Kelley Rossier, Brooklyn, NY

“With a background in music and theatre, as well as creative writing, I’ve been an advocate for breaking down cultural barriers through the arts. The full-length plays I’ve written for children, as well as the musical theatre revues I’ve directed for adults, have had this goal in mind. While pursuing an M.F.A. in creative nonfiction at Vermont College of Fine Arts, I traveled to Slovenia and was inspired by the rich literary landscape, which included the crossing of the written word and the performing arts. This led me to apply for a Fulbright grant when I entered the MALS program at Dartmouth.

I chose to embark on a second graduate degree for myself and fell in love with what the MALS program and Dartmouth have to offer. I wanted to continue to go deeper into the craft of writing and expand my perspective in an exceptional academic environment. Working on a daily basis, one on one, and in a group setting with the highly committed and accomplished faculty has helped me define myself with more precision as a writer. The dynamic and diverse community of students creates a complex and rich dialogue with the written text.

I was awarded a Fulbright in creative writing and will be traveling to Ljubljana in the fall to complete my collection of lyric essays. I am looking forward to this incredible opportunity, as well as to returning to Dartmouth in the summer of 2016 to finish my studies in MALS.”