Intro: Lindsay Hansen, Ohio State (class of 2013)

Hey everyone! I just wanted to stop by and introduce myself before I forget. My name is Lindsay, I'll be 23 in fifteen days, and I'm a nonfiction writer living in western New York. I'll be starting at Ohio State in the fall and couldn't be happier to be headed to Columbus in four months!

I'm currently finishing my fifth year of undergrad at SUNY Brockport, about twenty miles west of Rochester, NY. My degree will be in English (creative writing concentration), Political Science, and Women and Gender Studies. I decided pretty late -- my third year -- to declare English as a major, so I decided to stay an extra year so I could get the full experience. I've been lucky and have found an incredible community of writers here. I'm currently the editor-in-chief of our undergraduate literary magazine, Jigsaw, and the president of English Club. Last year, I did an internship with the Brockport Writers Forum, our reading series, which brings in 10 writers every year. Aside from school and my involvement in literary things, I work in our Women's Center as a program coordinator and just recently "retired" after four and a half years in student government. We had our annual end of the year student/faculty reading last night and the whole thing made me realize how close I am to graduation. It's actually pretty terrifying.

I've lived in small towns in western New York my whole life -- near Keuka Lake until I was 18, and then here in Brockport for the past five years -- so location was huge for me in terms of picking a school. I wanted a change, but I also wanted to be close enough that I could drive home if necessary. Columbus, about seven hours from my parents' house, is exactly what I wanted. It's a big city (to me, at least, though I'm sure others would disagree), but the program is relatively small (about 50 people over three years) and incredibly welcoming, so it feels more like what I'm used to. Funding was also a huge concern for me, as well as teaching experience. So honestly, Ohio State offers everything I'm looking for in a program.

I was lucky and heard from OSU in late January, was rejected by Minnesota in early February, and was accepted at my final school, Minnesota State - Mankato, in early March. I officially committed a few days later, so I've been pretty relaxed about where I'm going for over a month now. I even found an apartment when I visited for open house on April 2nd. It's been a nice change, since I've spent the past year worried that I'd be unemployed and living with my parents after graduation.

I look forward to getting to know all of you and can't wait to read about your experiences with the MFA. You can e-mail me at lindsaay [dot] hansen [at] gmail [dot] com, add me on Facebook, or follow my personal blog. I also have a twitter, but rarely update.