Five Shippensburg University English and creative writing alumni held a discussion on their professional and recreational writing experiences in the career spotlight held in Stewart Hall the night of Nov. 4. The event was sponsored by The Reflector, SU’s own student-run journal; the Department of English; and the dean of Arts and Sciences. 

Before introducing the alumni, current members of The Reflector went on stage to highlight what the journal is and the opportunities it offers students. 

“We have a long-standing tradition of taking [students’] prose, poetry and art to give them a chance to get them published in a physical work,” said Katelyn Mader, Editor-in-Chief of The Reflector. “It’s a super fun opportunity for them to see their work in a professional setting, to give editors more technical experience and to support the campus community as a whole.” 

Nicole Santalucia, professor of English at SU and adviser of The Reflector, introduced each of the five alumni panelists with a brief overview of their writing experiences while at SU and where their education has led them in their professional lives.

The first alumna brought on stage was Madelyn Watts, class of ’16. She graduated with a BA in English and a minor in Technical/Professional Communications. Madelyn Watts spoke about her involvement in The Reflector during her four years at the university, her own literary magazine she made as part of her honors capstone project and how her love for “Dungeons & Dragons” has helped her hold onto her passion for creative writing upon graduating.

“It lets you have that storytelling and putting together a larger world where you are interacting with one another and developing characters and storylines,” Madelyn Watts said. “My creative writing becomes my fun outlet when I need to detach from the world and do something I love to do.”

All of the five alumni, including Madelyn Watts, wrapped up their sections of the discussion reading some of their own work published in The Reflector, including poetry and short stories. 

The next alumnus that took the stage was John Watts. He also graduated from SU in ’16, with a BA in English and minors in Technical/Professional Communications and History. John Watts was also primarily involved with The Reflector but also served as editor-in-chief of the honors newsletter at the time. 

Upon graduating, John Watts spent some time working as an academic adviser at a community college, where he mentioned how some of his creative writing skills were able to be used to help students succeed. 

“You are challenging the story they have created in their minds of who they are and where they want to go,” John Watts said. 

Dale Crowley, class of ’22, was the next alumnus to speak. Crowley moved to Shippensburg after retiring from a career in business. He mentioned how he had a lifelong ambition to write a novel, but that he found his passion for poetry after taking a creative writing class at SU.

Crowley read from his own poetry book, titled “Solid as an Oak, yet like a Willow, Weeping.” He read powerful free-form poems from the book, sharing how he uses his personal stories to be told in his writing. 

“I try to look at life’s experiences that I had and write something about that,” Crowley said.

The next alumna that took the stage was Mariah Hathaway, class of ’19. Hathaway graduated with a degree in political science and a minor in English. She also read some vulnerable pieces of writing about her personal life, including a poem titled “Are you a friend of Dorothy’s?” which highlighted how it feels to grow up in the queer community.

Angela Neil, class of ’21, was the final alumna to be featured. Neil graduated with a BA in English with a secondary education certificate and a creative writing minor. She is currently an eighth-grade ELA teacher, and she also created a creative writing group for adult writers in the Chambersburg area titled Roots and Branches. Neil ended her speech by reading a chapter from their young-adult thriller novel she is currently working on.

Following Neil’s section of the discussion, all five of the alumni made their way onto the stage for a quick Q&A about their experiences and any advice that they have for both current and aspiring writers. Some of the topics included tips on beginning to write and different ways to look into publishing work.

The event concluded with enjoying the various snacks provided, along with mingling between alumni, faculty and current students.

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