Genesis Orellana

Major concentration: Creative Writing

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

How did you decide to choose English-Creative Writing as your major?

I was actually in pre-med before going into English as my major. I did some volunteer work at a Tallahassee hospital, and I felt enclosed constantly by the all the white buildings and how doctors didn't really spend time with patients (mostly nurses do). I decided that maybe pre-med was not what I truly wanted, and I decided to do something that I was great at, but also not very great at. I have a passion for writing, especially poetry. I did struggle with reading in the past, but writing classes go hand in hand with reading, so I had to learn to catch up.

What was your favorite part of being an English major?

My favorite part of being an English major would be poetry courses. My poetry has greatly improved since I started the English major, and I am grateful to my professors, especially Professor Virgil Suárez.

What one memory of your time at FSU do you think I’ll always remember?

I will always remember late nights at Strozier, and getting frappuccinos from Starbucks to do all-nighters with my friends.

What would you tell a student who is considering English as their major?

I would advise a student who wants to enter the English major that it is a lot of work. An individual has to be willing to write all the time, because just one writing course is a large amount of writing, so imagine taking four or five courses in a semester. Students have the opportunity to meet amazing professors, and many of them have actually written novels, such as Professor Elizabeth Stuckey-French.

What are your post-graduation plans?

I plan on continuing my education and getting my master's degree and then applying to post-graduate school.