Poetry in the park

When asked what it is like to teach at Columbia College Chicago, I tell people I cannot imagine teaching anywhere else. I am constantly surprised and impressed by the students that come through my classroom. As an art school, Columbia College Chicago thrives at educating and creating exceptionally talented individuals. In fact, most students are already immersed in their artwork. Just last week, I was teaching my poetry class in the park when a student of mine handed me a headset. I began listening to an incredible song, and asked if it was Lana Del Ray. My student replied, “No, that is me.”

This is just one example of a million, where I am impressed by the level of student work at Columbia College Chicago. I feel as a professor, and as a graduate student, I have a responsibility to provide resources and education to help students thrive and move forward in their careers.

Last summer, Natalia Kennedy and I began researching the best way to develop and implement a program that would support undergraduate creative writers. The program was initially proposed by Joshua Young and Nita Meola. What came of that research was the Creative Writing Mentorship program. The pilot website, which was created as a space for students to learn about the program, may be found at wcmentor.tumblr.com.

Working with students as a mentor was an amazing experience. I got to work with a student who was just learning and gaining access to the world of poetry, and it was exciting for me to share my own experiences and resources.

Every week I would introduce new books of poetry and we would talk about the student’s poetry—almost like a one-on-one workshop. About halfway through the semester, one student started showing up with his own books to share (huge anthologies I didn’t even know existed), and his poetry had begun taking daring new risks—making leaps and bounds, I wish I had been able to take when I was in an undergraduate program.

Poetry books to share

I believe this is the potential of the mentorship program and the importance of community—the ability to introduce students to the bigger discourse and allow them to find their voices. As students, teachers, and artists our greatest resource is our ability to share and inspire one another. Not only did I get to be a mentor, but I was constantly inspired by my students to push myself, and I am constantly learning from them as well.

I know that what I will miss most about Columbia College Chicago is the community that I have had the wonderful opportunity of forming and being a part of while here. There are three weeks left in the semester, and already I can feel the weight of leaving Columbia College Chicago. It is not sadness, but a true appreciation for what I have gained by coming here.