Hannah R. Bos, a graduate student accepted into the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program, said her favorite Fresno State professor is Dr. Tim Skeen (English), because he wanted to see her succeed.

Hannah didn't start out seeking a master's degree in creative writing. (Her bachelor's degree was in criminology.) But all that changed.

"It started when I took one poetry class for fun, and I didn't believe it would be anything more than a hobby," she said. "He gently encouraged me to push past the beliefs I had about my own ability. He challenged me to take a graduate class, he challenged me to help edit professional work, and he challenged me to consider graduate school."

She said that Dr. Skeen has a tendency to believe in people more than they believe in themselves. He encourages them to push past their own hesitations.

"Teaching creative writing in the Smittcamp Honors College, where I first met Hannah, is such a privilege," said Dr. Skeen. "Hannah's gift for writing became instantly clear to me. She was one of the few undergrads to take graduate writing classes, and her poems have won awards from the Academy of American Poets. I'm delighted she's now in the graduate Master of Fine Arts program."

Hannah said Dr. Skeen has made all the difference in her life.

One evening after class, Dr. Skeen pulled her aside and asked her about the context and content of her writing. He asked her about her story, her motivation, and her goals.

"At the end of the conversation, he asked me if I had ever considered writing as more than a hobby, but as a graduate student," she said. "I told him that I'd never even thought about it because I couldn't justify to myself the financial investment."

She was an undergraduate junior at the time. He looked at her and said, "If you're willing to apply, I'll do anything I can to help you get there."

Today, Hannah is in a funded first year of graduate school and she feels extraordinarily prepared to be here.

"He chose to believe in me and see a potential that I couldn't see yet," she said. "I'm here because Tim taught me how to see it as a possibility."

Dr. Skeen said that in addition to being a gifted writer, Hannah is also an incredible editor.

"She generously read an early draft of my third book, Reward,” he said. "Her comments were indispensable. I so very much look forward to presenting her with a copy of the book when it comes out in September."

Dr. Skeen hopes that in the future Hannah will stay curious, trust her instincts, develop her talent and keep writing.

"Her first book will surely be terrific!" he said.