What led you to Manchester University? 

 With MU being close to home, it is perfect – especially with the small-town vibes. I can get around super easily, plus, I had prior knowledge from when I was in 4th grade and came to visit with my class. 

How many clubs or organizations are you involved in on campus? What roles do you hold within them?  

I am mainly involved in Theatre Society, where I am the historian, so I take pictures of different events and other things as well. I was in last year’s production of No Exit by Jean Paul-Sartre as the bell boy and this year’s production of The View by MU alumnus Ken Watson-Haynes as Jason. Currently I am working on assistant direction of It’s a Wonderful Life a live radio play by Joe Landry.  

You’re a published writer! Could you tell us about your book and the process you went through to get published?  

As a self-published author, I have come to learn many things of self-publishing. Some of those things are finding a good editor (Emerging Ink Solutions is great!) You need a cover design, too (some editors may have a bundle with cover design, too). Personally, I self-publish on KDP (Kindle Digital Printing), which is free. You just need a manuscript and cover – and bam. My books are dark fantasy which follows a prince to former prince named Cya Sya Do IV, who steps down from the throne after the death of his father as evil releases onto the Earth breaking through the walls of Abika. You can find the Cya Sya Do Chronicles on Amazon! 

What goals do you have as a writer and a future educator? 

I would love for my books to be adapted into a movie or television series and potentially a graphic novel! It is a long-term goal of mine to see it happen! As a future educator my goal is to help students find a love for literature, rather than just say here is this – I expect an essay on the book next week. It is just something that should not be done as it could make students hate reading. Instead, I plan to use an open mind and help find what students are interested in reading and vice versa  

Do you have any advice for students who want to get their written work published?  

Do not fall for any vanity press scams. If you see something that sounds too good to be true, it will get you nowhere. Plus, vanity presses are super pushy, they will keep calling and emailing you. Do not pay to be published – pay for an editor and cover designer. Watch videos to improve your skills – Jenna Moreci is great! To close, my last piece of advice is if you want to traditionally publish, find an agent, most traditional publishers won’t accept your work without an agent.