Class of 2015

Hello, Professor Buchanan,

When I first walked into your classrooms for Magazine and Creative writing ,
something inside of me knew that the journey would be interesting, and sometimes a
little uncomfortable, but that I would leave a writer. You have taught me that writing
hard matters, and that incorporating vulnerability into any piece is a responsibility
that we , as writers, owe to our readers. Until now, I have never thought of myself as a
writer, but I now feel confident and capable of taking ownership of my voice and
being heard.
One of the things, that I respect the most about you as a teacher is your
facilitation and encouragement of discussion in the classroom. I really value the
contribution that the opinions and insight of my peers added to the classroom as
opposed to a one dimensional lecture style class. You also have a very genuine spirit
that makes you very approachable, encouraging me to incorporate more personal
exposure into my pieces. Although I came into being a English minor with a
hesitancy toward being vulnerable in my writing, the classroom dynamic that you
created enabled me to truly grow as a person and as a writer.
As mentioned before, I think that the thing that I struggled with the most as a
writer was the capability to open up in my writing. I would not say that I was
ashamed of my voice, just very protective in fear that it would be inferior to what was
expected in English classrooms. The depth of my writing is much more persuasive
and elements of writers choice are even more appealing now because I allow
portions of myself to be exposed as I write. In return, I have grown to learn that my
voice is valuable, and that instead of shielding it in fear, I should allow it to shine, and
I thank you and the other teachers in the English department for this opportunity for
personal growth.
Feel free to contact me after I graduate, I would love to be of assistance to you
and vice-versa. You can reach me anytime at my email address
niya.mccraybrown@gmail.com.
Thank You for your Inspiration,

Niya McCray- Brown

Hampton University 2015