Aldershot School Student Wins Writing Contest with Powerful Debut Story

Shaneika Robinson, a Grade 9 student from Aldershot School, turned a spontaneous decision into a major literary achievement after winning the prestigious Polar Expressions Publishing writing contest for her emotionally powerful short story Splinters in the Snow.

For the young author, the journey into writing began unexpectedly.

“To be honest, before this, I didn’t really write that much,” she said. “I saw the competition on the announcements, then again in the library, and I thought, ‘Why not?’”

After submitting her work to the national contest, she was shocked to learn she had won.

“I wasn’t really expecting to hear back from them,” she said. “But it felt good to know I was being recognized for something that I wrote. It gave me a confidence boost, absolutely.”

Her award-winning story, Splinters in the Snow, is deeply personal and rooted in real experiences and emotions. Through the eyes of young Zariah, the story explores trauma, immigration, silence and survival with striking emotional depth.

“I wanted to capture how people grow after trauma and the challenges they face, and then find strength in unexpected places,” she explained.

Shaneika, who comes from a Jamaican immigrant family, said it was important to tell a more honest and often overlooked side of the Canadian immigrant experience.

“A lot of people think once you get to Canada, everything is going to be great,” she said. “But it’s really hard once you get here. You have to start your whole life over.”

Rather than focusing only on dramatic moments, she intentionally used small sensory details and quiet scenes to build emotional impact.

“I feel like those quiet moments are the things people should actually remember,” she said. “Those are the moments that hit the deepest.”

One of the story’s strongest themes is silence, which she used deliberately throughout the piece to build tension and emotion.

“What isn’t said can be just as powerful as what is said,” she explained. “Silence can create tension and let the reader feel what the character is feeling without anything being said.”

Although Splinters in the Snow was originally nearly 10 pages long, she condensed it to meet the contest’s 450-word limit while preserving the heart of the story.

The story’s ending has also resonated strongly with readers because it avoids the traditional “happily ever after” conclusion often expected in fiction.

“Sometimes survival is the happily ever after,” she said. “It doesn’t always have to be confetti and sparkles.”

The contest victory has sparked a new passion for writing. Shaneika has already started working on another project titled Behind the Blinds, which she describes as a continuation of her experiences and personal growth.

“Splinters in the Snow was about my life when I was younger,” she said. “Behind the Blinds is more about what I plan on doing now and how what happened back then shapes what I do in the future.”

While she hopes to eventually pursue a career as a sports agent or lawyer, she plans to continue writing throughout high school and university.

“I feel like writing helps me communicate better and more effectively,” she said. “That’s a skill I could use in law.”

She also hopes her success encourages other students to take creative risks and share authentic stories of their own.

“If you plan on writing for a competition, write about something that matters to you,” she advised. “Even if you think it’s small or unimportant, don’t worry about being perfect. Just make sure it’s original and honest to yourself.”