Major: Master of Arts in Cultural Studies
Emphasis: Higher Education Reform. Writing.
My pen is my paintbrush
The colorful flow of emotion
cascades from my heart
and breathes life
on the blank page before me
like splashes of paint on virgin canvas
creating voice, creating art.
I have had a passion for the written word ever since I was young. Having a colorful imagination as a child I remember enjoying writing short stories in elementary school. Writing has always come naturally to me. I consider myself to be a poet-slash-artist and my appreciation for the sheer beauty of nature is deeply reflected in my poetry. My belief is that writing is constantly evolving and adapting to the subjects one encounters. I look forward to improving my own writing as a Writing Consultant.
I am a great proponent of the idea of mentoring. I see the process as not only being one sided, the mentor “teaching” the mentee, but more as a co-mentorship. The knowledge is shared between the mentor and mentee and transformed into a reciprocal relationship that is relabeled perhaps as a co-mentorship. The student will have their own perspective to share and that is irreplaceable. As an undergraduate many mentors, professors, and advisors have helped me become successful in my academic career and now I want to give back and assist other students to achieve their goals. Encouragement is the key element in motivating others. I strongly feel that if educators had not repeatedly encouraged me to strive for excellence in everything I do in life, not just academia, I would not be a graduate student at the University of Washington Bothell right now.
I earned my Bachelor’s Degree from Western Washington University in 2007, with a major in Communication and a minor in Film Studies. I am a first year graduate student in the Master of Arts in Cultural Studies program. My goal is to become a professional writer and also work within higher education to continue improving our learning and teaching environments.