Writers' Corner

Annika Britton has always had an irrepressible drive of creativity and curiosity, leading her to pursue Art and Psychology at Westmont. She is from Virginia but will always say “just a few minutes from D.C.!” to make her hometown feel more important to Californians with limited knowledge of East Coast geography. Part of the allure of the West was the water, which she can’t help but stay out of. As the daughter of a technical writer and editor, she has endured many excruciating and much-longer-than-anticipated editing sessions, which have instilled in her a greater appreciation for written language and grammar. She was once asked in a Westmont literature class about her favorite book or film, to which she nervously replied, “Trolls,” the 2016 animated masterpiece. However, could she answer the question again, she would likely mention Pride and Prejudice, Narnia, Little Women, or Harry Potter—basically anything involving ball gowns or escaping the modern world.

Areas of study: Art, Psychology

Graham Eberhardt is an English major and Computer Science minor from the Land of Infinite Sunshine (New Mexico). He looks at the world through fantasy-tinted goggles and loves writing speculative fiction as much as he loves arguing that “plaid must be a color because it’s my favorite color.” He believes in the power of writing to touch on unique truths and is trying to do just that whenever he gets a chance to work on his novel in the free time between readings and papers. Ask him about the latest book or video game he’s gotten himself sucked into and he’ll probably talk your ear off if you don’t stop him.

Areas of Study: English, Computer Science

Gabe Farhadian is an Economics and Business major who periodically vacates the world of corporate models and Excel sheets for the abstractions of his Writing minor. Having traveled to places like India, China, Indonesia, and South Korea, Gabe finds that his experiences abroad and at home fuel his enjoyment of playing guitar, writing, and producing music. Gabe enjoys crossing sensory boundaries and employing contradictive elements to articulate visceral experiences: like attempting to produce melodies that sound like how a certain landscape looks. As a result of this pursuit, his prose may contain a made-up word or two—or three.

Areas of study: Econ. & Business, Writing

Since memorizing bedtime stories before she could read them herself, Elinore (Ellie) Ford has loved literature. She’s a California native fluent in both the surfer and standard dialects of English. A Biology and Political Science double major, Ellie has grown to appreciate how important writing is to any field. Speaking of fields, she spends much of her time outdoors and frequently interrupts conversation to enthuse about sighted Westmont wildlife ("squirrel! hummingbird! Scott Lisea!"). On Monday afternoons, you'll find Ellie in the writing center—catching the last rays of sunshine through the floor-to-ceiling window and finally talking about herself in the first person.

Areas of study: Biology, Political Science

Ella Jennings is an Art and Psychology double-major that can always be found in a local café enjoying coffee and rich discussions with friends. She loves listening to throwback songs, challenging herself with complicated culinary recipes, and playing with her two chunky dogs in Southern California. During quarantine, she’s also trying a new hobby every day (currently, she’s embroidering and learning bass guitar). Despite being a grammar nerd and a huge fan of the Oxford comma, she likes to let loose by happily adding flourishing prose to all of her academic essays. Her proudest intellectual achievement was winning her fifth-grade spelling bee with the word “quiche”, which also happens to be her favorite food. Whether you need help spelling the name of a delicious French egg tart or you only have three hours to write a ten-page research paper, she’s got your back!

Areas of study: Art, Psychology

Rebecca Li firmly believes that life as we know it is woven from the tenacious fabric of songs, words, and ethics. For this reason, she is optimistically double-majoring in Music and English with a pre-law emphasis. Rebecca grew up in the traffic-swamped region that is Orange County, CA. Consequently, she has absorbed an abnormal amount of albums in their entirety while waiting at red lights (and stop signs). She delights in drying dishes with her dad while listening to Debussy, jamming to Maverick City Music with her mom, and scouting out new boba spots with her sister to the soundtrack of Sour. In a world where words are wildly wasted, Rebecca will continually cherish writing that lingers in the reader’s soul, long past the conclusion.

“We’re investing a lot of money on your college education . . . you ARE getting a job, right?” This question has become habitual in Catherine Meng's household after she dropped the news of becoming not only an Economics & Business major but also an English major (especially since English wasn’t her first language). Although it seems as if Catherine is a risk-taker, her personality is quite the opposite. She considers herself a pretty mellow gal who likes to spend most of her time in coffee shops listening to country music and doodling.

Areas of study: Econ. & Business, English

An aspiring author since age 6, Addie Michaelian recalls “self-publishing” many books with stapled bindings and scribbly, hand-drawn illustrations. Though perhaps a tad less ambitious today, her love for writing has only grown. As a senior history major and political science minor, Addie is passionate about using writing to analyze contemporary societal and political issues from a Christian perspective. Whether writing an Op-ed for the Horizon or arguing for a particular political philosophy in class, she desires her writing to reflect a spirit of empathy and humility. After graduation, Addie is interested in writing for a think tank or a non-profit and pursuing journalism. On a typical weekend, she’ll most likely be perusing the nearest thrift store, trying a new recipe, grabbing boba with friends, or curling up on the couch with a mystery novel and Earl Grey tea.

Areas of study: History, Political Science

As an English major, Kristiana Phillips relishes wordplay. She’ll admit, unabashedly, that she often has her head in the clouds (literally as well as figuratively): watching the sky shift with colors and wandering deeply into thought. Her propensity to ponder, complemented by an addiction to alliteration and a deep love of words, has made her a passionate poet—though she enjoys prose nearly as much. While her imagination is easily excited by creatures like the horned marten described in the Inkheart book series, she delights equally in reality (you may, for example, occasionally catch her stalking squirrels between classes). As an American citizen who grew up in Southeast Asia, Kristi has used writing to explore and process her sense of identity and belonging. She believes firmly in the power of words and would like to see herself as a Merlin-like figure in the lives of many Arthurs: scheming to help others draw the weapon of their own words from whatever stiff, metaphorical stone encases them.

Areas of study: English

Lillian Robinson is an English major with a penchant for tree climbing, a troubling dependency on caffeine, and a deep and undying regret that she wasn’t born ‘cross the pond, where her random impulses to use a British accent would seem less out of place. Today, Lillian strives to live by Bill Watterson’s timeless words of wisdom: “if your knees aren’t green by the end of the day, you ought to seriously reexamine your life.” What else should you know about her? She supposes little bios like this usually include where the subject is from. She decides to be a slave to convention and inform the reader that she was born in San Diego, California, but she spent the bulk of her childhood abroad. There, she discovered that for all her love of California landscapes, the topography she most appreciates is typeset. To her, home feels like the undulating hills and bibliosmia-scented valleys between book covers. She has only recently acquired her dual citizenship, but now enjoys traveling freely between countries both real and imagined. (Though she has more than once had to deal with the hassle of accidentally setting off the detector alarm at the Library customs.) Anything else? Oh yes, she talks in the third person even when not restricted by a “bio” format.

Areas of Study: English

As a religious studies and philosophy double major, Maddy Simonsen enjoys learning about the historical context of the early church in one moment and contemplating Immanuel Kant’s epistemological theory in the next. Through her majors, Maddy Simonsen has gained the ability to thoughtfully articulate herself in writing, which she will use as a writing tutor. She adores finding cute and meaningful stickers for her ever-growing Nalgene collection and appreciates the sweet, crisp flavor of jicama. In her free time, Maddy loves taking portraits that capture the essence of the individual and welcomes any opportunity to engage in a variety of outdoor activities.

Areas of study: Religious Studies, Philosophy

Kelly Vivanco is delighted to be a Liberal Studies (Elementary Education) major and a Writing minor. Before she knew the alphabet, she would frequently borrow her older siblings’ schoolbooks and pretend to read them, all the while making up stories based on the covers. A beginner poet at age six and aspiring author at age seven, she remains a dedicated lover and writer of poetry and historical fiction, especially when combined with mystery or romance. She has a deep-rooted love for children, music, and the summer rains of her homeland—and she would be remiss if she didn’t admit dark chocolate was on the list, as well. Born and raised in southern Mexico, she is the middle child of five bilingual, homeschooled siblings and the daughter of an American mother and Mexican father—all this to say, she is a practiced interpreter and peacemaker.

Areas of Study: Liberal Studies, Writing

Abby Watson is a wanderer who hoards words from the different dialects she’s encountered, so y’all best be prepared to hear a horrendous mishmash of southern twang, midwestern nasal, and just a hint of New Jersey shoreline. When she was eight, her Christmas present was a self-publishing book kit. Unfortunately, she never finished it, so she understands all too well that procrastination is an old and fiendish foe. As an English major, Abby enjoys reading literature and speculative fiction, analyzing the etymology of words and cheerfully mangling them in her day-to-day speech. She is excited to return to this community of writers and perhaps learn some Californian lingo as well.

Areas of Study: English, Spanish

Allison Winslow is a simple gal who likes books, food, and walks in the Montecito hills. As a Communication Studies and English double major, she has plenty of reading to keep her busy, switching between William Faulkner and Greco-Roman rhetorical views daily. You’ll most likely catch her listening to her favorite artist, Léon, or Taylor Swift throughout her day. A California native, Allison loves the sunshine and needs to bundle up in 60-degree weather. When the weather does turn cold, you’ll find her inside with a mug of hot tea and her novel of choice (either fantasy or 17th-century British literature).

Areas of study: Communication Studies, English