Congratulations to Eliza Fink, an 11th grader at Horace Greeley High School with a deep passion for writing and community service.

Eliza has participated in the Young Writers Contest every year she’s been eligible, earning awards for poetry and nonfiction while in middle school. In her high school years, she has been a finalist in multiple categories and received an Honorable Mention for fiction in 2024. She is a passionate writer and her writing has been featured in local publications, including an article in Stroll Magazine, that highlighted her work and her love for the Chappaqua Library.

As a devoted reader, Eliza has been a regular at the library since sixth grade. She began volunteering under Ms. Cathy Paulsen, Head of Teen Services, and becomes a Library Page. She has made excellent book recommendations, helped curate book lists and led crafts for younger children at Community Day events.

Eliza has played a key role in the Teen Zone garden over the years,  prepared the garden beds, planted everything and cared for the plants throughout the season. 

Eliza is also active at the school. She is the President of Horace Greeley’s Model UN team and a Youth Corps leader for the League of Women Voters.

This award recognizes her exceptional passion for writing, her thoughtful and well-rounded submissions to the Young Writers Contest over the years, and her outstanding dedication to the library and her community.

Eliza received this prestigious Linda J. Zhang Award for Writing Achievement on April 9th, 2025 at the Young Writers’ Contest award ceremony. Ms. Cathy Paulsen, head of Teen Services of the Chappaqua Library, introduced the award as a tribute to Linda J. Zhang.

This award consists of a cash prize to the winner and a matching donation by the foundation on the winner’s behalf to a charitable environmental organization selected by the winner. Linda J. Zhang Foundation will also showcase an environmental-themed writing piece by the winner.