Since she was a child, writing has always been a passion for SAU junior Maria DeSio.
“I can’t sing, or dance, or draw,” DeSio said. “I enjoy writing because it is my way to be creative.”
When DeSio decided to come to St. Ambrose, she didn’t know what major would utilize her writing skills.
“I knew I wanted to do something that focused on writing, I just didn’t know my options,” DeSio said.
Originally she planned to major in journalism, but luckily at orientation she learned that SAU offered a writing major.
At St. Ambrose, DeSio has been a part of Quercus since 2010. Quercus is a creative arts journal published annually. DeSio works on the staff and was also published in 2011. In the upcoming edition of Quercus, six of DeSio’s pieces will be published.
She was also published in the 1st edition of Mazy Minds, a non-fiction, creative writing piece presented by the SAU art department.
In addition to a writing major, DeSio is also earning a degree in Spanish. During the spring of 2012, DeSio studied in Alicante, Spain. While in Spain, the Spanish she learned at SAU was put to good use. DeSio was required to speak only in Spanish during her five months abroad.
After graduation, DeSio would like to travel back to Spain for work. She hopes to teach English as a second language.
“I have a minor in ESL, so I think it would be great to use that together with my writing and Spanish majors,” DeSio said.
After spending a few years abroad, DeSio would like to translate novels and poems from Spanish to English.
In addition to writing and traveling, DeSio also enjoys going to downtown Davenport to visit local shops, restaurants and bars.