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Laura Ingram (Graduated in 2015)
Laura Ingram (Graduated in 2015)
How did being a student in the Literary Arts program benefit you? Why would you recommend it to a young person?
Fed my passion, nurtured me as a person and as a writer, and introduced me to publishing.
Do you have any accomplishments post-ARGS?
Five published poetry collections.
Where can we read your work?
https://dulcetshop.myshopify.com/products/animal-sentinel-laura-ingram
Ashley James (Graduated in 2014)
Ashley James (Graduated in 2014)
How did being a student in the Literary Arts program benefit you? Why would you recommend it to a young person?
Helped me develop strong writing skills that are critical for any field.
Do you have any accomplishments post-ARGS?
Graduated with a BS in 2018 in Environmental Science (University of Richmond), Graduated with an MPH in Environmental Health in 2021 (Emory University). Currently working at the Environmental Protection Agency in DC in the Office of Children’s Health Protection. Currently freelance writing as a journalist for Environmental Health News.
Where can we read your work?
https://www.ehn.org/blue-zones-environmental-2658467593.html
Jasper Jimenez (Graduated in 2018)
Jasper Jimenez (Graduated in 2018)
How did being a student in the Literary Arts program benefit you? Why would you recommend it to a young person?
Being a student in the Lit Arts program gave me the space to learn about how I could use writing to push my art to another level. I learned that I really enjoyed poetry, both reading and writing it, and what themes were important to me! I would recommend the program to any young person because the amount of growth personally and creatively I experienced in Highschool would not have been possible without the program.
Do you have any accomplishments post-ARGS?
I graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art in May with a degree in Animation. I’m starting work as a full time animator and sound designer at OVFX Outlook Studios in Baltimore very soon! My senior thesis film is also starting its festival run as of recently which has been super exciting!
Where can we read your work?
I haven’t written poetry or anything longer in a very long time, my writing has mainly shifted into writing for dialogue for films as well as Storyboarding! No published projects yet, I’ve done illustrating for some self published children’s books but no writing yet. Maybe someday.
Emily Okamoto-Green (Graduated in 2014)
Emily Okamoto-Green (Graduated in 2014)
How did being a student in the Literary Arts program benefit you? Why would you recommend it to a young person?
Studying at ARGS under the entire incredible Lit Arts department for four years during some of the most formative years of my life was indispensable. To have been taken seriously as a writer in my adolescence helped foster the spirit I needed to pursue writing as a career. The lessons I learned there have carried over into all aspects of my life, beyond just my creative pursuits. ARGS taught me how to give and take constructive criticism, how to hone my own voice, and what's more, to believe in it.
Do you have any accomplishments post-ARGS?
MFA, Creative Writing, Poetry, George Mason University, 2021. BA, English Honors and Honors College, majoring in English with a focus in Creative Writing, George Mason University 2018. Writer in Residence at The VisArts Center of Richmond 2022-2023. Program Assistant for the Alan Cheuse International Writers Center, responsible for social media, newsletter, and helping organize Literary events around the DMV area to foster global understanding. 2016-2021. Program Assistant for Poetry Daily, responsible for helping choose selected poems, managing social media, planning potential free educational materials on poetry, and training incoming assistants. Editor for Arkady Polishchuk, 2016-2020.
Where can we read your work?
https://poets.org/academy-american-poets/joseph-lohman-iii-poetry-prize-2017
Alyssa Tyson (Graduated in 2018)
Alyssa Tyson (Graduated in 2018)
How did being a student in the Literary Arts program benefit you? Why would you recommend it to a young person?
The lit arts program forever shaped me for the better as both a writer and a person. It provided me with the tools and resources to learn to both give and receive constructive criticism and feedback—vital skills in both writing and most career/life settings. It connected me to some of my best friends, in both teachers and fellow students, and lifelong mentors. Plenty of young writers grow up never knowing another writer. I was one of them. Going to ARGS opened my eyes to a world of students like me, and I didn't feel as isolated as I always had. I wasn't "other" anymore. Aside from the social aspect, ARGS prepared me not only for my writing career but for my business career. Literary arts classes will benefit students beyond the creative writing world—even things as simple as writing a work email or peer reviewing a coworker's report are made easier by that foundational experience. Of course, you also get to learn so much about yourself as a writer by exploring genres you may have never once considered. I entered ARGS staunchly as a fiction writer and emerged a jack of all trades, lover of all genres, having taken up to Fiction II, Creative Nonfiction III, Poetry II, Yearbook, and Playwriting and Directing. Also, it's a steal. In the adult world, there is no ARGS, and all the writing classes are anywhere from $200 to several thousand dollars, which adds up when you have other bills to pay. Take advantage of it while you can!
Do you have any accomplishments post-ARGS?
I was able to transfer my CC classes I earned at ARGS and finish up an associate's degree in science at Richard Bland in 2019 (a year after graduating from ARGS) while working full time. I then found my first office job at a financial company and was able to enroll in a self-paced online program to finish my education while working there. I earned my BS in Marketing Management in 2020 and my Master of Business Administration in 2021, both from WGU. Shortly after completing my MBA program, I received an offer for my current position in electric transmission compliance and cybersecurity with Dominion Energy. I've written steadily, too; in 2018 my short story "Green Lights" was featured in a fiction anthology ("Many Times, Many Ways: A Collection of Short Works by Young Authors") and in 2022, I had two creative nonfiction pieces featured in the "Bare" anthology and attended my first formal reading (at ARGS—a full circle moment). I'm still working on projects I started at ARGS (a fantasy novel and a memoir) and plan to have a completed draft of the novel by the end of this year. So far, I'm on track to meet that goal! I plan to spend the first quarter of next year revising and working with beta readers, and the second and third quarter querying. I've also attended two writing retreats since my time at ARGS and host two different weekly virtual writing groups.
Where can we read your work?
https://lifein10minutes.com/bare-an-unzipped-anthology
https://www.shtorytime.com/frostyfables2021
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