Seeds Students: Writing from the Heart

Students come to Seeds most often for their High School Equivalency, but sometimes, they find a new passion along the way. For many of them, it’s creative writing. That’s certainly the case for the six Seeds students whose work was just published in Women’s Perspectives, a national journal of creative writing for students in adult education.

Six Seeds of Literacy Students–Melissa Hill-Nance, Belinda Gonzalez, Theresa Daye, Kim Brabson, Kimberly Plunkett, and Bryant Civitt–became first-time published authors on Friday, June 21, when the latest issue of Women’s Perspectives dropped. You can find that issue for free online.

Women’s Perspectives is an annual production of WE LEARN, which stands for Women Expanding Literacy Education Action Resource Network. WE LEARN describes itself as “community promoting women’s literacy as a tool that fosters empowerment and equity for women.” Since 2006, WE LEARN has released themed issues of WP geared toward showcasing original writing and artwork from students in adult education.

The theme for this issue of Women’s Perspectives is “The Hero’s Journey: First Steps.” Drawing on the narrative tradition of The Hero’s Journey popularized by American mythologist Joseph Campbell, the WP prompt invited students to see themselves as protagonists in their own educational adventure story.

To get students inspired, WP offered prompt questions such as, “Why did you choose to come to school?” “What frightens you and what can you do about it?” “How will education help your life?” Our published students, many of them members of the West Side’s Creative Writing Club, did some digging and wrote thoughtful essays in response to these prompts. The essays they wrote in response cover serious topics like childhood trauma, health struggles, and addiction. Ultimately, they end on a hopeful note: they all found an education at Seeds.

On hearing the news of her publication, Melissa Hill-Nance was elated. “Tears are about to roll!” she said. It helped bring her goals into focus as well, “That just inspires me so much more to get my GED,” she said. “I know I can go so much farther.”