Honored, Grateful, and Coming Home: EKU Young Alumni Award

I’m thrilled to share some incredibly meaningful news: I’ve been named a recipient of the Eastern Kentucky University Young Alumni Award—an honor that truly touches my heart.

This award recognizes alumni who graduated within the last ten years or who are under the age of 40 and have made significant contributions to their professions and communities. It celebrates individuals who go above and beyond the status quo and embody the spirit of an EKU Colonel. To be counted among such dedicated, passionate leaders is deeply humbling—and I’m still wrapping my head around it.

What makes this moment even more special is that I was nominated by the Bluegrass Writers Studio, EKU’s MFA in Creative Writing program. This program was so much more than a graduate degree for me—it was a creative home, a space of challenge and growth, and a community that believed in me not only as a writer but as an educator and a person.

During my time in the MFA program, I was encouraged to dig deep, take risks, and write bravely. That encouragement didn’t stop after graduation. Over the years, the Bluegrass Writers Studio has continued to support me—cheering on my writing, championing my teaching and educational leadership, and offering personal encouragement during some of my most challenging seasons. Their belief in me has never wavered, and this recognition is as much a celebration of that community as it is of any personal achievement.

Receiving this award also means I’ll be returning to EKU this fall to celebrate during the university’s Homecoming and Awards Banquet. I’m so looking forward to being back on campus, reconnecting with mentors and peers, and soaking in the full-circle moment of honoring a place that helped launch so many of my dreams.

To the faculty, mentors, and friends at the Bluegrass Writers Studio and EKU: thank you. Your impact on my life continues to ripple out into every classroom I teach in, every page I write, and every project I take on. I am so proud to be an EKU alum—and even more proud to be part of this incredible community of the Bluegrass Writers Studio.

Here’s to continuing the work, lifting up others, and carrying the EKU spirit wherever I go.