(PHOENIX, Ariz., May 25, 2004)—For Brook Michalik, what began as a summer creative writing class at Phoenix College has blossomed into a full scholarship to ASU to study creative writing.

As an elementary school student, Michalik wrote two books and placed in young author’s competitions, but it wasn’t until high school that she started taking her talent for writing seriously. Since high school, poetry writing has become a path of study and a form of personal expression for Michalik.

"I am a poet because I love language," said Michalik. "I could have decided to spend the rest of my life just reading poetry, but I don’t think I would have been fully satisfied."

Michalik started taking creative writing classes at Phoenix College in 2000. Earlier that year, she participated in a fiction writing class offered at the Tempe Public Library. The teacher of that class told Michalik that she had taken classes at Phoenix College and really enjoyed them.

Soon after, Michalik began taking a variety of creative writing classes at Phoenix College. A few of her former instructors have since become mentors, coaching her through her writing career.

Not only is Michalik an exceptional writer and poet, but she also has a B.A. in geography, has worked as a full-time legal secretary, has taken classes at Phoenix College and at Arizona State University and is now embarking on a Master’s in Fine Arts (MFA) at ASU.

"ASU has one of the top MFA programs in creative writing in the country," said Michalik. "I knew if I were accepted, the program would be rigorous and that I would become a better poet in the process."

Being accepted into the MFA program is a great honor that Michalik has earned. The application process consisted of a basic application, a professional resume, a 20 page writing sample of poetry, an essay stating her area of specialization and reason for wanting to attend ASU, a graduate assistantship application, three letters of recommendation and completion of the Miller’s Analogy Test.

For aspiring writers wishing to follow in Michalik’s creative footsteps, she recommends reading across all genres and as much as possible. She says if you are interested in a particular author, read everything he or she has written, as it will help you to understand how that writer handles language and voices. Understanding his or her writing process may help you in the stages of writing.

"Writing is practice," says Michalik. "Talent is a seriously overrated thing; without the work, even the most talented writer will not produce. One of the biggest blocks to my success I’ve found is not writing on a regular basis."

Michalik advises writers to take classes and workshops with other writers because it’s beneficial to learn how to give and receive criticism. She has taken many writing classes at Phoenix College, including poetry and fiction writing, and has always had very positive experiences.

She also recommends finding mentors. While at Phoenix College, Michalik worked closely with Jed Allen, Laraine Herring and Jorn Ake. She has also learned a great deal from reading such poets as Emily Dickenson, Adrienne Rich, Maxine Kumin, Denise Levertov, James Wright, Charles Wright and Federico Garcia Lorca.

Becoming a creative writing and literature teacher at a community college or university is not far away for Michalik. With such talent and drive, she will soon become a mentor for a student wishing to follow in her footsteps.

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