Solak finds multiple creative writing and volunteer outlets

August 10, 2011

“I looked at Stanford and University of California at Berkeley, but I chose Cornell. It was a big change going from a suburb in Denver to a town like Mount Vernon. But once you get here, it’s impossible not to feel part of a very welcoming community. And it’s great to be around other students who are just as motivated as I am to succeed. Because so much gets done in even one class session under OCAAT, and because you get frequent breaks at the end of each block, students are more motivated to go to class every session, every day.”

Claire Solak
Claire Solak ’13

Claire Solak’s Highlights

  • Hometown: Thornton, Colo.
  • Majors: English (with a Creative Writing focus) and Ethnic Studies
  • Favorite Course: Intro to Creative Writing
    “In this class, I wrote a story that was recently published in Open Field, Cornell’s literary magazine. The assignment showed me that I could take seemingly unrelated things and connect them in a tangible way. That’s what liberal arts and interdisciplinary studies are all about.”
  • Favorite Place to Study:
    “If I have a paper with a short deadline, I go to the the 24-hour computer lab (so I can stay all night if I need to). If I am working on creative writing, I sit by Ink Pond to brainstorm or on one of the secluded benches behind Old Sem. If I have reading, I stay in my room or go to a friend’s room, and we read together.
  • Poetry coach for Lyrically Inclined, Cornell’s slam poetry student group. Student poets host a bi-annual show, which draws visiting poets from around the nation. The group’s goal? To compete in regional and national poetry events.
  • Completed a Cornell Fellowship in museum studies at the African American History Museum in Cedar Rapids
  • Named Outstanding First-Year Student by the Office of Intercultural Life
  • Constitution and Policies Chairperson for Cornell’s Black Awareness Cultural Organization (BACO) student group
  • Co-President of Alliance (GLBTQ) and Executive Board Student Representative for Cornell’s Council on Multiculturalism
  • Given Cornell’s Emerging Leader of the Year award in Student Activities Mentor for PALS Peer Mentoring Program, guiding students during their first year at Cornell
  • Named to Dean’s List four consecutive semesters

More about Claire Solak

Museum Internship

  • Claire’s blog during her two-month Cornell Fellowship at the African American Museum of Iowa

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