National fellowships are prestigious, competitive awards that enable the recipient to pursue graduate study, a research project, or travel abroad. While fellowship winners experience great personal growth and gain credentials that aid future success, preparing the application itself helps students clarify their goals and learn how to present themselves to an unfamiliar audience, such as future employers. In this course students will learn about various fellowship opportunities, identify steps toward building a strong candidacy, and create a portfolio of compelling application materials. To inspire creative thinking, we will read short writings in various genres; authors may include Octavia Butler, Jose Antonio Vargas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, N.K. Jemisin, Ursula Le Guin, and Ocean Vuong. We will then craft personal statements and other fellowship materials, taking them through a rigorous writing process with multiple revisions. By completing the course students will grow as writers and gain skills that can also be used in writing grants and seeking a job. |