Aspiring writer Caitlin Donnelly ’20 attended the Juniper Institute for Young Writers over the summer, where she fine-tuned her poetry during intensive writing workshops.

Changing Gears

Becoming a writer was never in the cards for Caitlin Donnelly ’20 — at least, that is, until she came to Elms.

“I came here with the intention of being an education major,” said the Chicopee, MA, local. 

The more Caitlin explored poetry and fiction, however, the more she started to feel like writing offered an alternative path for her future. All of a sudden, her second major in English became her priority.

“It’s kind of taken over my life, and made me rethink things, how I want to go about the rest of my life,” she said.

Working on campus as the resident Blue House Fellow gave Caitlin the ability to collaborate with Prof. Dan Chelotti, MFA, on her creative projects. She attended the prestigious Juniper Institute for Young Writers at UMass Amherst over the summer, dedicating her focus to poetry.

“If you’re looking for something, creative writing can give you that,” she said. “It’s just as important as anything else you can do.”