Our team
JENNIFER KIM
Jennifer is a student at Flint Hill School in northern Virginia, and the founder of Pen for Progress. As a longtime writer and admirer of literature, she wishes to promote community and creativity within the writing community through this organization. Understanding the importance of furthering skill through stimulus-based inspiration, She has participated in several writing competitions, some of which she has received recognition, such as a scholastic gold key and a commendation from the john locke essay contest. Outside of writing, Jennifer enjoys participating in Model UN, being an editor in her school’s Literary Magazine, playing tennis, and teaching.
Madeline clary
Madeline is a student at Flint Hill School in Oakton, VA. She believes in the importance of community and connectedness and hopes to promote this through her love of writing. In addition to writing, Madeline loves playing volleyball, painting, reading, and spending time with her friends in her free time.
Julia Murphy
Meet our 2025 judge
Meet our 2025 judge
Dolapo Demuren
Dr. Demuren is a Nigerian-American writer from the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. His poems and other writings are featured in the Adroit Journal, Frogpond Journal, Prelude Magazine, and Small Orange Journal. He teaches creative writing at the University of Maryland College Park, where he is currently the associate director of the Jiménez-Porter Writers' House.
He received his B.A. in Writing Seminars from Johns Hopkins University, M.F.A from Columbia University and Ed.D from the University of Southern California. His honors include a fellowship from the Cave Canem Foundation and The Academy for Teachers, as well as scholarships from the Bread Loaf Writers Conference.
