Are The Arts becoming lost? Is the age- old means of expression being ushered out by the emergence of technology? Filling in bubbles with the click of a mouse appears to be replacing creative articulation as this new generation attempts to make an impact on the ever-evolving world. 

The ability to write and think critically are the shovels that helped me dig my way out of an academic rut. These skills have continued to shape my mind and have allowed me to find a voice when the constraints of monotony restrict it. 

Special teachers have influenced me throughout my academic life. Teachers that have taken risks and chances to instill an appreciation for this writing. Allowing students to peer into their eyes and see the honesty they exude, the cries of passion that spill from their lips. My professors have become these Merlin-esque figures that have opened realms and regions of my imagination that I was unaware existed. I need to experience this; I need to connect with emerging minds that yearn for even a spark of fervor. I am more than willing to provide this.   

I have been a poetry editor for my University’s literary magazine, The Helix, for the past two school years. I take my role with the utmost seriousness and make certain that the publication is a reflection of my own hard work and dedication to the craft. I actively make efforts to spread the presence of the Magazine across campus and the community, often making appearances in English classrooms, encouraging all ranges of writers to submit and participate in the Helix sponsored events. I have helped organize “open mics” and have brought writers and poets to campus. It is my constant desire to spread my love of language to those who perhaps do not yet know that they share this as well. 

Many of my professional endeavors have involved working with children. Not a day goes by where my persistent encouragement to read and write is silenced. For a time, I thought that all this preaching was falling on deaf ears, often speaking to these children while their eyes fry in the numbing light of an iPhone. Not all is lost however; many children have asked me to read their poems or wanted to discuss books–portraying maturity that spans far beyond their adolescent stature. These occurrences make still my heart.

I have a responsibility to pass on history, words, and literature–it can be quite difficult for one to discover their power without having someone else help them uncover it first.