Clarise Reichley is a first year at Bard College where she plans to major in Written Arts with a concentration in Human Rights. Her summers spent living in the West of Ireland encouraged her love of words and the natural world. She is passionate about the intersection of art and social justice, particularly as it relates to the environmental movement, and she seeks to write poetry that inspires a sense of wonder. As such, she believes that awe is a key organizing tool for climate justice. She is a three-time National YoungArts Foundation winner and a five-time Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Gold Key Winner. Her writing has been published internationally, both online and in print. In 2022, she designed and published a chapbook entitled to touch the sky with both arms, composed of her original writing. Over the years, she has led workshops with local youth writing organizations in addition to co-founding the Anti-Hero Film Festival through the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. These instances of community involvement reflect her ethos that to tell your story is a sacred act. Ultimately, Clarise hopes to organize communities around the cathartic practice of claiming and telling their stories. When she’s not writing, Clarise can be found walking among sycamore trees, indulging in tea and cake, or reading library books.