Alexa Bowers ’16 was a speaker at the Jane Austen conference Oct. 10-12 in Montreal.

“I am the first high school student to lead a breakout session so I was really nervous, but I just got out from presenting and it went really well,” Bowers said. “I’m glad they gave me the opportunity to present.”

The Jane Austen Society of America was founded in 1979, by enthusiasts of the late 18th century English author. These founders include descendants of Austen, school teachers and businessmen.

The Jane Austen Society hosts the event, which strives to enrich people’s lives through works of literature every four years.

Each fall, hundreds of young writers attend the annual general meeting at a venue either in Canada or the United States.

“I decided to attend after I took a course online at UCLA about Jane Austen and then submitted a paper to the society and got accepted,” Bowers said.

The conference features workshops and speeches by scholars and members. This year’s meeting theme was Austen’s book “Mansfield Park.” This is the 200th anniversary of the book’s publication.

Bowers’ topic focused on the main character in “Mansfield Park,” Fanny Price. Bowers talked about how political and economic forces shape the women in the story.