About Me

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I am a second-year graduate student in the Master of Arts in Professional Writing Program at Kennesaw State University. At KSU, I work as a graduate teaching assistant, here I teach freshman composition. I moved to Georgia from Ohio, where I lived for the first twenty-two years of my life! I earned a B.A. in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and minors in Marketing and Business Administration from the University of Findlay. My research interests involve LGBTQ+ topics, such as internalized homophobia, gender stereotypes, the evolution of language and terminology used within the community, and the the overall experience of a person coming to terms with their sexuality and gender identity. I aspire to combine these interests with creative writing, as well as teach in higher education. As an instructor, I strive to create a welcoming classroom where students feel they are challenged, can express themselves freely, know that their voice is heard.

Although I am passionate about all writing, I have a special place in my heart for poetry and creative nonfiction. As mentioned above, I love researching and writing about topics that involve LGBTQ+ topics, and my capstone project for my thesis will reflect this. It will be a hybrid portfolio containing poetry, creative nonfiction, and analytical writing that explore some of the topics mentioned above. These interests started as an undergraduate students. My undergraduate capstone project was a chapbook of poetry titled Lost But Found, which depicts the fluidity of identity. As an undergraduate student, I also completed a research project while studying abroad in London. The project was titled From the Great Lakes to Across the Pond: A Comparative Study of LGBTQ+ Cultures in Ohio (US) and London, England. A place that I discovered while completing this project is an all LGBTQ+ bookstore, Gay’s the Word. This bookstore was friendly, assisted me in finding volunteers for my study, and hosts creative and inclusive events and meetings. This bookstore proves that LGBTQ+ literature is important and people are interested in it. I want to add to this literature. I am in the process of writing about my time abroad and my research findings.

Memoirs have become my “go-to” when I am looking for a new book to read. A few of my favorite memoirs are When We Rise: My Life in the Movement by Cleve Jones and Sissy: A Coming of Gender Story by Jacob Tobia. Memoirs are a way to either learn about a perspective that is different than your own or find people who have similar experiences. I think it’s really important to show that creative writing can be a way of informing other people and learning something new. Poetry and creative nonfiction can be used to support arguments. I look forward to expanding my knowledge on writing and sharing my work with everyone.

I’d love to have a conversation!