On Tuesday, February 10, the culmination of several weeks of hard work finally came to fruition. SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Taman held its local WORDS storytelling competition. There were a few hiccups, but ETA Brianna Adu-Kyei’s group of 10 students was always able to pivot.

When sickness interfered with rehearsals, students worked on their blocking and memorization. When stage fright threatened to dim their shine, students went to practice storytelling at the local elementary school for a low-pressure community-building exercise. (This budding relationship later became a Community Engagement Project focused on building up their confidence and leadership.) Even when a judge dropped out the night before, a helpful neighbor at the ETA’s kost (boarding house) stepped in to save the day.

And what a day it was! The ten students performed brilliantly, displaying their creative use of props, artwork, and energy. A local journalist came by to write a special article on the event, sitting in the audience in the lobby. When all was said and done, the judges had a difficult time choosing their winners indeed, but the three finalists were awarded their cash prizes just in time for a week of Lunar New Year fun.

Brianna Adu-Kyei is currently teaching at SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Taman, Sidoarjo, East Java.