Student Stories

The English Department is proud to present some of the work of our own students and from students taking English courses in this student stories section!

Pore over the poems from the winner and finalists of the 2026 Jean Corrie Poetry Contest!

Lonan Jennings | Winner: Behind Ya//Cage | Lafayette College ’27 | English (Literature Concentration) & Classical Civilization Studies Double Major | German Minor

(Poem to come)

Carly Rodrigues| Finalist: Conservation of Energy | Lafayette College ’27 | Mechanical Engineering Major

“Conservation of Energy”

Clare Socolow | Finalist: Lova ghazal | Lafayette College ’27 | Biology Major | Writing Minor

love ghazal

Take a look at the work from the winner and finalists of the 2026 H. MacKnight Black Poetry Contest!

Sydney Friedman | Winner: you loved me, once | Lafayette College ‘26 | Mechanical Engineering Major | Philosophy Minor

Sonnet Crown_ you loved me, once

Sydney Friedman | Finalist: just outside Fort Lauderdale | Lafayette College ’26 | Mechanical Engineering Major | Philosophy Minor

Poem_ just outside Fort Lauderdale

Kristen Vincent | Finalist: The Fire that Consumes All before it | Lafayette College ’26 | English (Writing Concentration) Major | Government/Law Minor

The Fire that Consumes All before it

Will Ebersole | Finalist: Betty Stuart | Lafayette College ’26 | (more info to come)

Highlight: Angel R. Ackerman ’13 and McKenna Graf ’26

Poet McKenna Graf '26 and Angel R. Ackerman '13 at a Barnes & Noble event (Photo Credit: Joan Zachary)

Parisian Phoenix Publishing Books Available

English & FAMS double major, McKenna Graf ‘26, published a collection of poetry to explore art as an archive with local publishing house, Parisian Phoenix Publishing, founded by Lafayette alum, Angel Ackerman ‘13. With Ackerman’s focus on highlighting unique voices and Graf’s passion for cultivating community, the two have developed a long-lasting partnership brought about by the Lafayette connection. To purchase your own copy of Graf’s most recent work, check out this link. You can check out more of Parisian Phoenix’s books check out here and visit its Lafayette Special Web Store here.

Some Lafayette connections at a glance:

Angel R. Ackerman (’13 former member of communications team)
Art Director Gayle Hendricks, whom Angel met when they both worked in communications (when it was PICRO and in the basement of Watson Hall)
Poet Darrell Parry, assistant manager at the College Store
Illustrator Joseph Swarctz, plant operations
Angel’s assistant and soon-to-be published author Allison Stein ’27
Poet McKenna Graf ’26
Eva Parry ’27, who created a tarot journal
Sales rep Robert Pursell
Angel has signed contracts to publish Madeleine Marriott ’24 and R. Diskin Black in 2026

Featured Work

Enjoy perusing work from our own majors!

Ahmir Crawley | Lafayette College ‘27 | English Major (Literature Concentration)

Lincoln By Ahmir Crawley (1)

Natalia Ferruggia | Lafayette College ‘26 | English (Literature Concentration) & History Double Major

Natalia Ferruggia ENG 327 Final Paper- “The Witch of the Place” Miss Havisham’s Relationship to Victorian Spinsterhood in Dickens’ Great Expectations-2

McKenna Graf | Lafayette College ‘26 | English (Writing Concentration) & FAMS Double Major

Gilded in Gold_ A Portfolio

Goodness Obadofin | Lafayette College ‘26 | English Major (Writing Concentration) | Data Science Minor

Final Immersion Story (1)

Amanda Serpi | Lafayette College ‘26 | English (Writing Concentration) & Government/Law Double Major | WGS Minor

Nature Writing Final Portfolio-Amanda Serpi

Kristen Vincent | Lafayette College ‘26 | English Major (Writing Concentration) | Government/Law Minor

Seeing Is Believing – Kristen Vincent (Winner of the Jean Corrie Poetry Prize-2024)

Check out some work from students in English courses!

William Lauinger | Lafayette College ‘26 | Economics Major | German Minor | Written in: ENG 151 Introduction to Creative Writing

Two Poem Collection- William Lauinger

Urvi Thakker | Lafayette College ‘26 |English (Writing Concentration) Major | Art Minor | Written in: ENG 361 Advanced Poetry

Urvi Thakker Collected Works

Gabriela Cristobal | Lafayette College ‘26 |English (Literature Concentration) Major | Anthropology and Sociology Minor | Written in: ENG 396 Writers In Focus: Toni Morrison

Cristobal Toni Morrison Paper