Aaron Abel '11

Creative Writing | Malvern, Pa.

Before Aaron Abel '11 left for summer break after his first year at Susquehanna, he did something he had never done before: he made himself a summer reading list. "There are just so many good books I haven't read yet," Aaron says, "like Crime and Punishment, and some adult short stories by Roald Dahl."

As a creative writing major at Susquehanna, studying an eclectic mix of authors is one of the ways Abel has been developing his own literary voice. His professors have also had a huge influence on his writing, in part because they've given him the freedom to follow his instincts. "The professors here don't teach you how to write; they help you discover your own potential. It's not about telling you what to do, but shedding light on what you might want to finesse or what you've done well."

Abel has also become involved in many activities on campus — performing at a number of open-mic nights at Charlie's Coffeehouse, participating in the social fraternity Phi Mu Delta, and becoming a member of the student environmental group, Student Awareness of the Value of the Environment (SAVE).

Most recently, he's been busy organizing the Creative Writing Society, a group in which students from different majors can write in a fun, relaxed environment outside of class. "Too many people think of writing as drudgery," he says. "We're giving people the chance to write what they feel like — with no deadlines."