Ever since I was little I knew immediately that I wanted to have a career involving two things that I loved doing the most: reading and writing… I just didn’t know how to get there. Growing up I was a very avid reader and the video games that my older sister let me play on her Nintendo 64 when I was little showed me that the imagination can take you absolutely anywhere and can let you create anything you set your mind to. Those moments of my childhood fueled my intense interest in rich storytelling, pop culture, and video games, whose influences have found their way into my own writing.

My English/ Language Arts teachers throughout middle school and high school taught me how to find my own voice through my writing and I’ve built upon those lessons ever since, constantly trying to improve in any possible way that I can.

During my senior year of high school, my English teachers, as well as my family, encouraged me to send some of my work to the Young Georgia Authors. So with nothing to lose I submitted a piece called “The Power of Words” which led me to receive the award for my grade level and that motivated me to write even more, to improve upon what I’ve already accomplished. I also had some of my own art pieces published in seasonal books that collected works from every high school in the United States. However, I have not gotten to pursue anything in that field since then due to my current focus being on my English degree as well as the future.

Now, as a junior at Piedmont, I have gotten the opportunity to speak at the Pop Culture Association of the South Conference (or PCAS) in New Orleans, Louisiana where I presented my paper, “The Nietzschian Superman and Crime Noir,” and with constant support and feedback from my family, boyfriend and friends, I am currently planning out what I may choose to do after I graduate from Piedmont with a B.A. in English and quite possibly a minor in Mass Communications/ Journalism. Whether that involves continuing my education, moving on into graduate school or even sending off a portfolio of my work to various outlets that revolve around pop culture and the gaming community for possible future employment options, whatever I may choose to do, I believe that I will enjoy anything that leads me closer to pursuing the job I’ve always dreamed of.