On April 4, Highland High School (HHS) welcomed local author and alumnus Mikki Judge to conduct writing workshops with students. Judge, who writes under the name M. L. Judge, has published “Evil Eyes: A Journey in Seeking Forgiveness and Understanding” and its sequel, “Evil Eyes 2: A Chosen Family.” These fiction novels were inspired by experiences from her career as the director of the Office of Children and Family Services’ Highland Residential Center.

Students from all grade levels, particularly those interested in creative writing, gathered in the Library Media Center during their English classes. There, Judge shared her story, experiences, and excerpts from her novels. She then challenged students to think about a time they were misjudged or were not given an opportunity they deserved. Students worked independently to create their own excerpts and some even shared them with the group.

Judge was happy to donate her time to the students of Highland. “I credit Highland High School as the place where I first found my passion for creative writing,” she states.

“We hope that students feel inspired through hands-on experiences with industry professionals,” says Assistant Principal Ryan Judge. “Our goal is to have students take what they learned with these real-life scenarios and apply them in the classroom and their future endeavors.”