Author-journalist Jordan Salama, a 2015 Pelham Memorial High School graduate, visited virtually with 10th grade honors English classes on May 14 to speak with students about the writing process, share tips and offer inspiration to aspiring writers. Salama, whose work has been published in the New York Times and National Geographic, is the author of the upcoming book, “Every Day the River Changes: Four Weeks Down the Magdalena” from Penguin Random House.

The visit tied into the students’ upcoming unit on creative writing and offered them a chance to learn directly from an accomplished professional. As part of the talk, Salama shared how he became interested in becoming a writer and how working as a freelance author allowed him to explore stories that interested him the most. He encouraged students who wanted to pursue a career in writing to hone their skills by writing frequently and finding opportunities to get published wherever possible.