I’m a nontraditional student majoring in English writing with a minor in English literature. I’m planning to graduate from Pitt at the end of next year and then go on to graduate school, either for an MFA in creative writing or a PhD in literature. Ultimately, I’d like to pursue both degrees and eventually to teach English and creative writing in. Right now, I’m working on the first draft of my first novel as well as undertaking research for my senior literature thesis on Vladimir Nabokov.

I chose this program because I love literature of the American West and I have always wanted to experience the natural beauty of the landscape for myself. I would like to explore the history, geology, and culture of Wyoming, as well as do some hiking in the mountains. I think I am most excited to spend a week on the ranch at Grand Teton, and work on my writing. I have always been interested in the intersection of natural science and creative writing/literature, and with this opportunity, I am looking to branch out into more poetry, using the work of the Romantics as an inspiration to connect to the environment. Furthermore, learning about the different ways humans and animals have during the trip will surely be a boon to my creative work now and in the future.

Laramie is a lot different from Pittsburgh, and the first thing you notice is just how few people are here in comparison. But it has a lovely downtown, with a beautiful bookstore café, The Night Heron where I had great cup of coffee and bought an anthology of John Clare poems. The University of Wyoming has a really nice campus, and we’re fortunate to stay in brand-new air-conditioned dorms while we’re here in Laramie.

I was happy to get the chance to see stromatolite fossils during our hike in the Snowy Range and It was also really cool to go to the geology museum and then go to the Allen Cook Preserve to see dinosaur bones out in the field. I’ve had a lot of fun in Wyoming thus far and I am very excited for the rest of my trip!