Sasha's Beloit
Hometown: Windsor, Conn.
Major/minors: English (creative writing), journalism and American studies minors
What drew her to Beloit: I struggled a lot in my public high school. Beloit seemed like a place that would give me a chance. It was nice to come somewhere that didn’t just care about your GPA.
How she knew it was right: I know Beloit is right for me because it's the first place I've truly been able to take all my interests and mix them together. Nobody has ever questioned my desire to write poems about U.S. presidents or stopped me from writing critical essays in my own voice.
What she does on campus: I’m the opinions editor of the Round Table. I can’t really imagine not doing it. I love nights when we’re all together writing, editing, helping each other, and watching YouTube videos. I also work at the Writing Center, which is oddly rewarding. I get to read other people’s essays and learn about things I wouldn’t have learned about otherwise.
How she took advantage of unique Beloit opportunities: I was really glad I chose Beloit when I received a Venture Grant to go across New England to the homes and graves of lesser known 19th century presidents. That was my most amazing nerd moment at Beloit College.
On creating a writing event: Last semester, I organized Sh*t Lit, an event where creative writing majors read really bad stuff that they wrote in high school. It was amazing. C-Haus was packed. I was sitting on the floor crying from laughing. It was really great because I put it together, I put a lot of effort into it, and it worked so well.
On the rewards of sending out her writing: Over the summer, I submitted to 20 literary journals. I got a couple of rejections, but I got a few acceptances as well. One of the journals, Mixed Fruit, published “Dear Brigadier,” a love poem I wrote to Ulysses S. Grant, and “Converting,” a poem I wrote about visiting George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate in Virginia with my sister and her kids. Mixed Fruit decided that “Converting” was one of the best they published all year, so they nominated it for the Pushcart Prize (an American literary prize by Pushcart Press honoring the best poetry, short fiction, and essays). It feels like my work has paid off and makes me want to work harder.
On making the most of her major: My honors thesis in creative writing is going to be about thirty pages of poems about Civil War-era African-American history as well as my experiences growing up biracial. Writing so much is scary, especially because it all has to fit under some sort of main idea. I’m excited to have some sort of cohesive manuscript finished. It’s one step closer to being a poet.
