Marilyn Savich

Musical theater, plays (The Music Man and Fiddler on the Roof), improv, filmmaker’s club.

I went to Bishop O’Connell in Arlington for high school, and based on my experience at Nysmith, the first activity I partook in was theater! I also participated in a living/learning community for freshman interested in theater my first year of college.

In high school, I took honors and AP English courses, and many of the books we read were assigned in Nysmith (Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello, A Tale of Two Cities, Animal Farm).

I enjoyed writing, and decided to pursue an undergraduate degree in communications at American University. AU had the best program for communication, so it seemed like the best choice. In undergrad, I joined the Catholic Student Association, where I served as a community service chair and spiritual group leader for a couple of years. I gave a lot of attention to my classes, taking courses ranging from cross-cultural communication, to law, to philosophy. I enjoy many subjects, but I developed an interest in psychology, selecting it as my minor, and helping out in the Emotions and Positive Psychology lab as a research assistant.

I loved college, wanted to continue being involved in academia, and was interested in the theoretical side of writing. So, after finishing undergrad, pursuing a Master’s in literature seemed to be the next best step. I received a graduate writing fellowship from American University while working at the Writing Center. I also had the opportunity to undertake a year-long internship at the Library of Congress (working in the Young Readers Center). I finished my Master’s degree in May of 2017 and am now working as a teaching assistant for American University’s new Writing Studies Program until I get a full-time job

My first internship was at a literary non-profit, The Heart of American Foundation, which renovates learning spaces and gives books to schools in need. After, I worked for the American University library, interacting with the university community and providing technological assistance.

During my senior year of undergrad, I chose Nysmith as my internship site to gain field experience in educational psychology as part of my psychology minor requirements. It was amazing revisiting my elementary and secondary school experiences through this program, as I was reminded of how caring our teachers were and how much we learned. I enjoyed it dearly.

Now, after finishing my master’s in literature at American University, I am serving as a teaching assistant to a college writing classroom. In the long-term, I hope to work in curriculum development.

Some of the people I met (Brianna B., Zoe S., Aimee B., and Kira S.) were amazing individuals to know. Nysmith expanded my view of what people our age are capable of. It also gave me multiple chances to use my creative abilities. I often saw art in things — assignments, math, science. I also was confident going into academic environments later in life.

To a Nysmith student: consider every day as a chance to grow.

Nysmith is a well-connected community in which you can learn from your peers, teachers, and staff. You realize everything you study is integrated!