Horner gets recognition from Phil-Am Press Club 

San Francisco, California:  A press release from the Philippine American Press Club, USA confirmed that a local aspiring writer, Elizabeth Horner, was one of the finalists and was accorded honorable mention in the Youth Voice 16-24 years of age category, during their October 4, 2012 Plaridel Awards Night honoring “outstanding journalists in the Filipino-American milieu”. Nominations came from publishers of major media outlets from cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, according to the press release.  

Horner started writing for the Global Nation edition of Inquirer.Net based in California on the invitation of Esther Chavez, Vice President for USA Sales of Philippine Daily Inquirer, at the age of 17.  She was only an eleventh grade student of Greenville High School when she wrote the article that brought her this recognition.  In the article she talked about “Independence” and what it meant to a teenager like her. “A young person still trying to find her voice, still learning how the world works, so someday, she can eventually find her place in it as she  builds her skills, learn her lessons, makes her  mistakes and amends”.  Horner wrote about how at seventeen, “I am expected to do more things on my own, decide for myself, rely on my head to make the right choices which I know my parents hope will be inspired by values they have instilled in me.” 

Horner further stated in her article how “independence goes hand-in-hand with responsibility.  If I fail to consider my actions carefully, I may just lose some of the independence that I have gained.  I have to prove that I am capable of acknowledging and accepting the consequences of my actions and decisions too.  Although my life right now seems to be brimming with opportunities for liberty and freedom ... and I have worked hard to earn certain rights of passage, I am not completely anxiety free considering the new freedoms bestowed on me.  It is at times terrifying to think of striking out on my own in the not too distant future, to lose that dependency, and leave behind so many old familiar things in exchange for new adventures and experiences.  To me, independence requires a leap of faith; the willingness to acknowledge that I do not know everything, and the willingness to fail and try again when plans do not succeed”          

Horner is currently in London, England to complete her freshman year at New York University Global Center. “I’ve settled into a good routine here. Even if it’s not the most fun or exciting thing in the world to take out my own trash, and do the dishes and laundry, I like the feeling that comes with taking care of myself--- from knowing that I am the same person regardless of restrictions put on me or freedoms granted to me. London is a great experience.  I love the academic challenges I’ve faced so far” 

With regards the award, Horner is quoted as saying, “It means so much to me to know that people read my articles. Even more so, that they think they have some merit. I hope that someday, I’ll be able to publish fiction books too.  I believe that words have a way of shaping reality, and then preserving the reality that it creates. I want to use whatever skill I have in this field to shape reality --- hoping that in some way, I will contribute to the betterment of my society”.