Tatiany Morales, the NCBWL Father Ryan High School scholarship recipient, loves poetry and playing the quad drums.

​

A freshman, she is active in the Father Ryan Band, the Sign Language and Creative Writing clubs. She lives in Crieve Hall and is a member of Cathedral of the Incarnation.

​

“I was in awe,” Tatiany said of learning she was the recipient of the NCBWL Aurelia Varallo Mariani Scholarship. “I was speechless. I’d say going to Father Ryan was definitely a dream because I’ve been looking at the school since sixth grade.”

​

The scholarship is allowing Tatiany the chance to live out that dream. “I would not have been here (at Father Ryan) otherwise,” she said.

​

“It makes me feel empowered that business women are doing this for me,” she added. “Something as big as this is giving me a new opportunity.”

​

With that opportunity, Tatiany is diving into the things she loves. In eighth-grade, a teacher brought poets to class from the Southern Word program. The introduction was all she needed. Poetry quickly became a central part of her life. She participated in a poetry slam event at Lipscomb and wants to study English and creative writing in college. She has her sights set on becoming an author.

​

“I really like writing, the peace and quiet of reading books,” she said. But that love of the quiet written word sits next to a love for some louder notes in her life. She is a percussionist, playing the quad drums in the Irish band. In addition to the school band, she has participated in a program called Music City Mass Band last summer and hopes to do the same in the summer of 2019.

​

“It is amazing. There are all these players from around Tennessee playing together from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m.,” she explained.