Chatfield Students Published in Literary Magazine

Carissa Palazzolo and Erica Wethington, students of Chatfield College’s St. Martin campus in Brown County, were both published in the spring 2018 issue of UC Clermont’s East Fork Journal. Both students attended the release party held at UC Clermont on April 18 with family members, instructor Buz Ecker, and registrar Ken Blendea. Carissa and Erica attend Chatfield College as part of the College Credit Plus (CCP) program, where students can attend college for free while in high school.

A student of Milford High School and new to Chatfield College this semester, Carissa published her narrative essay from her English 101 class, Eight. Four. Seven.

“Eight. Four. Seven. is a piece that I hold very close to my heart. It is a narrative piece about having a panic attack, and for a while, I struggled with whether or not to share it. In spite of my doubts, I’m very glad I did. Sharing my own struggles with others is something that I hope helps bring awareness to mental health and is able to encourage others to talk about their difficulties and get the guidance they need,” Carissa shared.

Speaking of her love for writing and memories vividly tied to her grandparents, Carissa shares her excitement for being published.

“I’ve written innumerable short stories, a book, and started another book. It is honestly so surreal to be a published author. In the past, I’ve always thought that getting any of my work published was absurd and farfetched, and now I realize that maybe my dream of having a book published someday isn’t as unattainable as I thought.”

Erica, a student of Clermont Northeastern High School, published her story, Mad House, about a hoarding, lonely elderly man, written from a prompt in her Creative Writing class

“This is my second year at Chatfield as a CCP student and I am thankful for the opportunity and education that this school has provided to help me become a better-rounded student.”

Speaking on Mad House, she says, “My favorite detail about this story is actually the title.  Mad House is a story about a man going to the house of a hoarder. And while the title is based off the reoccurring theme of the day being full of madness, it also reflects the common misperception of mental illness in most fictional pieces. However, once the reader dives into the story they will be shown the true reality of this mental illness.”

Both works of fiction can be found online at www.eastfork.us.

Chatfield College is a private, faith-based, liberal arts college offering the Associate of Arts degree in Brown County and Cincinnati, and is an open enrollment college. The Brown County campus is located at 20918 State Route 251; St. Martin, OH 45118; the Cincinnati campus is located in historic Over-the-Rhine at 1544 Central Parkway; Cincinnati, OH 45202. For more information, visit the website, at www.chatfield.edu, call (513) 875-3344 or e-mail admissions@chatfield.edu.