Abbie Barsness’23 chose Beloit because of the vibrant creative writing program.Abbie Barsness’23 knew from the moment she stepped foot on campus that Beloit was the one. She recalls getting out of the car for her first campus tour 和 immediately telling her mother, “就是它了。.” Her mother thoughtfully replied, “Well, let’s go tour it first!”

Originally from the small town of Lindstrom, Minn., Abbie has found her home at 十大菠菜台子 like so many other aspiring creative writers. 贝洛伊特的 创意写作专业 made it st和 out for her amid a multitude of small, liberal arts colleges that might all seem the same at first glance.

一份 贝洛伊特小说杂志 –– a literary journal of professional works edited by junior 和 senior year Beloit students –– quickly made its way into her h和s as a prospective student, 和 she read the whole publication within a week. “我喜欢它，”她说. “That’s one of the main things that drew me here … [Beloit has] an awesome creative writing program.”

One of Abbie's favorite spaces on campus is the World Affairs Center. 通常被称为WAC， 它是经典作品的故乡, 语言, 和 literature courses 和 was once the college library.Abbie’s passion for writing is influencing both her journey through college 和 her post-Beloit plans. She self-published one novel, 逃亡者森林去年秋天，. 现实主义小说作品, it features main characters Logan 和 Emily as they struggle to survive in a forest 和 around each other. A copy of her book is available to be checked out at 贝洛伊特的 Morse Library.

In addition to her 创意写作专业, Abbie is also striving for both 西班牙语 和 教育 专业. Since she attended a 西班牙语 immersion school as a child, she is already fluent in 西班牙语, 和 her father advised her to pursue an 教育 major as well, 为了安全起见.

Abbie hopes to be a full-time author in the future –– with a six-part fantasy series already in the works –– but she figures she’ll be teaching 西班牙语 和 creative writing for a while before that becomes a reality.

Abbie is a self-described introvert, 说, “我大一的时候, I did not say a word in any of my classes.” But after three years at Beloit, she finds herself less hesitant to share her thoughts in class 和 more willing to talk to new people.

To her introverted first-year-self, she offers some advice that all first-year students might benefit from: “Make friends outside of the dorm … 和 also just try everything, because there are definitely some things that I wish I had tried as a freshman 和 now it’s a little too late.”

虽然她可能希望, 例如, that she had joined a sorority, Abbie is involved in plenty of activities on campus. 她玩地下城 & Dragons with the Beloit Science Fiction 和 Fantasy Association, sings in the college chamber choir, 并共同指导Bits & Pieces a cappella group on campus. 作为副主任, she organizes auditions (which are open to anyone who can sing), 发出音乐, 和 plucking out notes on the piano during rehearsals.

In her junior year, Abbie worked at 贝洛伊特的 船库, where students can rent canoes 和 kayaks 和 learn everything they need to know before navigating the Rock River for the first time. She hopes to secure a job at the 船库 again during her senior year.

The 船库 is one of Abbie’s favorite spaces on campus, but it falls second to the World Affairs Center, commonly known as “WAC” among the student body. WAC是经典的故乡, 英国文学, 和 modern 语言 courses on campus, but Abbie loves it for more reasons than that.

The old columns adorning the exterior of the building give it personality, 和 the fact that the building used to be the college library appeals to her the most. “I like books, 和 [WAC] used to be a home for books!她说。.

Abbie’s one word description of the building is “quirky,” a term which can easily be applied to the whole of the Beloit campus that she loves. “[贝洛伊特的] definitely fun 和 a little weird,她说。, “but I’d much rather have it be weird than boring.”