On May 2, 2026, for the third year in a row, four PUSD high school student leaders as well as an alumna participated in LitFest in the Dena. This year, students launched a student publication, The Learning Curve (or TLC as it’s lovingly referred to by its editors), a book of stories, art, and poems edited by PUSD Student Think Tank (STT) members over the past five years. The publication is bookmarked by life-changing events, the covid lockdown and last year’s Eaton fire and ICE raids.
LitFest in the Dena occurs each year, and the festival features established poets and writers. However, since 2024, PUSD STT members have been submitting panel proposals and have been accepted to present their writings to festival attendees of all ages. This year, PUSD Student Think Tank’s panel also included a STT alumna, Mya H., who was part of the STT’s first cohort in 2021 and co-founded TLC at a time when the district was operating on an online basis and PUSD high school students were invited to submit stories, poems, and art anonymously. The first section of the printed publication features essays by the district’s STT and Student Assembly, while the next sections feature anonymous submissions collected over a five year period.
In 2025, sophomore Adhalia R., read her story about losing her home in the Eaton fire – which is included in the anthology – and this year, she shared a fresh essay about her life after the fire. Adhalia played a critical role in ensuring that the publication was released. “Leading a session at LitFest showed me that leadership is not about standing at the front, it’s more about helping others to find the confidence to step forward,” she said.
Lesley C., who was part of PUSD’s first group of elected student leaders who served at the PUSD board, shared her essay, “We are human, we are in this together,” that was first published in PEF’s blog in fall 2025. Yul H., a Blair sophomore, read about losing his first school in the Eaton fire, even as he and his schoolmates faced the worry of yet another school closure. Mariah T., who has read at Altadena Library shared a poem that she hopes will be published in the anthology’s next edition.
Sehba Sarwar, who serves as the STT facilitator and PEF’s Student Engagement Manager and is a novelist and author, has been participating in LitFest since 2018. She has encouraged STT members to apply each year and said: “LitFest has been happening in Pasadena/Altadena for 14 years, and it’s exciting to have our high school students open the path for others their age to write and share their stories with a larger audience.”
Tom Coster, the executive director of Lightbringer, the umbrella organization that organizes LitFest attended the student panel and said that he hopes to collaborate with the STT team in the future. “Student voices are needed!” he said.
“TLC’s publication fills me with pride and gratitude,” said Ella Uriu, a recent Bucknell University graduate. “I feel proud seeing the work we started 5 years ago, when we were in high school, transform from digital pandemic-submissions to a physical book. I am grateful for all of us over the years who shared our stories, and organized to make this possible. In Dena we’ve experienced so much change and tragedy these past 5 years, and TLC is a testimony to that pain, but also evidence of our resilience.” Ella initiated the online publication in 2022 and is part of the Student Think Tank’s First Cohort.
The Student Think Tank will host a TLC book launch event at Octavia’s Bookshelf at 6 pm on July 17th, and Ella, along with PUSD alumni and current students are organizing the reading. Books will be available for sale, and the event is open to the public. The Student Think Tank is excited to welcome the community!
