This article was written by Carrie Kuecks, class of 2019.
Junior Carolina Mellado traveled to Boston, Massachusetts this summer and immersed herself in a 5-week “Creative Writers’ Workshop” at Emerson College. Located in the heart of Boston, Emerson offered Mellado an opportunity to meet experienced writers, attend writing workshops and explore the city as well.
Mellado put aside any fears about venturing off alone in a big city and boldly checked into her dorm room July 10, where she would be living until August 13. “On the first day I was nervous about being on my own. I just waited to see what happened and, as each day passed, I just loved it,” Mellado said. She learned her way around campus quickly, managed her time independently and completed her assignments without the usual reminders and prompts from her parents. Mellado handled college courses and even did her own laundry. This experience gave her a whole new view on what being at college on her own would be like.
“The best part about [the program] was that I was able to go deeper and learn great things in the world of writing,”Mellado said. The program provided intensive training from college professors that focused on language, technique and the revision process. Additionally, Mellado attended lectures from guest speakers that included such published authors as Howie Axelrod and Mary Lawrence.
During the final weeks of summer, while many students were relaxing at the beach, Mellado continued to study and completed her writing project. She grew in ways she never expected. At the end of the program, she felt more prepared for college and better equipped to pursue her passion of writing. “My biggest dream is to one day become a great writer, and coming to Emerson was a big step in helping me turn my dream into a reality.” Overall, she enjoyed the experience. “It was totally worth it. It was also a total blast. I sure did have a lot of fun!” Mellado said.
