Ashley Elizabeth

Six years ago to the day, January 30, 2015, was my last day as a student at Hollins University until I returned for commencement that May. I left not completely sure what I was going to do in the world, nor was I sure what impact I left on Hollins or the impact Hollins would have left on me. I said goodbye to the green and the gold, to the RAT, to the chapel, to Dana, to the loop, to the apartments, to Williamson Road to Tinker Mountain.

I realize now, Hollins has changed me in more ways than I thought. In my creative writing and English classes, I was blessed to have some phonomenal professors, supervisors, and mentors who taught me how to truly read and write poetry beyond what I was doing before and introduced me to new types of writing. Most of them genuinely pushed me in a positive way to follow my love for writing, allowed me space to cry in their offices when things got too hard, and celebrated every small win/working line break/finished poem/successful story/perfected portfolio with me. (The ones that didn’t, I won’t talk about, but they did exist.)

Now, I get to give back to the community that helped shaped me. I’ve been invited bck to campus as a reader and workshop leader. And I am worth it. It has taken me time to fully accept this, but I am worth it, and I deserve it. Since I left Hollins with a fire and want for more in terms of my writing life, I have been actively working toward not only ths moment, but future moments returning. I have been publishing consistently (except for this blog, whoops) and even released a chapbook. I am deserving. This will be my moment. I just hope and manifest more.

I also hope that next time (Yes, I am already claiming a next time), I will be able to return to campus in person. COVID really is doing its damage.