For this Creative Project, I decided to explore the elements that set novellas apart from other genres and then experiment writing in the form. In doing so, I took into account three main categories: Plot Structure, Character Development, Style/Format, and then used my findings to write 45 pages of a novella titled Emmy and Me.

This creative project is a portfolio of accessible science communication. It consists of three multimedia texts, each one written and designed for a different audience about a different topic. The first project is an article/report about the recent launch delays and cost increases for the James Webb Space Telescope, written for adults in their 40s-50s. The second project is a children’s picture book about Einstein’s theory of general relativity, written for homeschoolers in 6th grade. The third project is an educational animated video about the difference between gravity waves and gravitational waves, written for students in 7th grade.

Feminism has been the focus of many writers throughout the decades but has recently gained momentum in the eyes of the general public thanks to works like Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Feminist figure Hélène Cixous encourages women to empower themselves by applying feminist ideas to their writing, rather than remaining complacent in an oppressive society. Avalon strives to portray some of these ideas through the lens of Arthurian Legend. A feminist story set in an epic fantasy world, Avalon shows the struggle of marginalized groups in a patriarchal, discriminatory, and dystopian society.

The main character, Princess Alexandria, must navigate a world where the all magic is controlled by a power-hungry ruler, King Mordred. After he decides to pursue the Ruins of Kronos in order to gain control over time itself, the princess decides to intervene. Alexandria escapes the palace with her childhood best friend James, to stop him, nearly dying in the process, and finds a group of fairies who have lost their wings. The fairies help her discover the true origins and capabilities of magic, making her realize that she must restore it to the realm in order to stop King Mordred. Alexandria disguises herself as a man and joins the King’s Knights, befriending a rebel in disguise named Keith along the way, as she discovers her brother Noah may be on the King’s side. Together, they work to liberate lands oppressed by King Mordred’s rule, and by the Black Plague that Morgana has set upon them, all while uncovering the corruption present in their society.

Students who study abroad often imagine their ideal life before arrival, but many do not intuit that in their desires lie future hardships. Successful Practices for Avoiding Culture Shock and Assimilating into Japanese Culture, a creative project, incorporates step-by-step tips, author anecdotes, real-life survey experiences, and literary references to help students adjust to the mental stresses that come with studying and living within a foreign culture. Three parts divide the brochure and promote self-empowerment and success. Topics include but are not limited to the importance of establishing goals in connection to study abroad, securing funds and scholarships, surviving international travel, building on failure, overcoming language learning plateaus, avoiding danger, perceiving beyond what is visible in the host culture, and reverse culture shock. By following the steps proposed in this brochure, students will be able to outsmart the negative aspects of culture shock. Although this brochure aims to be of use to anyone aspiring to study abroad, it primarily targets students who wish to study in Japan. For additional preparation, students will scrutinize Japan-America intercultural situations via activities and trace where instances of culture shock may arise. Perceptive students will realize that the homogenous nation emphasizes a group mentality, and that the individualistic and ethnocentric programming most Americans undergo serves no place in the collectivistic culture. A student will succeed not by imagining himself or herself as a visitor, but as someone who truly has a role in the society. If students do not impose their American disposition, but instead adopt characteristics that harmonize with a Japanese temperament, they will heighten their senses as a listener and observer, and thus find belonging in the culture.

Theory Jam is a series of online, education videos that teach music theory in a fun, engaging way. Our project is a response to the growing need for successful online education content. It incorporates strategies for creating effective educational video content and engages with contemporary debates in the field of music theory surrounding the purpose of a music theory education.

The common human experiences depicted in classical paintings from art history are becoming less relatable due to the increasing influence and presence of technology in our day to day lives. This project contains two parts. The first part is a remixing of 3 classical works of art so that they include the presence of technology and communicate the possible evolution of human experiences as technology will be incorporated into them. The three remixed paintings are as follows: Eduoard Manet's Olympia, which showcases the human experience of relationships and gender dynamics; Edgar Degas' Dancers, which showcases the human experience of creation and learning; and Raphael's Madonna del Granduca, which showcases the human experiences of child-rearing, maternity, and childhood. The second part of the project utilizes the ekphrastic process, ekphrasis being the process of using the written word to give voice and explanation to a piece of visual art. In this part of the project, three short science-fiction stories were written, one in response to each of the classical paintings and its respective remix. The stories focus on themes of how technology will integrate itself into the common human experiences of parenting, entertainment, and intimate relationships, and the problems and solutions that may arise as a result. The stories are intended to be read alongside the paintings, however they can also be read separately without the context of the paintings from which they were drawn. Likewise, the paintings can be viewed separately from the short stories. The work is complimentary and builds on itself.

K-2SO: A Science Fiction Novel consists of three separate narratives all connected by one singular event: the choice to save a life. Told in three parts, each narrative explores the story of a different character in a different time, both before the end of the world and after. Dubbed “The Fracture” by the characters of the novel, the repercussions of this cataclysmic event are felt throughout each narrative, but it is not the focus of their stories. The characters and their connections to one another, how each one influences the lives of others, and the choices they make in an effort to rebuild that which they’ve lost and hold onto that which they love, is the heart of the novel, and the titular character, a robot born into a strange new world, is the thread that binds them all together.