Angel Marie
English and Creative Writing
What made you choose Columbia?
I chose Columbia mainly because of its location. When I first came to visit the campus and city my sophomore year of high school, I felt more at home than I ever did in California. Not only was the city itself a comfort, but the people as well granted me a sense of peace I never experienced back home. When I came back to visit senior year, I knew Columbia would take my writing career where I wanted to go, while also allowing me a creative and artistic environment to live in and strive off of.
What do you plan on studying during your time here?
I plan on studying writing above all! I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, and I don’t have any intention of ever stopping. I will also be minoring in Game Art, as drawing has gotten me through a lot as well. I hope to also continue my studies in ASL to eventually become fluent, as it is such a beautiful language.
What are your career goals at this time?
My ultimate career goals revolve around my writing; I mainly intend to improve my craft while also stepping out of my comfort zone by sharing my writings more publicly. Growing up in a fairly closed minded community along with struggling with very bad social anxiety has caused me to retreat whenever asked to share my projects. At Columbia, I intend to take a completely different approach; one that gets both me and my writing out there as much as possible!
What do you most look forward to about learning and creating in Chicago?
I look forward to inspiring and being inspired by my fellow creatives! I’ve never been in a community where artists feed off each other, and I’m very excited to witness projects in the making. I’m also excited to see how city life influences my writing, as I have lived in Orange County all my life and, besides Disneyland, it’s nothing like Chicago and city life. A new environment, pace and community has me eager to start my first year at Columbia!
How do you see your artistic practice engaging with contemporary events?
Not everyone can say they have lived through a nationwide pandemic, or that they are apart of a generation that refuses to be silenced when it comes to wrong doings, no matter who is committing them. By using my ability to write, I’m able to capture these events through my point of view so someone my age, decades from now, will understand what it was like to experience these events going on currently. Our generation is living through history in the making, and our art will be able to tell the stories of today when we no longer can.
