Angelina Chartrand wasn't sure what she wanted to pursue as a career, but as a St. Charles native, she knew St. Charles Community College was where she wanted to begin.

“I thought a community college was a wonderful place to start my academic career. I knew it would give me a unique opportunity to explore my options for the future,” stated Chartrand. “Since I was raised in St. Charles most of my life, St. Charles Community College seemed like the natural choice."

When she first got to SCC, Chartrand began pursuing a transfer degree in studio art, which included classes in creative writing and English.

“Assistant Professor Baumann taught a lot of the creative writing courses I took at SCC,” explained Chartrand. “He was such a supportive teacher. He felt like someone you could always reach out too, no matter the problem."

Her talent became clear to Baumann early on.

“What stood out to me about her work was a particular interest in human psychology," said Baumann. “A lot of students frame their work and begin with plot rather than character, and she was the opposite. Stylistically, she reminded me a bit of Emily Dickinson.”

Chartrand had found her calling. She started shifting her focus on becoming a writer.

“The last semester I attended SCC, I took Assistant Professor Baumann's publishing class,” stated Chartrand. “One of the assignments was researching literacy journals and the submission process. I happened to research The Oakland Arts Review."

After SCC, Chartrand decided to pursue an English Studies degree with an emphasis in creative writing at Lindenwood University. It was there she received notice the Oakland Arts Review was accepting submissions. She decided to submit her story “Ersatz.”

“I felt like fate,” she admitted. “The most challenging part of the process was just working up the nerve to submit it. The potential for rejection is frightening but something all writers must inevitably work through.”

Her hard work paid off - The Oakland Arts Review accepted her short story. 

“To be honest, I never expected my work to be accepted,” beamed Chartrand. “I think writers are always inherently nervous about putting their work out there; it's a vulnerable and intimidating experience. To be able to get that confirmation email that says, 'Hey, we loved your work. You're in,' there's nothing quite like that. I'm still buzzing over it and probably won't ever stop."

"Moruadh," another short story written by Chartrand, was also accepted by the Arrow Rock Literacy Journal for an upcoming issue.