Writing Awards
Illinois College Press Association
Second Place
Opinion Column – 2024
Column: The skin I live in
“The standard for skin is to be smooth, clear and untouched. Bloody swollen rashes don’t fit that standard. How do you stay comfortable with yourself when the world doesn’t think you fit? I don’t post many pictures of my skin in a flare-up. It’s who I am, but not fun to look at. “
Scholastic Arts and Writing
Silver Key
Critical Essay – 2018
Teenage Sleep Deprivation and How Schools Can Help
“Both biology and our world environment have led to a rising epidemic of chronic sleep deprivation in teenagers. This sleep deprivation prevents students from being able to make the most out of their education to reach their full potential.”
Writing Examples
The Scout
The Bradley Scout is Bradley’s school newspaper. I started out as a Copy Editor in 2023 and eventually changed positions to be the Social Media Manager.
I used to write news articles about different events happening on campus, now I almost exclusively write columns, a personal story turned into a lesson.
The Scout Columns
The Scout News Articles
Her Campus
Her Campus is an online magazine geared for women in college. I wrote articles for Bradley University’s chapter of Her Campus for a little over a year.
The articles I wrote here are personal opinions or stories in a little bit of a more casual set up.
Analytical Essays
Analyzing either rhetorically or a specific piece of media, communication, etc.
Please note, most of these were examples were written years ago for a dual enrolled community college class, my writing style has developed slightly since their original development.
Persuasive Essays
Persuasive or Argumentative in nature
Fiction
Writing is a form of communication. Whether it is personal experiences or fictional tales, creative writing communicates a story. The beauty of creative writing is the layers of detail you can incorporate into a piece. There is always more to the story. The smells, tastes, or sights; good writing brings the reader in to actually feel the concept. This can’t be done harshly. No one wants to be told what to feel. Building a setting and character, walking the reader through every detail of the scene, brings them to form a connection with the story. There is a saying that good art “disturbs the comfortable and comforts the disturbed” this can be applied to writing too. Twisted stories can leave a significant impact on readers, but only when done properly. Subtly when incorporating twisted elements of a story is what creates more depth and interest within a piece.
Flash Fiction
Short fiction less than 600 words.
