By Chris Kohley
Edward Streeter likes to keep things simple. They dress neatly, tell it like it is and go by E. for short. Streeter has identified as gender neutral for the past three years, and prefers the pronouns they/them.
Streeter, 14, from Louisville, Kentucky, is entering their sophomore year at duPont Manual High School. Streeter is fond of their hometown because of its reputation for being an open-minded community. Streeter cites Louisville as being a diverse location because of its flea markets full of homemade soaps and jewelry, as well as a large LGBT community.
Streeter has immersed themselves in the world of art from the young age of three, and continues to express themselves through all mediums including drawing, sculpting, writing, film, photography and music. Art has become a place of refuge for Streeter.
“[Art] is a great way to vent if you do so please. It’s really helpful when you can’t use words. It’s good to know that you have a resource you can use just to explain yourself without actually talking,” Streeter said.
As they entered high school, Streeter chose the journalism and communications magnet of duPont Manual to join the literary magazine. But while taking a mandatory journalism course, Streeter found an appreciation for the craft of journalism.
“I didn’t realize how much went into journalism as far as ethics and philosophy. It’s just so intriguing to me and I really enjoy writing in the style of it,” Streeter said.
Today, Streeter is on the Selections Committee for duPont Manual’s literary magazine, One Blue Wall. Streeter selects which pieces to include in the next edition, and submits writing and photography as well.
In 2014, a local punk band by the name of Diskonect recruited Streeter to be their lead singer. The band played close to 100 shows over the course of two years. Diskonect broke up in March of 2016, but their final show ended with a bang, attracting around 250 people to the concert.
Streeter has many talents to take into a career, but at the moment, the deepest passion is for cinematography. In 2015, Streeter took first place for their film “A Day In The Life Of Paperboy” at the fifth annual Kentucky Film Festival. Then in 2016, they received a Rising Star Award for their film “Sunshine”.
No matter how Streeter decides to express themselves, they carry with them the principle that hard work is rewarded with a legacy that outlives a lifetime.
“If you’re going to do something, do something that will stay in life, even after you’ve left it,” they said.