I'm Hannah Wambaugh, and I'm a junior at Carson-Newman University majoring in English with an emphasis in creative writing and a minor in professional writing. I was the quiet girl who brought a book everywhere-- P.E. class, youth group, the park, the doctor, you name it. Books were more than just escapism, they were my life. Literature has a funny way of luring you under the pretense of escapism but allowing you to face the very thing you're escaping. You leave that book a changed person, whether it's a tantalizing thriller, eye-opening memoir, or immersive fantasy. Books are foundational to how I view myself, others, and the world around me. If I could somehow get involved in the process that puts more life-changing books on the shelves, I knew I'd be happy.
I took a course on editing and publishing my sophomore year of college. I had so much fun poring over manuscripts, debating nitty-gritty grammatical details, and communicating with writers. I realized I could do that the rest of my life. That's my dream, my purpose. I want to help authors make their writing the best it can be. Ideally, I would work as a copyeditor or developmental editor.
The professional writing curriculum includes technical and business writing. I didn't enjoy business writing as much, but the professional communication skills will still be beneficial in my career path. iFixit is my semester-long project for my technical writing course, so I'm excited to see how it goes. The broad umbrella of technical writing could be another potential career path for me.
As a creative writer, I craft poetry and short stories illustrating snippets of my life. I love taking a small moment or emotion and expanding on its far-reaching significance in my life, because I'm hard-wired to find the meaning in everything big or small. My poetry appears in Ampersand, my university's student-led literary magazine, though I hope to begin submitting elsewhere soon.
As an honors student, I spend my junior and senior year of college writing an undergraduate thesis related to my major. Instead of a research paper, I'm writing a young adult fantasy novella that I will send to literary agents upon completion in hopes of publishing. Writing a novella gives me intimate knowledge on the taxing but beautiful creative process an author goes through and allows me to hone my writing and story-building skills that will give me a leg-up in the publishing world. Additionally, having a long-form publication will give me more credibility as an editor. But most importantly, I get to share a story with readers like me who devour books like they need them to live. I hope my writing means something to someone one day. I'll have truly made it then.
Skills
- Proficient in Chicago Manual of Style
- Proficient in MLA
- Professional Communication
- Efficiency and Time Management
- Organization
- Strong Work Ethic
Relevant Experience
Writing Center Tutor 2024-present
Accolades
- Graduated high school summa cum laude 2022
- President's List member (4.0 GPA) 2023-present
- Phi Theta Kappa National Honors Society member 2023-present
- Alpha Chi National Honor Society member 2024-present
- Outstanding Upperclassmen Award (professor-selected within major) 2024
Image One: Nashville SC vs. Inter Miami FC
One thing to know about me is I'm a huge soccer fan! I played soccer for 13 years and support Nashville's MLS soccer team. My dad and I get tickets when we can to watch the Boys in Gold play in Geodis Park. At the Miami game last year I got to see Messi live in person!
Image Two: The 5 Seconds of Summer Show 2023
This is a picture from my first-ever concert. My mom and I went to see my favorite band, 5 Seconds of Summer. It was surreal to think I was in the presence of my favorite artists. My favorite part was screaming the lyrics to "Jet Black Heart," an oldie but a goodie.