Where are you from originally?
I am a Massachusetts native and transfer student.
Why did you choose Suffolk?
I originally started as an architecture major at another university. During COVID when I was in quarantine, I tried creative writing to pass the time and I quickly realized how much more fulfilled I felt when I was writing. Taking the creative skills I developed in my architecture program, I transferred into Suffolk’s English department. Both universities I’ve enrolled in have been in Boston. Having previously studied in the Fenway area, I really wanted to explore a different part of the city, so I chose Suffolk due to its connection to the downtown area. I also danced ballroom in high school, and I’d grown to really miss that. Being able to reconnect with my love of dance through student groups was a huge reason why I decided to enroll at Suffolk. I’m now a part time dance teacher because I was able to continue dancing at Suffolk.
What courses have you enjoyed the most?
ENG-370: Fiction Writing Workshop has been the most fulfilling class I’ve ever taken. As someone who wants to be a fiction writer, it is invaluable to be in a class where everyone shares that same desire to create fiction. Getting to listen to other people’s creative processes and receive feedback from people who genuinely want to improve other’s writing is an amazing experience. It’s deeply affirming and motivating to hear not just from teachers but from other students what you’re doing well—not just what you need to improve! I nearly took this class twice because I loved it so much.
Are there any faculty members who helped shape your experience?
Wyatt Bonikowski is my advisor and the professor for ENG-370, the Fiction Writing Workshop. In that workshop class, he recommended submitting a story I wrote for publication—something I had no intention of doing—but single handedly because of that push the short story is now being published in a collection this year. At the time, I hadn’t accepted writing skills, but because of his push to have me try and get published, I actually started to internalize my talents for creative writing. The feedback I’ve received from my peers and the stories I’ve been exposed to have helped me understand myself and my writing directly. I wouldn’t be a writer without these opportunities.
Are you involved in any student organizations?
I am currently the president of U.D.O.T. (Union of Designers, Operators, and Technicians), Suffolk’s technicians’ group on campus. I’ve always been involved in theater, even at my previous university, and being able to involve myself in theater on campus found me friends and helped me develop technical and social skills I use regularly. I design lights for many of the shows on campus, and like writing, it is a deeply fulfilling experience for me. I was involved in Pasion Latina previously, as both a general member and their event coordinator. They are the school’s Latin dance team. My time with the club landed me a career as a professional dance teacher. That alone has completely changed the trajectory of my life and I cannot begin to communicate how grateful I am for that.
What's next for you?
I wasn’t expecting my workshop classes to be as fulfilling as they were. They reminded me of the studio classes I took as an architecture student in all the best ways. My experience getting a story published because of a workshop class has been essential in shaping who I am as a writer. I hope to become a novelist someday. Now, I’m just working to get things published and refine my writer’s voice.