-based volunteer organizations such as Red Cross, the Islamic Social Services Organization, and local STEM camps. Alina is also an avid theatre student, photography geek, writer, and guitar player. You can find her photography on her Instagram @photography_alinazohra.
Surabhi Sajith, Advisor
Surabhi Sajith will be attending Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University as a Flinn Scholar in fall of 2021. She enjoys pursuing the creative arts through different forms including dance, music, and writing. She has won local and national awards for her dance skills, most notably in Indian classical forms. Aside from the arts, Surabhi enjoys volunteering as the administrative head at Southland Hospice and researching with the American Cancer Society. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine in the future. Surabhi is excited to continue to explore creative genres as she begins college.
Founder
Lysette Cohen, Founder
Lysette Cohen holds a M.Ed. in Education from Northern Arizona University and a M.A. in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. She is a PhD Candidate in Curriculum, Assessment, Instruction, and Evaluation. She has been an educator for over 20 years teaching ABE/GED, ACT/SAT Test PRep, Academic Success, American History, AP Language and Literature, Creative Writing, English/Composition, and Music. In addition to teaching, she is a professional musician, playing and teaching mandolin, piano, violin, and viola. Lysette has traveled extensively, but currently makes her home on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Her nonfiction essays, short stories, and poems can be found in Page & Spine, The Penman Review, The Scarlet Leaf, Unstrung, The Blue Guitar Literary and Arts Magazine, and Blue Guitar Jr.
Alina Chisti, Advisor
Alina Chisti is a senior honors student at Hamilton High School. She is currently one of the Editors-in-Chief of the Ink & Feather Literary and Arts Magazine and an intern for PeerSquared Inc. Her work has been published in the Arizona State University anthology, the Blue Guitar Junior literary magazine, and the Scarlet Leaf Review. Alina is the president of her school’s tutoring club and an active volunteer for local and school-based volunteer organizations such as Red Cross, the Islamic Social Services Organization, and local STEM camps. Alina is also an avid theatre student, photography geek, writer, and guitar player. You can find her photography on her Instagram @photography_alinazohra.
Surabhi Sajith, Advisor
Surabhi Sajith will be attending Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University as a Flinn Scholar in fall of 2021. She enjoys pursuing the creative arts through different forms including dance, music, and writing. She has won local and national awards for her dance skills, most notably in Indian classical forms. Aside from the arts, Surabhi enjoys volunteering as the administrative head at Southland Hospice and researching with the American Cancer Society. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine in the future. Surabhi is excited to continue to explore creative genres as she begins college.
Founder
Lysette Cohen, Founder
Lysette Cohen holds a M.Ed. in Education from Northern Arizona University and a M.A. in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. She is a PhD Candidate in Curriculum, Assessment, Instruction, and Evaluation. She has been an educator for over 20 years teaching ABE/GED, ACT/SAT Test PRep, Academic Success, American History, AP Language and Literature, Creative Writing, English/Composition, and Music. In addition to teaching, she is a professional musician, playing and teaching mandolin, piano, violin, and viola. Lysette has traveled extensively, but currently makes her home on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Her nonfiction essays, short stories, and poems can be found in Page & Spine, The Penman Review, The Scarlet Leaf, Unstrung, The Blue Guitar Literary and Arts Magazine, and Blue Guitar Jr.