Junior Ellee Kloian enrolled at UM-Dearborn to prepare for a career in pediatrics. She’s completed a summer research program at Rogel Cancer Center and she’s worked in biology labs. But Kloian says it was an English class — Creative Writing in Your Communities taught by Associate Professor of English Literature Shelly Jarenski — that solidified her professional choice.
In Jarenski’s course, a community-engaged partnership with the nonprofit 826michigan, Kloian taught elementary-aged children about the creative writing process from concept to publication.
“Even though people see the medical field as science-based, we need the humanities included in our education because — at its core — the medical profession is about working with people,” says Kloian, as an English major on the pre-medicine track. “These kids didn’t know me at first, but then started to open up and tell me about their favorite food or their weekend or their dreams for the future. I loved it.”
Jarenski designed the course, which is offered in the fall and winter, two years ago. She wanted to create a class that shows the practical ways literature exists in the world. She says studying literature strengthens critical thinking, helps shape social change efforts, and sparks imagination to help solve complex problems.
“We know that writing is important — but there’s also literature, which is often thought of as this abstract or elevated thing that’s not a part of people’s actual lives. I wanted to shatter that idea and show our students, through a class, that creativity is beneficial to everyone no matter your path. I wanted to put literature into practice and action into the world,” she says.
Lessons in the classroom — and beyond
To see the impact of literature firsthand, UM-Dearborn students in the course — like Kloian — volunteer to mentor elementary-aged children in Ypsilanti and Detroit through 826michigan, which provides free K-12 writing and publishing programs for students in southeast Michigan. Jarenski worked with UM-Dearborn’s Office of Community-Engaged Learning to connect with the organization.
Eli Sparkman, 826michigan’s manager of volunteer engagement, says he’s been impressed with the dedication shown by the college volunteers. Students signed up for a time slot and location — like a library, community center or school — that worked best for their schedules. The class requires 20 volunteer hours, but many exceed that number.
“UM-Dearborn students worked with hundreds of our kids over the spring semester. They made a big impact in the lives of these kids who may not have gotten this level of individualized mentorship otherwise,” Sparkman says. “Not only is it something fun our kids look forward to, it’s also a way for them to get some individualized time with a college student — a college student is a role model who’s fulfilling a big dream that many of these kids have.”
