Second-Year BA/MA Students

Carter Cavaliere is a second-year BA/MA student with a concentration in poetry. He majored in English during his undergrad at Penn State and over those four years did social media work for the department’s Digital English Studio and the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network. Carter is originally from Beaver, Pennsylvania, but has a soft spot for Pittsburgh, especially the South Side neighborhood. His poetry has been featured in the undergraduate literary magazine Kalliope, and his poem “Pittsburgh Joyride” recently earned third place in the department’s Mihelcic Award for undergraduate poetry.

Jade Ciampichini is a master’s student in fiction, having completed bachelor’s degrees in both Art History and English. Her many loves include horrible high school rom coms, chickpeas, and wearing shirts with her opinions on them. When Jade is not writing, which is more often than she cares to admit, she is spending time outside, buying sugary drinks, or going to art galleries where she can perfect her museum whisper. When she is writing, Jade engages with themes of art, religion, and the inclination to list things in threes. Her inspirations range from Rothko to Morrissey to Holden Caulfield, and she knows you already think she’s annoying now.

Aidan Fletcher is from Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, which means he likes writing about mountains and rivers and the smell of manure. He grew up rural with city-born parents and considers himself exceedingly lucky for this combination. They are teachers. He’s done a lot of reading. He credits his love of words to all that was stated previously in addition to the Wellsboro Public Library, the roof of which he can see from his front porch. He looks forward to the opportunities presented by the BA/MA program and would like to express his profound thanks and appreciation to all the professors whose recommendations and kindness led him on his way, namely Camile, Beth, Toby, and Nicolas.

Lanie Godines is a second-year BA/MA student attending Penn State University Park. Lanie’s personal works focus directly on immersing their culture and upbringing into American writing, describing details and anecdotes of their childhood being brought up in Mexico as a heavy contributor to their creativity and their passion towards writing. Through the Penn State BA/MA program, Lanie plans on achieving their personal goal of becoming a realistic fiction writer and pursuing a career as an Ivy League professor of literary and liberal arts. In their free time, Lanie loves to watch films and dissect their meaning at Penn State’s student film organization, a club they are on the executive board for. Lanie is an IDEA Ambassador, a resource-hub for first year students regarding the opportunities and aid Penn State has to offer, as well as a peer mentor for Mexican-American students on campus. Lanie loves to visit parks and loves to read kitschy novels, as well as listening to music sitting in the sun. As of lately, Lanie has been working on writing a story about a young girl’s last few months in her home country, diving into the severed ties and emotional crashes of being far from home, as well as looking forward to graduating this coming May.

Ky McKenna is a second-year BA/MA student concentrating in poetry. As an undergraduate, she majored in English and Studio art with a focus in ceramics. Born and raised in the scorching heat of southeast Florida, she spent most of her childhood indoors or underwater before heading up to central Pennsylvania. Her loves include girlrock bands of the 90s, obscure children’s fantasy novels, Kate Bush (whom she shares a birthday with, that wild woman!), and the works of Mary Oliver. When not in class, you can find her wandering the nearby hills or working in the university’s glassblowing and ceramic studios.

Ashley Person is a second-year BA/MA student with a concentration in poetry. She finished her undergraduate degree in English with a minor in World Literature. While her home is back in Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, she was born in Freehold, New Jersey. She spends her free time reading, crocheting (or working on any kind of craft she can get her hands on), learning guitar, and spending time with her closest friends. With aspirations of becoming a teacher, Ashley is honored to be a member of the BA/MA program!

Andy St.Clair is a second-year BA/MA student. Having grown up on a goat farm (specifically a fainting goat farm), the experiences of daily labor, isolation, and rural living intersected with Andy’s love for comic books, alternative culture, and philosophy to form a creative drive that’s expressed itself in his music and writing. Once the farm was sold and his parents left,  Andy dove into worlds of literature, drag performativity, and hardcore music scenes, embarking through early adulthood to pursue artistic prospects. Writing and drumming in crossover thrash group Chlamydiot, creative expression has, and still serves as a fundamental component of Andy’s life. It’s the harsh realities of music subcultures, family trauma, and daily hardships that originally invigorated his initial interest in non-fiction writing. But now, it’s the spirit of human perseverance, the power of community, and the sensationalism of American daily living that currently fuels his writing prospects.

Daniel Woodruff is a second-year BA/MA student. He was an English major with minors in German and Technical Writing. Born and raised in Pennsylvania’s Cumberland County, the Appalachian environment made an impression on him and many of his stories continue to be set in this region. During this time, he developed a passion for the outdoors, language, and writing down every story idea that popped into his head. His love for writing was reignited in adulthood by authors like John Steinbeck and Frank Herbert, the works of whom he still obsessively reads. After graduation, he hopes to either enter the workforce as a Technical Writer or begin a career as an educator.  

Rachel Wozniak is a second-year BA/MA student with a concentration in fiction and a general affinity for writing across genres. As an undergraduate, she majored in both English and Psychology and spent most of her time attempting to balance these interests by working as a library employee and research assistant. Now, she’s eager to devote her attention to writing and has recently been drawn towards crafting layered narratives and weaving her Irish cultural background into her stories. She hopes to write, write, and write some more in any capacity following her graduation.

First-Year BA/MA Students

Leila Boughton is a first year BA/MA student with a concentration in creative nonfiction. Currently, she is finishing her undergraduate degree in English with a minor in Political Science. She is from Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. Leila enjoys reading, watching films, playing video games, and overanalyzing all the above. After completion of the BA/MA program she plans to either enter the publishing field as an editor or continue her education.

Lilly Christopher is a first year BA/MA student, dedicated to honing her craft in fiction. She writes short stories and flash fiction, and hopes to achieve a full-length novel in the near future. Her topics focus on feminine rage and uncomfortable truths, using vivid description to push the story further. Her hobbies include looking for frogs outside, reading voraciously, and playing Powerwash Simulator. She aims to achieve a PhD and teach English at the University level.

Katie Dallas (sher/her) is a first-year BA/MA student concentrating in poetry and finishing her undergraduate studies in English and a minor in women’s studies. She is the Managing Editor of Penn State’s life & style magazine, VALLEY. Katie keeps busy and is always running around, literally – she is a member of the cross country and track & field team as well. In her free time, when she is not reading or running half-marathons, Katie enjoys collaging and listening to Pink Floyd.

Christine D’Avanzo is a first-year BA/MA student, concentrating on fiction writing. She was born and raised in Westchester, New York. Currently, Christine is completing her final year of undergraduate degree in English Literature (major) and Creative Writing (Minor). Christine’s goal is to be both a professor and New York Time’s bestselling author. Outside of class, you can find Christine surrounded by friends or snuggled up with her cat and a good book.

Mariella Elias is a first-year BA/MA student focusing her writing on short story fiction. She grew up in State College and finds endless beauty in the diverse environment surrounding Centre County. She is majoring in English with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Her stories, while fictional, often arise from details of her own life, emerging as tales in their own right. Her stories tend to be character-driven, literally, as she’s described herself as being “ratatouille’d” by her characters while writing. When not writing, you can find her reading rom-coms, playing with her cats, or playing video games with her friends.

Julia Frederick is a first-year BA/MA student studying poetry and creative nonfiction. As an undergraduate, she is an English major with a minor in technical writing, a certificate in business, and a concentration in creative writing. She grew up in Perkiomenville, PA and draws inspiration from her family and upbringing. She is an avid classic rock fan with The Beatles, Queen, David Bowie, and Dire Straits as favorites. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys supporting her local record store, listening to the radio, and playing pinochle.

Autumn Mitchell is a first-year BA/MA student concentrating in fiction. As an IUG student, she currently majors in English, minors in technical writing, and concentrates in creative writing. Outside of class, Autumn serves as the 2025-2026 Fiction Editor of Kalliope and nonfiction editorial intern for the New England Review. Her short fiction and poetry take inspiration from the nature she grew up with in Brookville, PA, and utilize symbolism, metaphors, and aesthetics to create layered, personal pieces, unique to her perception of reality. In her free time, Autumn enjoys reading, thrifting, and caring for her pet beetle, Garbanzo. After graduation, she intends to apply to MFA programs and publish her first novel.

Rayann Patterson is a first-year BA/MA student focusing on fiction and is currently an undergraduate student with an English major and a World Literature minor. She grew up in the small town of Cherokee, Iowa, before attending Penn State University. Her love of reading came at a young age when fun and captivating stories were her main form of entertainment. This joy from reading is what fuels Rayann to write; to produce in others the same joy from reading as she has always experienced. She believes literature can have the simple meaning of making others feel. During her free time, Rayann is either watching yet another movie, eating Chipotle, hanging out with friends, or listening to music while walking around campus.

Emily Ramsey is a first year BA/MA student with a concentration in fiction.  She is always looking to challenge writing conventions, experimenting with form and crafting intense character driven stories.  She enjoys writing some stories in German (which she has been learning since 8th grade), as well as including poetic prose in her fiction works.  Emily’s passions for psychology, politics, and sociology are primary inspirations for her fiction pieces.  When she’s not pouring over a notebook writing at the arboretum, you can find her immersed in a cozy video game or caring for her three cats.

Jadzia Santiago is a first-year BA/MA student and an undergraduate finishing up her degrees in English and Communication Arts and Sciences. As a self-proclaimed insufferable poet hailing from Philadelphia, PA, she’s been writing, reading, and telling stories about all areas of life — especially the ones that require her to shed her preconceptions and dive in — nonstop since she first learned how. When she’s not doing those things, however, you can find her rambling (both verbally and physically), snuggling her chihuahua named Bennett, or listening to indie or alt rock as she stares dramatically into the middle distance, composing a poem in her head.