Danielle Radeke of Jackson, who is a junior at St. John Vianney High School, Holmdel, has won the Silver Key and honorable mention regional awards in the 2013 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers.
According to information provided by the school, more than 230,000 works were submitted to the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards nationwide, and only the top 40 percent receive some level of recognition (Gold Key, Silver Key, or honorable mention).
Danielle submitted a short story, “The House,” and a poem, “Love’s Gamble/ Sammy.” She received a Silver Key award for her short story and an honorable mention award for her poetry.
The inspiration for “The House” came when she wondered what it would be like if a house was personified. She was further inspired to write her short story throughout her studies with American literature teacher Margaret Kane. The class studied Edgar Allan Poe, Emerson, Thoreau, and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”— all of which had a part in inspiring what would eventually become “The House.”
According to the information provided, Danielle began writing before she could physically pick up a pen and spell. As a 4- year-old, she used to relay stories to her grandmother, who helped endow her with a love for language.
Danielle’s grandmother would write down the stories for her, and the youngster would illustrate them. Danielle began submitting her short stories to writing contests in the fifth grade after being supported by her English teacher. She has won a few local writing contests since then.
Danielle loves the written language and many different genres. Her favorite books are the Harry Potter series by author J.K. Rowling. Some of her other favorite books and authors include Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables,” Edgar Allan Poe, and Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games.”
At St. John Vianney, Danielle is an active member of the choir, Lancer Productions and the school band. She is the secretary of the Mission Awareness Club and founded a youth group called Acts 29. She is currently starring as a lead actress in a St. John Vianney film “Under Pressure.” Outside of school, Danielle is a vocalist for the Freehold Academy of Performing Arts and has also recently filmed a commercial, according to the information provided.