Addysen Puente

I began writing when I was 13 years old, as an outlet for my personal thoughts, feelings and perspective. I never shared my writing outwardly, but I often thought about doing so. 

I chose M State because it had classes I was looking for, it was close to home, and it was a good, affordable option. After moving to Moorhead in August of 2025, I took College Writing, which became my favorite class. I was assigned two-page papers every Friday and could choose my own topics, which kept me interested and engaged. 

As weeks went by, I became eager to share my work with my instructor and classmates, to receive feedback and try different approaches. When the semester came to an end, my instructor encouraged me to continue writing and said I could easily take it further, offering to help me pursue publication.

During my second semester, I continued writing on my own time, unprompted. I spent my evenings writing as it came to me, then sharing pieces with my instructor for feedback and submission to publishing outlets. By the end of the semester, one of my works had been published in the River Whale Review, an online literary journal created by Minnesota State University, Mankato. I was invited to share my work at the university alongside other writers and had the opportunity to share it on the student radio station. 

The piece I shared, “The Feeling of Home,” is a reflection on my life before moving away to college—the things I missed and the changes that followed. It’s about the feeling of mourning I experienced with that big life change, and the constant reminders of what home used to be. I originally wrote it as an assignment for my College Writing class, and I was inspired to write it because it is such a universal experience for college students when leaving home and growing up. 

I could not have achieved this without my College Writing professor, Shawn Gagnon. He saw my potential and encouraged me to pursue it, offering advice to improve my work and dedicating his time and energy to reviewing my writings and submitting them for publication, all to help benefit me and my writing path. If I hadn’t had that push from him, I think my second semester would have displayed a lot differently and I definitely would not have pursued my writing beyond that class.