IMS 8th Grader Paloma “Lola” Melian Lafinur Wins Honorable Mention Award in New York Times Tiny Memoir Contest

Paloma “Lola” Melian Lafinur in the KMIH 88.9 The Bridge studio where she was interviewed about her New York Times Tiny Memoir Honorable Mention Award

Mercer Island, WA, April 8, 2025 – Islander Middle School eighth grader Paloma “Lola” Melian Lafinur has received an Honorable Mention Award in the third annual New York Times Tiny Memoir Contest for her memoir titled “Mi Nombre”.

The Tiny Memoir Contest challenges students to tell a meaningful and interesting true story from their life in just 100 words. The Times received over 12,000 submissions from students around the world and announced 20 winners, 28 runners-up, and 72 honorable mentions.

“I feel so honored to have received this award, and I honestly could have never expected it,” said  Lola. “It’s so surreal to think about your writing reaching so many people, and I’m extremely grateful to my teacher, Ms. Swope, for being so encouraging during the writing and editing process.”

“Mi Nombre” by Paloma “Lola” Melian Lafinur

“You don’t look Latino,” she says, head cocked to one side. Only four words, but my heart aches; a bruise rather than a vital organ. I worry that someday, the Spanish I spoke so confidently will be nothing but incoherent sounds. Broken, jagged; like rocks tumbling from a cliff. If I don’t have the language, it won’t be enough. Convincing ignorance like hers, won’t be enough. I won’t be enough.

“I know,” I reply.

My words betray me. However, there is one thing that I can always pronounce, always claim.

It means hope, creativity, family.

Paloma Melian Lafinur.

My name.

The IMS eighth grade language arts team of Whitney Swope, Taylor Gall, and Joseph Gushanas have a narrative stories unit that aligns on the calendar with the Tiny Memoir contest, which is open to eighth through twelfth grade students. This is the second consecutive year eighth grade students have submitted entries to the Tiny Memoir contest as part of the unit. Last year Abigail Nissim won a Runner-Up award for her memoir titled “Stuck”.

“I am incredibly proud of Lola and the powerful way she captured this meaningful moment in her life,” said Swope, who is Lola’s language arts teacher. “I love the vulnerability of her memoir and how it offers a direct window into her identity and experiences.”

“One of the most rewarding parts of my job is helping students build their storytelling toolkit so they can share their voices with the world. I am usually the only one who has the privilege of reading and celebrating student stories, so seeing the New York Times recognize a talented writer like Lola is truly a joy,” continued Swope.

To celebrate Lola’s accomplishment she visited Mercer Island High School where she was interviewed by MIHS senior Hayley Nguyen for a segment on Breakfast on the Bridge, which was broadcast this morning on KMIH 88.9 The Bridge, and by The Current on MIHS.tv. In both interviews Lola read Mi Nombre.

Swope was also interviewed on Breakfast on the Bridge and spoke and about the how the tiny memoir helps all her students uplift their own unique story.

Read New York Times Stories On Tiny Memoir Contest

On The Current interview Lola provided advice to future IMS students on deciding what part of their life they should write about for their tiny memoir.

Joining Lola and Swope at MIHS for the interviews was eighth grade leadership student Ellie Turba who documented the visit to MIHS on the District’s Instagram Stories.

As part of the narrative stories unit, students read either ‘House on Mango Street’ or ‘Long Way Down’, which are narrative stories the classes use as model texts. Throughout the unit, students write three personal narratives, taking each piece through the full brainstorming, drafting, and editing process. The Tiny Memoir is their final piece, and every year, roughly 50% of IMS eighth graders submit their work to the New York Times.

Read About History of Tiny Memoir Contest

“In eight grade language arts, we teach students how to weave figurative language and sensory details into their writing—something Lola masterfully demonstrated in her Tiny Memoir,” said Swope. “We also celebrate student voices through our own IMS contest, where we had six winners this year, including Lola.”

“We are so proud of our student writers at IMS, and hope they will be inspired to continue writing and sharing their stories,” said Swope.

“For my Tiny Memoir, I chose to write about my culture, my family, and specifically my name, which is the main focus of this piece. My name, especially my last name, holds so much history and importance, and I knew that even though the moment I was writing about was relatively small, my name is not. I don’t see my family very often, but to know that I will always carry a part of them with me is a great comfort and inspiration,” said Lola.