On April 3 – 6, Calhoun’s branch of Sigma Kappa Delta (SKD) attended the Sigma Tau Delta (STD) International Convention in St. Louis, Missouri. A total of seven of Calhoun’s students attended, and three of them were selected to present work and be on panels.
Being one of those students, my experience not only working with SKD these past two
semesters, but also going to the event, has been a great opportunity for me. SKD has given me so
many chances and experiences to not only grow as a creative but also as a leader. As the
President of Calhoun’s Huntsville Campus branch, I have done a great deal of work with the
organization and its activity on campus. Being able to not only get to travel to St. Louis but also
being able to present my work, and moderate a panel, is something I will always be truly grateful
for. Without great advisors like Bradley Sides and Dr. Leigh Ann Rhea, English instructors at
Calhoun, I would not have had these opportunities. My biggest thanks and regards go out to them
for all they do for us as students to continue to succeed and grow in the arts.
When at the convention, I got to meet other students also passionate about English and writing. I
made new peers and engaged in thought-provoking conversation about writing, literature, and the
creative process of a young writer. Getting to moderate the SKD roundtable panel discussing
literature that is impactful to me was a highlight of the trip. There is something to facilitating a
discussion between other young creatives as a young creative myself was something deeply
meaningful to me. It was one of those moments where you think into the future “I would love to
keep doing this”. Another big moment from the trip was when I presented my own personal
work on a poetry panel. My work “Flying Again” was selected as a part of a panel of works
themed around loneliness and mental health. Along with my enjoyment for moderating and
garnering discussion, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to discuss my own creative work and poetry
specifically. In the same vein, it was a moment for me where I realized this is something that I
want to be doing for the rest of my life.
The realizations I experienced over the trip are not things that I would have found with not only
my time at Calhoun but also being involved with SKD. I will always be grateful for this
convention I was able to go on and all the opportunities SKD has given me and allowed me to
be a part of.