hello,
Nice to meet you! My name is Iris, and I am a junior pursuing my Bachelor of Arts in English in Creative Writing at the University of Cincinnati. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language and Literature at the University of Cincinnati in 2022, and I plan to apply for my MFA in Creative Writing this upcoming fall.
My parents are war refugees, and they have sacrificed everything to create a better life for me and my sister. Growing up, I watched my parents work tirelessly to provide us with every opportunity we desired. They encouraged us to dream limitlessly. Their endless support allowed me to find my creative self, delving into experiences in design, music, reading, dance, and, most importantly, writing. Finding writing as an art form has given me comfort, offered me an escape during trying times, and showed me that everyone has their own story.
Due to my work at university and in the workforce, I have gained valuable experience. I was elected to many leadership positions within my sorority, where I held meetings, organized presentations, and managed events with up to 300 people. Throughout my high school and college career, I took every chance I could to expand my emotional intelligence and knowledge of others. I studied abroad, both in Spain and Guatemala; I worked in my sorority and supported DEI initiatives to include non-binary and trans people in our chapter and the Panhellenic community as a whole; and I continuously sought out classes and professors that emphasized the crossover of personal voice, creativity, and social change. In my current position as an English teaching intern and substitute teacher, I have gained practical experience in the classroom, such as learning to build lesson plans, managing classroom behavior, and adapting based on feedback. These skills and my enjoyment of collaborating with diverse teams make me a valuable asset in any professional setting.
My creative work typically consists of a combination of flash and prose poetry, but I am still finding my style and voice as I explore other outlets and forms of writing. I write about my experiences, including my life as a first generation daughter in America, my history with sexual trauma and PTSD, and my relationships being a woman in the modern world. I like to write both fiction and nonfiction, and I often take my personal experiences and expand on them to further explore my feelings through fiction writing.
Iris Rokvic 