Through the written word, Crystal Leal found her voice.
Her relief.
Her ability to release the weight from past trauma, which ultimately led her down a path of drug abuse and behavioral issues.
Less than a year ago, those weren’t possible for Leal, who is in her second year attending Fortis Academy. There were trust issues, Leal kept to herself and only spoke when she had to.
On March 26, she stood on stage at the Cullen Theater at Wortham Center and shared her writing, “Finally Breathing.” The poem earned her a Silver Key in the 2026 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards competition – Leal is the first student attending Harris County Department of Education’s (HCDE) Special Schools to place in the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for creative students in grades 7-12.
Being on stage in front of hundreds of fellow artists, teachers and families also signified something bigger to Leal.
With her own support system in attendance, Thursday was the first time many family members heard the poem and her words.
“For the longest time, I wasn’t able to speak on what I went through,” Leal said. “I was actually going to write about something else. I did cry writing this poem because of the memories and it was still pretty hard because my family didn’t know what my poem was about.”
Leal’s journey began last year when Fortis leadership teamed with local nonprofit organizations to bring students new experiences focused on creativity and cultural pride. Tony Diaz, the founder of Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say, aimed to uplift student voices through art and storytelling.
During a writer’s workshop, Diaz tasked participants to be personal with their writing.
Leal struggled – she didn’t know if now was right to speak on her past trauma. She had tried talking before, but she said her words were either met with resistance or nonbelief.
The childhood trauma was real. It led her to drug abuse and addiction. She skipped school a lot and acted out when she did make it to MacArthur High School in Aldine Independent School District.
“I didn’t think I’d be here and I never thought I was going to make it this far,” said Leal, who not only gained and has maintained her sobriety while attending Fortis but caught up academically and is on pace to graduate with plans on attending college in the fall.
Leal decided now was the time, so she wrote. Diaz liked it but challenged her to dig deeper and get more personal.
She accepted the challenge. She went home and continued writing. She took parts out and moved pieces around.
She cried.
Leal read it to her older sister, who showered her with positive feedback.
At Fortis, where campus staff knew bits and pieces of Leal’s story already, the poem signified her really opening up and wanting to heal from her past.
“There was a lot of emotion from all of us as she was reading it,” Fortis Principal Travita Godfrey said.
The encouragement didn’t stop. Fortis staff pushed Leal and her classmates to enter their written pieces into the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards competition.
In December, Leal and Jerry Garza were invited to Casa Ramirez to read their poems to a live audience.
More importantly, the power of the written word has opened Leal up to new possibilities. With better academics and strong ACT score, Leal applied to and has already been accepted to multiple in-state universities. She has her mind set on the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, and wants to study criminal justice with aspirations to work for the FBI.
Leal says she hopes she can be an example for anyone struggling with the past and the weight of trauma.
“You’re not alone,” she said. “I was able to bring my voice out, so now I want to encourage other people to write down what they’re feeling and what they’re going through.”