BY BECCA SANDAGER
Copy Editor
Saint Mary’s University junior Theresa Breault is not just a student; she is a published author as well.
Breault is the author of The Enchantress, a three part mini fantasy trilogy that tells the story of Aurora, a high school student who discovers she is the “Enchantress.” As the Enchantress, Aurora guards the good in the dimensions (levels of worlds) from Daoi, an evil man who seeks to take the place of Aurora as Enchantress.
Breault’s idea for The Enchantress started from only a name. After seeing the opening scene of Beauty and the Beast, she liked that name and wanted to create a character in her book after it.
“I was at a basketball game and suddenly got a scene,” said Breault. “I stole notebook paper from a friend and wrote six to seven pages right there.” Breault finished writing The Enchantress when she was 15 and spent the next two years working on getting it published. Her only specifications were that it was not published online, she did not publish it herself, and she would
not have to pay to get it published.
“I sent out a query (short excerpt) and got six or seven rejection letters telling me I was ‘too young,’” Breault said. “Then I got two offers.” Breault settled with PublishAmerica of Frederick, Md. After three rounds of editing (first on her own, then by
PublishAmerica and once more herself), determining where the book would be sold, and other legalities, The Enchantress was ready to go to print. But, because she was only 17 at the time of the publishing offer, Breault said she had to wait until she was 18 to sign. “I signed the day after my 18 birthday March 31, 2007,” said Breault. The Enchantress was printed in November 2007.
“The first time I saw the cover, I was in the basement of Skemp on the computer next to a chick,” Breault said. “I freaked.” She said seeing her name next to “The” and “being able to open it up and see I wrote these words… amazing.”
Breault says her writing inspiration comes from people and conversations. “Pretty much everyone I know is a character to me,”
said Breault. “Everyone inspires me to write.”
Currently, Breault is working on an anthology of short stories: Pursue, The Kissing Club and Sexaholic all of which are set at SMU and have connected themes and emotions. “I’m just a mediocre writer from a small town,” said Breault. “But I can try, and I can dream.”
Breault’s advice for others who want to write or are trying to get their work published is: “Don’t write to get published. Write because you love it.” Breault said. “Writing is something I do for me that people happen to pay me for.”A copy of Breault’s The Enchantress can be purchased from Barnes & Nobles, Amazon or Borders.
Showing posts with label Feature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Feature. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Life after Saint Mary’s: Two seniors discuss their post-graduate plans
By Tamika Robinson
Feature Editor
With graduation near, the reality of completing college is setting in for many seniors who now have to plan for life after Saint Mary’s University.
Senior Renee Mompremier plans to graduate with a bachelor of science in biology in May. After graduation, she said her goal is to attend graduate school, get a master’s degree in nursing and become a widwife. For now, Mompremier plans to take a year off to work, gain experience, study for the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and then apply to schools in Minnesota. She also plans to go to Liberia, where her family is originally from, in the winter and volunteer in orphanages for a month.
Read more...
The planning process leading up to this point has been far from easy. “Deciding what I wanted to do with my degree has been the question since freshmen year,” Mompremier said. “My area has changed a few times as well as my intensions for my degree.”
She said she finally decided to think of what made her the most happy and to seek a job that modeled it. From a young age, Mompremier said she was interested in helping infants and volunteered at daycares and the Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis. Her classes about the reproductive system and human development also interested her. All of Mompremier’s interests led her to her chosen path, she said.
While reflecting on SMU’s impact on her, Mompremier said she feels prepared for life after college. “The work load, expectations, as well as the challenges within both, I feel have prepared me for the world,” she said. “Coming here was a dramatic change as far as the level of diversity and the level of exposure many students have had pertaining to diversity. All of these lessons and more have prepared me as a scholar, employee and individual.”
She particularly notes her teachers in the Biology department with influencing her and feels that the best part about being a biology major is the appreciation for human life that students gain and the knowledge that they will make a difference in the lives of others. Mompremier also said that courses outside of her major, like English composition and extra-curricular experiences, have allowed her to explore other cultures and make connections with other students.
“All experiences are a means of learning and growing, so I would not change how things worked out,” Mompremier said about her college experience. “It gave me a chance to think intently about what I wanted to do and become, value my skills and want to help others.”
She said that she will take the values SMU has taught her - being determined to succeed, being unprejudiced to all kinds of knowledge and knowing when to ask for help - and integrate them with the knowledge she gains in the outside world. “I am ready to be a functioning member of society,” she said. “College is a period in our lives, not our life. There is more out there to see, do and become.
Senior Ruth Sobrevilla, who will graduate with a major in electronic publishing and minor in Spanish, plans to move back to her home in Chicago after graduation to get a job and gain experience in an environment where she can apply what she learned at Saint Mary’s University.
“I was kind of upset (with the idea of) going back home because it’s totally a new experience after being here in college for four years,” Sobrevilla said of her plans. “Everything is close. The gym is close, I have my friends here, and now I’m going back to Chicago (and) I’m going to be there in the real world.”
Sobrevilla said that she tried to plan for her future and also tried to think positively about getting a job and not stress out.
Sobrevilla said she feels that SMU has also prepared her for life after college. “I feel like everything has helped me here, whether it was planning for homework, planning my schedule for events or searching for free time,” she said. “Classes have helped me, everything helped me (including) my friends’ advice. I feel that being active here in school, like in activities, helped me a lot.”
Activities such as attending Mass and community service made Sobrevilla realize what is waiting for her and that she also has to serve other people. “(Saint Mary’s) helped me religiously,” she said. “That’s how I grew here, not just professionally but also in my religious beliefs.”
Classroom experiences such as giving presentations, she said, also taught her how to be organized and calm her nerves when speaking in front of people.
Before coming to college, Sobrevilla said that everyone told her how difficult college life would be. “(They said) it’s so stressful, you have a lot of homework, you don’t have time for everything, but I feel that you do have time for everything,” Sobrevilla said. “You have time to get to know people, you have time to go to activities, you have time to go to church, time to go to the gym (and) time to do homework if you know how to prepare ahead of time. I think that is the main key.”
“If you don’t know how to prepare, then comes the stress and then thinking ‘I hate school,’ and ‘I can not do it,’ and ‘It’s so overwhelming,’” Sobrevilla said. “But you are the one who makes (college) overwhelming, so it’s all about learning how to schedule your life here in college.”
With graduation approaching fast, Sobrevilla said that she’s nervous about leaving because she is still searching for a job, but she said she is prepared in terms of knowing what she wants to do. “I know my plan,” she said. “I know what is my dream and my main goal, but I’m not so sure if it’s going to happen because it hasn’t happened yet. I don’t know if that’s the way it’s going to be, but do I have something planned out? Yes, I have planned something. Am I scared? I am scared just a little bit to go out there because now I have to apply everything I have learned from here to the real world and I’m not sure if I will do it the right way.”
Feature Editor
With graduation near, the reality of completing college is setting in for many seniors who now have to plan for life after Saint Mary’s University.
Senior Renee Mompremier plans to graduate with a bachelor of science in biology in May. After graduation, she said her goal is to attend graduate school, get a master’s degree in nursing and become a widwife. For now, Mompremier plans to take a year off to work, gain experience, study for the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and then apply to schools in Minnesota. She also plans to go to Liberia, where her family is originally from, in the winter and volunteer in orphanages for a month.
Read more...
The planning process leading up to this point has been far from easy. “Deciding what I wanted to do with my degree has been the question since freshmen year,” Mompremier said. “My area has changed a few times as well as my intensions for my degree.”
She said she finally decided to think of what made her the most happy and to seek a job that modeled it. From a young age, Mompremier said she was interested in helping infants and volunteered at daycares and the Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis. Her classes about the reproductive system and human development also interested her. All of Mompremier’s interests led her to her chosen path, she said.
While reflecting on SMU’s impact on her, Mompremier said she feels prepared for life after college. “The work load, expectations, as well as the challenges within both, I feel have prepared me for the world,” she said. “Coming here was a dramatic change as far as the level of diversity and the level of exposure many students have had pertaining to diversity. All of these lessons and more have prepared me as a scholar, employee and individual.”
She particularly notes her teachers in the Biology department with influencing her and feels that the best part about being a biology major is the appreciation for human life that students gain and the knowledge that they will make a difference in the lives of others. Mompremier also said that courses outside of her major, like English composition and extra-curricular experiences, have allowed her to explore other cultures and make connections with other students.
“All experiences are a means of learning and growing, so I would not change how things worked out,” Mompremier said about her college experience. “It gave me a chance to think intently about what I wanted to do and become, value my skills and want to help others.”
She said that she will take the values SMU has taught her - being determined to succeed, being unprejudiced to all kinds of knowledge and knowing when to ask for help - and integrate them with the knowledge she gains in the outside world. “I am ready to be a functioning member of society,” she said. “College is a period in our lives, not our life. There is more out there to see, do and become.
Senior Ruth Sobrevilla, who will graduate with a major in electronic publishing and minor in Spanish, plans to move back to her home in Chicago after graduation to get a job and gain experience in an environment where she can apply what she learned at Saint Mary’s University.
“I was kind of upset (with the idea of) going back home because it’s totally a new experience after being here in college for four years,” Sobrevilla said of her plans. “Everything is close. The gym is close, I have my friends here, and now I’m going back to Chicago (and) I’m going to be there in the real world.”
Sobrevilla said that she tried to plan for her future and also tried to think positively about getting a job and not stress out.
Sobrevilla said she feels that SMU has also prepared her for life after college. “I feel like everything has helped me here, whether it was planning for homework, planning my schedule for events or searching for free time,” she said. “Classes have helped me, everything helped me (including) my friends’ advice. I feel that being active here in school, like in activities, helped me a lot.”
Activities such as attending Mass and community service made Sobrevilla realize what is waiting for her and that she also has to serve other people. “(Saint Mary’s) helped me religiously,” she said. “That’s how I grew here, not just professionally but also in my religious beliefs.”
Classroom experiences such as giving presentations, she said, also taught her how to be organized and calm her nerves when speaking in front of people.
Before coming to college, Sobrevilla said that everyone told her how difficult college life would be. “(They said) it’s so stressful, you have a lot of homework, you don’t have time for everything, but I feel that you do have time for everything,” Sobrevilla said. “You have time to get to know people, you have time to go to activities, you have time to go to church, time to go to the gym (and) time to do homework if you know how to prepare ahead of time. I think that is the main key.”
“If you don’t know how to prepare, then comes the stress and then thinking ‘I hate school,’ and ‘I can not do it,’ and ‘It’s so overwhelming,’” Sobrevilla said. “But you are the one who makes (college) overwhelming, so it’s all about learning how to schedule your life here in college.”
With graduation approaching fast, Sobrevilla said that she’s nervous about leaving because she is still searching for a job, but she said she is prepared in terms of knowing what she wants to do. “I know my plan,” she said. “I know what is my dream and my main goal, but I’m not so sure if it’s going to happen because it hasn’t happened yet. I don’t know if that’s the way it’s going to be, but do I have something planned out? Yes, I have planned something. Am I scared? I am scared just a little bit to go out there because now I have to apply everything I have learned from here to the real world and I’m not sure if I will do it the right way.”
Seniors give tips about making the most of college
By Sarah McDonough
Cardinal Staff
The graduating seniors of the Class of 2009 have gone through many experiences in which they have learned more about themselves and the world around them in their years at Saint Mary’s University. Here they give a little insight and advice on the DOs and DON’Ts of college:
Internships
“Utilize the Internship Office! When meeting with them, be clear with what you want to get out of the internship, and don’t settle for less. It can be intimidating communicating to a company (inquiring about an internship), but just remember you’re providing a service for them.”
- Rob Brewer
Read more...
Extra-curricular activities
“When freshmen first get here, it’s ‘Oh my gosh, college!’ which can be stressful just focusing on class work, projects and tests, but it’s good finding other ways of relieving stress. Talk to friends and see what they are getting involved in. Go to the club fair at the beginning of the school year and see what’s out there. You don’t have to be involved with a lot. You can meet a lot of cool people with similar interests as you.”
- Emily Laurent
Friendships/Relationships
“Try to focus on yourself. Focus on what you want to be and what you want to do, and try not to waste your time on petty drama that comes with going to a small school. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Being in a relationship can be a distraction and sometimes become the person’s main focus instead of school work. But there are benefits to relationships, too. In a relationship you have someone you can lean on, depend on and be your best friend.”
- Margaret Walsh
Class work
“Make sure you go to class. I know it’s tempting (to skip) some classes, but usually you end up slipping. The fewer classes I went to, the harder it was to catch up, and that’s a rough game to play.”
- Gerry Lentino
Cardinal Staff
The graduating seniors of the Class of 2009 have gone through many experiences in which they have learned more about themselves and the world around them in their years at Saint Mary’s University. Here they give a little insight and advice on the DOs and DON’Ts of college:
Internships
“Utilize the Internship Office! When meeting with them, be clear with what you want to get out of the internship, and don’t settle for less. It can be intimidating communicating to a company (inquiring about an internship), but just remember you’re providing a service for them.”
- Rob Brewer
Read more...
Extra-curricular activities
“When freshmen first get here, it’s ‘Oh my gosh, college!’ which can be stressful just focusing on class work, projects and tests, but it’s good finding other ways of relieving stress. Talk to friends and see what they are getting involved in. Go to the club fair at the beginning of the school year and see what’s out there. You don’t have to be involved with a lot. You can meet a lot of cool people with similar interests as you.”
- Emily Laurent
Friendships/Relationships
“Try to focus on yourself. Focus on what you want to be and what you want to do, and try not to waste your time on petty drama that comes with going to a small school. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Being in a relationship can be a distraction and sometimes become the person’s main focus instead of school work. But there are benefits to relationships, too. In a relationship you have someone you can lean on, depend on and be your best friend.”
- Margaret Walsh
Class work
“Make sure you go to class. I know it’s tempting (to skip) some classes, but usually you end up slipping. The fewer classes I went to, the harder it was to catch up, and that’s a rough game to play.”
- Gerry Lentino
Seniors’ gift to help spruce up library
By Danielle Larson
Co-Editor in Chief
As their Senior Class Gift, the Class of 2009 will be making improvements to the Fitzgerald Library.
Improvements will include adding more desks, larger tables, sound barriers, couches, chairs and more space for study groups in order to make a more comfortable study area.
Giving donations for the gift is a way for seniors to “show commitment and support for the continuing legacy of their school,” according to the Senior Class Library Fund brochure.
Read more...
Each year, the senior class puts together a committee to come up with a Senior Class Gift idea. This year’s committee consists of 30 seniors.
Senior Class Gift committee representatives will be speaking with individual classmates about donations they would like to make and about the payment plan they want to use.
Committee members will be outside the cafeteria during lunches with donation cards. Seniors can choose their pledge amounts by filling out the card.
Seniors can also choose when they would like to start donating, whether they want to make payments over one, two or three years and whether they want to make annual, semi-annual or quarterly payments.
According to senior Mandy Haus, seniors can donate in honor of someone, a professor, department, club, etc. The honored party will be notified that someone donated in their honor.
Senior Class Library Fund brochures are available for anyone needing more information. Contact Bob Fisher, directot of annual giving, at rfisher@smumn.edu with questions.
Co-Editor in Chief
As their Senior Class Gift, the Class of 2009 will be making improvements to the Fitzgerald Library.
Improvements will include adding more desks, larger tables, sound barriers, couches, chairs and more space for study groups in order to make a more comfortable study area.
Giving donations for the gift is a way for seniors to “show commitment and support for the continuing legacy of their school,” according to the Senior Class Library Fund brochure.
Read more...
Each year, the senior class puts together a committee to come up with a Senior Class Gift idea. This year’s committee consists of 30 seniors.
Senior Class Gift committee representatives will be speaking with individual classmates about donations they would like to make and about the payment plan they want to use.
Committee members will be outside the cafeteria during lunches with donation cards. Seniors can choose their pledge amounts by filling out the card.
Seniors can also choose when they would like to start donating, whether they want to make payments over one, two or three years and whether they want to make annual, semi-annual or quarterly payments.
According to senior Mandy Haus, seniors can donate in honor of someone, a professor, department, club, etc. The honored party will be notified that someone donated in their honor.
Senior Class Library Fund brochures are available for anyone needing more information. Contact Bob Fisher, directot of annual giving, at rfisher@smumn.edu with questions.
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