01. What did you study at SU and when did you graduate?

I pursued the MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) and graduated Fall 2009

03. What are the ways SU helped prepare you for what you are currently experiencing both at work and in your personal life?

The MFA program mirrored for me the ways I wanted to be an effective teacher. Much of what I do in my creative writing classes is a direct reflection of what I experienced in my creative writing workshops at Spalding. The program also illustrated the importance of loyalty to my classmates and the teachers I went to school with during my time there. I have graduated from other Universities, but it wasn’t until Spalding that I encountered the idea that our competition wasn’t in the room. Sena Jeter Naslund shared that philosophy with all of us, and it is mindset I continue to believe. Finally, I learned the importance of being confident to write in different genres because at the end of the day, the MFA program taught us to respect and honor all genres, so when I write poetry or plays or creative nonfiction, I draw from my experiences at Spalding. Sena felt it was important that we didn’t just understand how to write in our genre but in all genres. This belief system is one that I share with my students now.

05. What was your favorite spot on campus as a student?

The Mansion Building was a favorite spot because there is so much rich history in that building. The Brown Hotel (not quite the campus for most students, but for those of us in the MFA program, it was our dorm/home-away-from-home for 10 days twice per year) was also a special place because we slept there, went to readings there, and graduation.