Shellie Kalinsky

How did you choose your degree program?

Mason's BFA Creative Writing program is one of only 30 BFA Creative Writing programs in the US. The ability to take courses in all three genres (Fiction, Nonfiction and Poetry) as an undergraduate student and to learn from instructors who also teach MFA students is unique; and the opportunity to participate (as an undergraduate) in Watershed Lit's broad range of publishing and literary opportunities is exciting. I am lucky to live in Northern Virginia to be able to be part of this program.

How did your academic experiences in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences impact you?

I have loved all of my classes. Of course, I have a few courses and professors that stand out as exceptional, and I don't want to leave anyone out, so I will say that I appreciate the intersection of ideas across my classes. If I had to pick one thing that impacted me most in my academic experience at Mason, I would say it was being able to discover and study from such a wide range of writers and thinkers. This experience has changed the way I look at the world.

What accomplishment(s) during your time at Mason are you most proud of?

I'm most proud of my progress as a writer. I came into this program as a fledgling writer and now I feel like with the help of my professors and fellow students, I am learning to fly. I'm also proud that one of my short stories, "Loggerheads," was selected runner up in the Shelley A. Marshall Fiction Contest as part of the 2021 GMU Spring Writing Contests. I have to give credit to a fellow student for encouraging me to submit my story (Kevin Montique) and to Professor Kara Oakleaf for her advice on editing my story when I wrote it in her class.

Are there faculty or staff members who made a difference during your Mason career? Please give an example of this impact if possible.

There are so many people that have helped make my GMU experience transformative. A few standouts are: Dr. Keith Clark and his Contemporary African American Literature course (he introduced me to writers I'd never read before, to ideas I'd never considered before, and he changed the way I look at the world); Dr. Jennifer Wood and her Non-Normative Shakespeare course (she showed me how to have fun with Shakespeare); Art Taylor and his Short Story Collections and his Suspense Writing courses (his guidance and resources have helped me structure my stories, organize my writing, and articulate my ideas); Stephanie Liberatore and her Nonfiction Writing course (she introduced the idea of the situation and the story); Scott Berg's Advanced Nonfiction course (he pushed me to find my narrative voice); Dean Taucich's digital creative writing course (he got this old dog to create her own website, seriously though, he showed me that digital creative writing is an art form); and Kara Oakleaf's Forms of Fiction course is where I began writing the short story "Loggerheads" that was recognized as runner up in the Shelley A. Marshall Writing Contest. I wouldn't be where I am today without them.

What are your current career plans following graduation? What are your long-term career goals?

I plan to remain part the GMU writing community. I've applied to Mason's MFA Creative Writing program for the Fall of 2022. My long-term career goal is to be a published writer. I have several projects I'm working on, including a short story collection and a nonfiction project that I'd like to expand. Success for me means that I'm happy with my writing life. I feel like I've gotten a great start just by being part of Mason's BFA program.