During second lunch on Wednesday, March 18, non-fiction author Kent Russell visited Gables for the first time since he graduated in 2004, and talked to students who were interested in pursuing a career in writing and journalism. During the event, Russell motivated students to become more involved in the opportunities Gables has to offer students today that they did not offer while he was a student 11 years ago.

Those that attended could easily relate to Russell, since he was an IB student at Gables and because his sarcastic humor made the entire audience laugh. Surprisingly, students were able to ask Russell questions ranging from what college he attended to, to how he finds his inspiration when writing becomes difficult. Russell recommended students interested in writing to keep a journal and write in it daily. Although it may seem like a homework assignment, Russell promises it will benefit their writing skills.

“One thing that I learned while Kent Russell spoke to us was that there’s always hope and you shouldn’t think negatively in life. His life was pretty rough at one point but now he does not have to wake up to go to work everyday and gets to do something he loves,” freshman Celina Montero said.

Students were shown a glimpse of the life of a writer, a life consisting of relaxed work days and all the freedom in the world to work at your own pace! Even though writers don’t usually have a set income, they live life knowing they are doing something they absolutely love.