CHANDLER, AZ — Zoya Siddiqui is just 12 years old and she's doing something she never figured she could. She's a Scholastic Kid Reporter.
When she found out her application was a winner, the Chandler pre-teen said, "My jaw dropped and I could not wipe the smile off my face."
In an interview with ABC15, Siddiqui said she was selected as one of 29 journalists, all between the ages of 10-14, from across the globe.
Her passion for reading and writing was sparked during the COVID-19 pandemic when she started a virtual book club for middle school students.
“I got together with a few of my friends who were actually attending in-person school at the time. I was still in online school, so it was actually a good way for us to stay connected.”
Her experience led to friendships made all over the country. It also came with another surprise she never saw coming.
"So I haven't always had, like, a passion for writing or reading... But I think once I started reading book reviews, after I started to read a lot of books. And yeah, so I started, like, writing book reviews. And I started to, like, enjoy it, because I like reading other people's stories. I'm more interested now in sharing other people's stories.”
Now she’s reporting on stories for kids, by kids online, and in Scholastic Magazine serving 25 million readers.
For other pre-teens who hope to follow in her footsteps, Siddiqui says to go after stories you love!
“So when you're writing your application for next year, I would say to find a story that connects with you, and has meaning to you when you're writing it.”
Find out how to Join Scholastic Kids Press here.
