High School Activist Given PEN award

Despite these and other setbacks, he proclaimed that he “will not and cannot stand idly by as lawmakers across the country strip us of our basic constitutional rights” while accepting the award. Continuing on, he encouraged others to “make their voice heard in November, not just by voting in local, state and national elections, but also by supporting young organizers working to guarantee a more progressive and democratic tomorrow.”

The award was presented to Petocz by actor Asia Kate Dillon. Dillon, who plays TV’s first nonbinary main character on the show Billions, took the moment to highlight the significance their character has played in young people’s lives. They also acknowledged how “books, and screenplays, and creativity in other forms can make this world a better – and a safer — place. That is why,” they continued, “what Jack and his fellow students are doing is so important.”