For Coretta Bliss, kindergarten was a hard year. Her parents—activists living on a Catholic Worker Farm—were viewed as outsiders by the local community. She ended up feeling unwelcome even in her classroom. As she explains, “I just sat at my desk and kept my mouth shut and was scared of the teacher.”
How do you tell the story of land that was shaped by a house—when that house no longer exists? When all that’s left is a field and an old barn, with the low peaks of Mount Monadnock in the distance?
Earlier this year, Antioch University introduced a new $10,000 scholarship that will be awarded to undergraduates. Called the Undergraduate Founders Scholarship, it highlights the formative and developmental work of Al Erdynast, the first director of Antioch University’s Los Angeles campus, the founder of the undergraduate studies program there, and a key member of the faculty for fifty years and counting.
Atim Eneida George ’18 (GSLC, PhD) has received a Fulbright Specialist Program award. George will complete a project at Lead City University in Nigeria that aims to exchange knowledge and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions, and communities both in the U.S. and overseas through a variety of educational and training activities within American (U.S.) Studies. George is one of over 400 U.S. citizens who share expertise with host institutions abroad through the Fulbright Specialist Program each year. Recipients of the Fulbright Specialist Program awards are selected on the basis of academic professional achievement, demonstrated leadership in their field, and their potential
Antioch alums Laura Thomas, Alex Venet, and John Thomas spent a week at Skywalker Ranch connecting with other fantastic educators. The George Lucas Educational Foundation – Edutopia – reaches over 8 million educators, with a focus on sharing what works as defined by teachers and research in classrooms. Connection is a vital part of education, and Antioch University is dedicated to building communities of mission-driven educators who are preparing their students to take on the world! (and the galactic empire!)
Online undergrad faculty member Greg Belliveau recently had his book Gods of IMAGO, the second installment of his dystopian book series IMAGO, published by Rogue Phoenix Press on August 23, 2023. Belliveau is an award-winning novelist and author of IMAGO (Rogue Phoenix Press, 2019) and Go Down To Silence (Multnomah Publishing: a Division of Penguin Random House, 2001), which was a Christy Award Finalist for Best First Novel and a collection of creative nonfiction entitled Seeds: Mediations on Grace in a World with Teeth (Crosslink Publishing, 2017). He is currently working on the TV series Go Down To Silence, based
Kate O’Neill ’11 (GSLC, PhD) is the new Dean of the College of Business at the American University of Iraq-Baghdad. Learn more about O’Neill in a Common Thread profile Education Without Barriers here and read O’Neill’s dissertation Communication Channels Utilized by Emirati Females to Enact Leadership here.
New England PsyD in Clinical Psychology student Lauren Arienzale recently published her debut poetry collection, Mud Pie. “As a lifelong writer, and a psychologist in training, I am continuously fascinated by the power of written word and the therapeutic advantages that come along with it,” said Arienzale. Mud Pie is an unapologetic deep dive into grief, shortcomings, and the power of art making as a vehicle for change.
MFA in Creative Writing candidate Jessica “Jess” Ballen was named managing editor of submissions for Lunch Ticket, the literary magazine from Antioch’s MFA community. Ballen, who started contributing to Lunch Ticket during their first semester at Antioch as a poetry reader, expressed their excitement in helping to lead the Lunch Ticket team to a successful 24th issue. “I knew I wanted to move into a management role after my first week as a poetry reader,” says Ballen. “I fell in love with Lunch Ticket and wanted to give the publication my all.” Ballen, whose book of poetry, kosher, was released
Since our founding 1852, Antioch University has remained on the forefront of social justice, inclusion, and equality – regardless of ethnicity, gender, creed, orientation, focus of study, or ability.
Antiochians actively reflect these shared values to inspire positive change in the world. Common Thread is where we document the stories that showcase our communities actions, so the change we work for can be shared widely.
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