Steven Brown
Coming into the master’s program at Sonoma State, I had already experienced a teaching career that came to a close after twenty years. While thoroughly examining literature and the craft of writing under the guidance of the English department’s brilliant staff, I was inspired by the academic goals of every professor who shared the breadth of their knowledge with me . . . that my ideas were valid, that my voice was important, that the person steering the boat toward the degree was always me.
After two years filled with encouragement and growth, I realized that not everyone arrives at the end of the journey with a plan. Some of us take that road for the experience, a notch in our belts. I was not looking for a place at the head of a class at the local community college or expecting an increase in pay from my employer. I currently work for an organization that helps the homeless and destitute, and, quite honestly, those I assist do not care if I have an MA or any piece of paper that notes how deeply I have studied English or any other subject. What I achieved, though, was a greater sense of self, a deeper understanding of the subject I love, and, yes, a novel, Carnival Songs, that I completed and published. I studied with and was mentored by some of the most brilliant minds I have ever encountered and walked off into the rest of my life knowing that I had experienced something profound and enriching.