(September 16, 2022) Cedarbrook eighth grader Maliah Opuni earned third place in the Philadelphia Young Playwrights 2022 annual playwriting festival in the middle school category for her monologue “From the Ashes, We Will Rise.” Opuni’s monologue finished third in a field of 630 submissions from more than 800 students in third through 12th grade.

Opuni’s commendation lauded her for implementing aspects from “The beloved roleplaying game D&D, but it also gave us a heroine to root for, a story of the underdog who has had enough and is rallying forces for long awaited change.” Opuni also received credit for her vocabulary, writing complex details, and conveying raw emotions of grief and anguish.