Rebecca young

“I thought retirement was for sleeping…” (Doerr 322).

Rebecca Young is an undergrad student at CWI pursuing a degree in English with an emphasis on creative writing, and plans to complete her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Boise State University beginning next fall. She is the recipient of two President’s Writing Awards from CWI, one in Poetry and the other in Creative Writing Non-Fiction. She has lived in Boise, Idaho, for 22 years with her husband, four adult children, a grandson, and three “bird” dogs. Rebecca is a percussionist who plays the drums, enjoys gardening, kayaking, hiking, and camping, and has served her community by volunteering in the local schools and non-profit organizations throughout the Treasure Valley. Rebecca spent her earlier career in Corporate Finance as a self-taught financial writer and executive member of the investment firm The Chartwell Group, Inc. in Los Angeles, CA, and Manhattan, NY. During her career, she authored corporate investment publications and disclosure statements and was the first woman to be accepted as a member of the New York Stock Exchange Society at the World Trade Center.

Recently, Rebecca made the transformative decision to return to academia; her pursuit of a college degree has uncovered a passion for creative writing, setting her on an inspiring journey of self-discovery and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

ava king

“A swallowtail, cold, born too late, alights frantically on a thistle and pauses, flexing its wings” (Doerr 6).

Ava King is an English major with an emphasis in creative writing at the College of Western Idaho. She is working to become a middle school English teacher. Ava spends most of her time reading and cuddling with her cat when she is not swamped with schoolwork.

adrianna monsivais

“When you get to be my age…sleep is not so different than being awake. You just kind of shut your eyes, and you’re there” (322).

Adrianna Monsivais is an undergraduate student attending the College of Western Idaho. They will receive their associate’s this Fall of 2023 in liberal arts and will then transfer to Boise State University in the springtime. Adrianna plans on majoring in the Media Arts with an emphasis on film and production. Their goal is to work in the film industry one day and create stories involving LGBTQIA+ voices. In particular, they plan on working with the “coming-of-age” genre, which provides them enough space to mend comedy and drama. 

Part of their passion stems from the theater. Adrianna has been involved in a number of productions ranging from Bats and the Belfry to King John. They participated in the Idaho State Theater Competition, placed 3rd at regionals, and became a finalist with their original dramatic piece.

When they are not busy with schoolwork or striving towards their goals, they enjoy writing and honing their craft. Specifically, they enjoy writing short stories, poetry, and journaling. Other hobbies include learning languages, reading, and spending their time being a social media influencer.

erica couch

“[H]e feels an old feeling, the irresistible tug of moving water and his blood trundling with it, and weak joy splits his lips”(324).

Erica Couch is a student of English Creative Writing at the College of Western Idaho. She is a voracious reader of self-improvement books while also enjoying historical fiction, short stories, and memoirs. Erica is working her way towards not only becoming a successful writer but also a mental health counselor, where she hopes to facilitate growth and transformation in people’s lives. Erica enjoys gardening, fishing, camping, and spending time with her husband and two sons. She lives near her hometown of Boise, Idaho, where she resides with her family: two dogs, two horses, nine chickens, one goat, and a couple dozen cows.

Mak Gilley

“He sits and feels the coffee warm his stomach and watches yellow leaves shuttle downriver…” (Doerr 325).

Mak Gilley is an English major with a focus on creative writing. Their goal is to become a film/play script writer. When not doing schoolwork, Mak enjoys a wide variety of hobbies, including reading, drawing, playing video games, and petting their cat.

Pete cuthbertson

“How do such things happen; how do such horrific tangles emerge from thin straight lines?” (329)

Pete Cuthbertson is a student, book lover, and dog mom with an insatiable appetite for new reading material (preferably horror). Pete dreams of writing horror novels and teaching English in both secondary and post-secondary roles. When they aren’t inside reading or watching a comfort movie, they are out getting a sweet treat and listening to goth music in their car.

Chris Erwin

“There are places he doesn’t know, new places, innumerable tiny changes: a clot of submerged timber, a place where the river has undercut the bank and caved it. Clumps of leaves in several spots where he thought the water ran faster. He has not been here in weeks, and it kills him a little to know that the river has poured on without him.” (325)

Chris Erwin was born in California and moved to Idaho when he was 8. After joining the Marines, he returned to Idaho to go to school, earning an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts. After traveling to Indianapolis and living there for 5 years finding himself, he has returned to switch his Associate’s degree of Liberal arts to an Associate of English. Eventually, he hopes to gain employment as a copywriter while writing novels, short stories, and poems in his spare time. Some of his hobbies are writing, playing the guitar, reading articles on many different topics, from articles about the paranormal to articles on new video games and anime, and singing. After gaining employment, Chris hopes to return to school to get his Bachelor’s at either Boise State or the University of Idaho.

Josie Walz

“His fingers find the letter in his shirt pocket, the thick paper, the smooth envelope. He puts on his reading glasses, opens the letter, finds a flattened flower. In the stale cablight, the ignition buzzing, he reads the round cursive:” (323)

Josephine Walz is a student at the College of Western Idaho. She lives with her two beloved dogs and is an avid reader, hiker, and gamer. She has a particular interest in topics related to feminism, queer theory, and psychological criticism. Josephine is interested in editing, copyrighting, and freelance journalism.