Erin Woodward graduated from Black Hills State University in 2019 with a Bachelors
of Science in English Literature, with an emphasis on Mass Communications and Journalism.
During her senior year, she interned with the Communications Office at the Sanford
Underground Research Facility, the deepest underground laboratory in the United States.
Upon graduation, she joined the laboratory as a Science Writer, promoting the facility's
cutting-edge research into particle physics, biology, geology, and engineering. In
2023, Erin moved to San Francisco, where she is a Marketing Coordinator for EHDD Architecture.
She promotes the firm's efforts to decarbonize the built environment and the innovative
technologies that put that goal within reach. Erin is also a freelance science writer.
Her science writing has been published by Frontiers in Physics, Symmetry Magazine,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Oak
Ridge National Laboratory, Sanford Underground Research Facility, and the UK Science
and Technology Facilities Council.
"The connections BHSU has with leading institutions gave me a significant leg up in
launching my career, even before graduation. For me, this opportunity looked like
an internship at a renowned science laboratory. Beyond that, BHSU faculty truly care
about their students. They take the time to understand your strengths and goals, and
then go above and beyond to prepare you for the next best step for you, personally."
Hayley Kay Bowen graduated from Black Hills State University in 2019 with a B.S. in
English and minors in Creative Writing and Professional Writing. After graduating
BHSU, she attended Syracuse University and received her Master of Fine Arts in Creative
Writing, Poetry in 2023. Her poetry has been published in Kissing Dynamite, Rust &
Moth, Alien Magazine, Poetry Online, and elsewhere. Hayley’s first chapbook, Dearly
Departed, was published by Finishing Line Press in 2022. Hayley is the 2022 recipient
of the Joyce Carol Oates poetry prize, and the 2024 Laura S. Dabundo Graduate Award
for Excellence. She has presented critical work at the Northeast Modern Language Association
and will present at the North American Society for Studies in Romanticism in August
2024. Hayley is currently a PhD student at Temple University in Philadelphia studying
19th Century polar exploration and British Literature.
“When I transferred to BHSU from Denver halfway through my sophomore year, I immediately
fell in love with the beauty of the Black Hills and the strong sense of community
that resonates so powerfully in Spearfish. The small class sizes offered the opportunity
to form more meaningful relationships with my professors as well as my peers, and
the lifelong friendships I found through my experiences in the BH English department
have changed me for the better. If it were not for my time at BHSU, I may have never
changed my major to English (having entered college as a biology major), discovered
my passion for poetry, or had the courage to pursue both poetry and literary studies
at the graduate level. I look back on my years as an undergraduate with so much love
and appreciation for what a truly special place BHSU is and will forever be grateful
to the incomparable English faculty for shaping me into the writer and scholar I am
today.”
Clara MacIlravie Canas graduated from Black Hills State University in 2019 with a
Bachelor's in English. She also earned minors in Professional Writing and Journalism,
showcasing her diverse talents. Clara has a natural talent for technical and creative
writing, with her poetry published in Pasque Petals, The Santa Clara Review, Sylvia
Magazine, and other places. Clara pursued her love for learning and passion for words
at the University of South Dakota, where she earned her Master's in English Literature
in 2022. Currently, Clara works as a Grant Writer at Avera Health, where she applies
the skills and knowledge she has earned from BHSU. In her role, she takes on the challenge
of researching, writing, and editing proposals to federal, state, and local organizations,
securing millions in funding for rural communities in the Upper Midwest. Clara collaborates
with other departments to ensure all necessary information and materials are gathered
and organized for submission, and her attention to detail is a valuable asset in this
process.
"I've always considered myself a writer with a strong passion for storytelling. During
my childhood, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents on their ranch in the Black
Hills of Wyoming. This experience led me to apply to Black Hills State University
after high school as I found myself drawn to the scenery and close-knit community
in which I was raised. Initially, I wanted to become a high school English teacher,
so I opted for an education degree. However, after meeting with several English professors
and students in the program, I changed my mind and decided to pursue a degree in English
instead. My connections with the English department led to my job as a Writing Consultant
at the Writing Assistance Center and later to my Masters's degree at the University
of South Dakota. BHSU helped me discover my love for poetry and literary analysis,
introduced me to lifelong friends, and gave me the confidence to declare myself a
writer. Today, I owe who I am to my educational background at BHSU, and I cannot speak
more highly of the faculty and student culture."
