Author in Residence: Hena Khan
For more than twenty years, award-winning author Hena Khan has created stories that shine with warmth and celebrate identity, family, and the small moments that quietly shape childhood. During her recent two-week visit to SAS as part of our Author in Residence program, she led workshops for students from Pre-K to Middle School, filling classrooms and libraries with laughter, curiosity, and the joy of storytelling.
In her workshops, Hena encouraged students to trust their own voices. “My message to the kids throughout my visit has been that their lives as they live them today contain stories worth sharing.” She reminded them that the “little moments” of daily life like games, conversations, and family rhythms are powerful material and that writing about who they are helps deepen their understanding of themselves and others.
Students felt this inspiration deeply, especially for fourth grader Hannah Z., a longtime fan of the author. “When I heard that she was going to visit SAS, I nearly jumped out of my shoes,” she shared. “Her stories are so creative and interesting, with strong plots and lively details. They really inspired me.”
Puxi Elementary School librarian Claudia Reyes saw just how deeply students connected with her message. “Students gained a deeper understanding of storytelling and the writing process,” she reflected, noting that meeting Hena made literature “feel more tangible and exciting for them.”
At the end of her visit, Hena reflected on her time at SAS and how motivated and eager students were to learn. She shared that “during my writing workshops, they were so tuned in to what I was sharing. In fact, on my second day, after my presentations, two students came up during recess and told me they were planning to make their own family newspapers because of something I mentioned. It was exciting to see them take what I shared to heart.”
As our students continue growing as readers and writers, Hena leaves them with a lasting reminder, one that beautifully echoes SAS’s commitment to nurturing lifelong readers: hold on to the love of reading. Because, as she says, “the benefits are so huge, academically, of course, but also learning about different kinds of people and building empathy and respect for others.” And that, at its heart, is exactly the kind of community we hope to build here at SAS: one where stories connect us, inspire us, and help us understand one another a little better every day.
