English

I am a third generation Coloradan, born and raised right here in Colorado Springs. I love to read (shocking, I know), and when I am not reading for class, I can be found with a book from my personal favorite genres, like true crime or fantasy. I’m an avid Colorado Avalanche fan, so you can also find me passionately coaching from my couch during hockey season. If I’m not reading or watching hockey, I am spending time with my family and my dog, Blue. I love to be up in the mountains exploring all the beauty this amazing state has to offer, so my family and I try to get out as often as possible. My path as an English major is not necessarily linear, although my mom would tell you that I discovered my love of English at an early age due to my genetically gifted understanding and use of sarcasm, but I was actually a science major in the beginning. It wasn’t until an elective literature course that I rediscovered my love for books. I quickly changed my major to English and set my sights on becoming a publisher/editor of novels that will inspire bookworms for generations to come. Since transferring to UCCS, my love of literature has only grown through the new perspectives, styles, and genres that I have encountered because of my classes and amazing professors. I have grown exponentially as a writer because I have been given the space to develop my style and discover my voice as a scholar and a creative writer, which has given me opportunities I never thought possible.

Born and raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Z went to K-12 in District 49 on the East side of the city. She graduated from Sand Creek High School and was determined to continue her education upon graduating from high school. Unsure of where to start in her postsecondary studies, she began taking general education classes at Pikes Peak Community College. After completing two associate degrees at PPCC, she transferred to UCCS to complete an English degree with an emphasis in secondary education and a minor in French. Throughout her college career, she has had the privilege to work various jobs in support of her coursework and passions as a peer tutor. At UCCS, she has worked as a French and English tutor in the Excel Languages Center. She has also been honored to publish in the student research journal and to incur a learning achievement from the French language department at UCCS. Over the last year, she has been acting as a student teacher and has most recently had the opportunity to take on a full-time teaching position at her student teaching site. Opportunities such as these have allowed her to discover and develop her knack for guiding others to learn and experience the marvels of human language. After graduation, she plans to move with her partner to northern Illinois to further her teaching career. The experiences and connections made possible by her time at UCCS will lead her in her future endeavors as both an educator and lifelong learner.

A Colorado Springs native, Camille is a writer, astrologer, artist, musician, and proud non-traditional student. Before becoming a Mountain Lion, Camille attended Pikes Peak Community College for three years to study Theater then Humanities and then Journalism before, at the encouragement of a few awesome instructors, she discovered a talent for creative writing and a passion for English Literature. In May 2020, she earned her Associate’s Degree before moving onto the UCCS to study English Literature and Creative Writing in the fall of 2020. While finishing her Bachelor of Arts degree, Camille has happily served the UCCS newspaper The Scribe as both reporter, podcast editor, and digital media assistant. What’s more, as the first and only resident astrologer for The Scribe, Camille has sneakily crafted savvy and satirical horoscope articles and podcasts under the Cosmic Cannibal pen name for two years. 
In between her studies of Chaucer, Shakespeare, and astrological transits, Camille starred in the 2021 season of the UCCS TV show, The Bluffs. She is a recipient of the Karen Possehl Women’s Endowment Scholarship and the UCCS Chancellor’s Award scholarship, and has made the President’s and Dean’s Lists for Academic Excellence her entire UCCS college career. Two of her nonfiction and poetry works have been published in the UCCS literary journal riverrun. 
Outside of her studies, Camille is an avid writer, painter, and musician. She plays two instruments and occasionally writes songs that she hopes will never be heard by anyone but her dog. Camille’s post-graduation aspirations include landing a high-paying writing job (because they do exist), publishing her astrology novel, going on a much-deserved vacation, and savoring the fact that after five long years of studying, reading, and writing, she made it.

My name is Bryn Ventura and presently, I’m less than two weeks away from accomplishing my bachelor's in English with a minor in Marketing which I have been striving for at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs for the past four years. I began my academic career in Colorado—20 minutes away from Boulder in Broomfield, Colorado. Both my younger sister, Hayley, and my older brother, Connor, attended Broomfield High School with me. I am, as I have discovered over the years, an almost exact embodiment of a middle child. I am very much the type of person to jump into something with both feet and bring a little chaos to any situation I find myself in--as I’m sure both of my parents can attest too. One of the most important influences in my life was most definitely playing competitive softball—I played for almost 10 years of my life, and it taught me invaluable lessons including persistence, diligence and commitment. Playing that sport truly altered my life for the better and awarded me with skills that have gotten me where I am today. In my free time, I love traveling, skiing, concerts, hiking, painting, and generally just being around my friends and family. Currently, after graduation, I plan to move to Madrid, Spain to teach English—to say I’m excited would be an understatement. Once I conclude my studies there, I plan to move back to the states and continue my education with either a master's degree or a Law degree.

Seta is finishing her first year in the Master of Sciences program in the Biology department under the advisement of Dr. Aaron Corcoran. She received her Bachelor of Science with Honors in Biology from California Lutheran University, where she received numerous academic and research awards for her work studying primate behavior in the Ecuadorian rainforest. At UCCS, Seta is studying the behavior of bats at wind turbines using 3-D thermal videography in an effort to improve wind energy production while minimizing wildlife fatalities.