Becton Senior Patrick Cao’s story, “The Entitled Generation,” has been recently published on Teen Ink Magazine.

“It is a story about my opinions on how millennials have a sense of entitlement that has affected our society. The article also shows both the adolescent side of the spectrum along with the parent’s viewpoint,” said Patrick.

Patrick noted that he is a quiet student who received his inspiration from observing people who complain about menial issues and have an entitled outlook on life.

He credits his writing skills to M.T. Shwartzman, his teacher at night school where he had taken two courses, Writing for Profit and An Evening with Strunk and White. These classes taught him the basics of how to become published, how to construct a writer’s résumé, and how to pinpoint the difference between technical and personal style. Patrick was the youngest student enrolled in his classes.

Overall, the high school author has enjoyed writing since he was ten years old and can see himself securing a future as a comic book writer, screen writer, novelist, and even a video game story writer.

“I can say that hard work and being tenacious are essential for aspiring writers. After about twenty to thirty rejection letters, I can ensure you, that being committed to your work and never giving up will pay off,” he stated.

Patrick has taken honors English classes at Becton since he was a freshman.