Meagan Bess
Staff Writer

2017 was the year I began my first of two years in UNCG’s Communication Sciences and Disorders Bachelor’s program, though my journey as a Spartan goes back to 2015. Although I have grown to love the profession I have majored in, that year I found my way back to my childhood passion of writing, specifically poetry. To balance the stress of coursework, I wrote poem after poem in journals I hope to publish in the near future.

When I realized I desired to have a part time career in writing, I felt the opportunity to become a staff writer for The Carolinian was destined. I received an email during Spring 2018 a month before classes would end and exams would begin in May. I was eager to apply, though I almost discouraged myself not to.

I quickly dwelled on the fact that my writing skills have improved all the way up to high school. Then, I usually got great feedback particularly for papers in my English class. Realizing I chose a major in the helping profession, I questioned what I could turn in, since I felt I didn’t have any current writing samples that reflected my last couple years of college experience.

Well of course I was wrong. I felt like a scavenger in my own mind as I thought back on courses where I had papers that stood out and I was proud of their end result.

In English 105 I wrote “A Woman: Surrounded by Chinese Custom and Its Vanity” and “The Prevalence of Voice Problems in a Sample of Collegiate a cappella Singers” which is the title of Christopher R. Watts’ study where I analyzed the study for my language disorders course were the writing samples I chose. My results left me satisfied and overwhelmed as to whether or not I would be given the opportunity as I had no idea what I wanted until it came my way.

Two months after I received the email that The Carolinian was looking for writers, I heard back in June that I was invited to join the staff. My first thought was, “Wow, I’m a writer for a newspaper.” I laughed as I remembered as a sophomore at UNCG picking up the paper and thinking, “You must have to write really well to write for this newspaper.” Well I guess my writing skills made the cut.

When some of my family members referred to me as a journalist, I was surprised because I hadn’t thought of it on that level. I quickly realized that my position was bigger than just writing for the newspaper, but rather it included featuring events and people on campus, obtaining pictures and gaining quotes to tie the whole piece together. With no journalism experience and a major that only somewhat ties into english and writing, I knew that I could have potential in both areas and thrive.

Since Aug. 2018, I have been with the Carolinian, and have noticed improvements in the quality of my writing. My confidence with UNCG’s on campus newspaper, allowed me to venture out and look for summer writing internships. I stumbled across internships.com and found Study Breaks Magazine.

The remote internship that they offer includes a writing category where I could begin in Jan. 2019. I saw that they weren’t selective to just English majors either, so I submitted some writing samples to the college magazine and got good news a couple weeks after I sent in my work.

I came back for my final semester as an undergraduate student writing for the newspaper and the magazine every week. As overwhelming as I thought it would be, it was the opposite. Knowing that I was taking on the challenge and that writing is something I enjoy, I went through this semester with a different feeling. I only cared to get in my work before or by the deadline. I realized that these writing experiences are what I needed to gain the bravery to publish my first self-published poetry, prose and story collection “O.U.T. OF ORDER” on Amazon.

What I hope will await me after this May’s graduation, is continuing to craft my abilities in writing and poetry, in order to release poetry collections with a known poetry company, that show my growth through topics such as; self love. I also want to finish a screenplay, an Episode story and novels I’ve written.

I’m on a roll now thanks to “The Carolinian,” “Study Breaks Magazine” and support from near and far.

Categories: Features

Tags: Features, Senior Goodbye