By Jerry Filmore
The student led literary magazine at South High Community School, The Apricot Journal, has been recognized as a REALM First Class magazine by the National Council of Teachers of English.
The Recognizing Excellence in Arts and Literacy Magazines program honors outstanding literary publications produced by students with the support of their teachers. The Apricot Journal is one of 135 magazines to earn the First Class Award, selected from a pool of 456 nominations submitted by schools nationwide.
The Apricot Journal was founded during the spring of 2021 by South High students Anya Geist and Emma Robeau as a creative outlet for student voices. Today, the publication is managed by a team of student editors with faculty support from South High English teacher Katie Eressy.
The current editorial team includes students Miles Bai, Esther Ong, Patience Munyiri, Ketlyn Flauzino, Natasha Nderitu, Madeline Trombly, Ashley Serrano, Jugeiry Perez, and Vasiana Mancoli.
Eressy, who has served as the staff advisor since the magazine’s inception, noted that the club is entirely student driven. She stated that the increasing recognition the journal receives each year reflects the talent of the students and their ability to organize both the publication and related community events.
Editor in chief Madeline Trombly said the award is reflective of the effort the team has put into the publication. The magazine publishes student poetry, essays, artwork, and other creative pieces, accepting submissions from high school students across the Worcester Public Schools district. Submissions undergo an anonymous review process before editors collaborate to shape each issue around a central theme.
The journal typically publishes between two and four issues each year. Following a large issue released in January, the team plans to publish two additional editions before the end of the current school year.
In addition to producing the magazine, club members operate a community outreach program called Apricot Seedlings. Through this initiative, student editors lead writing workshops for elementary school students in Worcester to encourage an early interest in storytelling. The team also hosts workshops at the high school level, including an upcoming event in April for National Poetry Month.
Trombly noted that the community workshops provide a valuable way to connect with younger students, particularly for editors who experienced disruptions to their own early education during the pandemic.
Students interested in submitting art or writing for future issues can contact the editorial team through the South High Community School administration or the district website.
🔍 The W.U.W. Verification Box
- Project / Topic: The Apricot Journal national recognition
- Current Status: Awarded REALM First Class by the National Council of Teachers of English
- Key Dates or Decisions: Announced March 12, 2026; upcoming poetry workshop scheduled for April
- Estimated Cost: Not applicable
- Timeline: Magazine publishes 2 to 4 issues per school year
- Immediate Next Steps: Editorial team preparing remaining issues for the current academic year
- Primary Sources: South High Community School announcement; quotes from faculty advisor Katie Eressy and student editor Madeline Trombly
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