JA 18 Under 18 2025
ALDRIN BADIOLA
Aldrin’s passion for the written word crosses Baltimore Polytechnic Institute’s classrooms, Baltimore, and the globe. At school, he is a Parker Writing Center peer tutor and member of the Polygraphs Creative Writing Club. Part of the international online youth poetry community, Aldrin has taught an online poetry class. He was part of the first editor cohort for the summer 2024 Writers in Baltimore Schools elementary school literary magazine and frequently performs his poetry locally, most notably once with the Handel Choir for their “Made in Baltimore, Too” series.
Last year, Aldrin founded and published Artists from Maryland to showcase 12 Maryland artists, and was the youth fiction Made to Read & Investigate flash fiction winner for The Hopkins Review. Aldrin is working on a poetry manuscript, has another shortlisted for publication, and his work is featured in various literary magazines.
“It is rare to encounter such an impressive, curious student across all disciplines. Aldrin is the best poet I’ve worked with in years, nuanced in his language and eager to try new projects.”
—Brenda Serpick, teacher