Shiann Dawson

Language aficianado, horror enthusiast, Adjunct Professor

If you made it here, I probably invited you. Thanks for coming by! Welcome to my digital portfolio.

I knew I liked writing from a young age. I also liked when people said nice things about my writing, which adults often did, because I was an advanced writer as a child. I read a lot. Actually, I read so much, I got in trouble for it— what can I say? I was a weird kid.

As an adult, I tried a few other fields— I started as a Psych major, but changed when a professor said she loved my writing style, and I realized I would chase that feeling forever. Still, I branched out. I worked as a legal secretary (which I loved) and as a social services specialist (which I tolerated).

Walking into a classroom, though, that felt like home.

There’s nothing I love quite like I love writing— talking shop, sharing drafts, celebrating the accomplishments of friends that experience success. Sharing that love with students, helping them to find their own voices, and seeing them discover a love for writing has become, by far, the best professional experience of my life so far. I plan to keep writing, publishing, teaching, and sharing that love of literature for as long as I am able to do so.