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鈥淢emory is a thing; remembering is an action, ongoing. We pause and reflect, let scenes take shape, then relive them.鈥�

Amy Nawrocki, The Comet鈥檚 Tail

As with many roles in higher education, the exact duties of a dean remain a mystery to most students. Indeed, the scope of a dean鈥檚 duties aren鈥檛 easy to summarize in a single sentence. From advising students and faculty to community outreach and curricula development, a dean鈥檚 work is never over.

Being an author first and foremost at heart, it seems fitting that Amy Nawrocki uses an analogy to describe the function of her role as Dean of Science and Society. 鈥淎 dean helps ensure that everything happening in their college fits into the big picture of the University as a whole 鈥� making sure everything aligns with our mission,鈥� she describes. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of like a tree spreading everything through its roots to help nourish the tree as a whole entity. That鈥檚 how I think of it, and how it鈥檚 been for me.鈥�

While some see the role of a dean as one of oversight, Amy takes a more holistic approach 鈥� rooted not in overseeing others but in advising and guiding them. 鈥淎s a leader, I support initiatives from students and faculty 鈥� basically providing whatever they need. I help professors grow their programs, but it鈥檚 also about helping students find their way through their undergraduate or graduate programs.鈥�

Although her professional course has charted a linear path 鈥� from English professor to department chair and coordinator 鈥� Amy never accepted roles with the intent to climb a career ladder. Reflecting on her appointment as Dean, Amy remarks that the opportunity was unexpected. 听鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have called my previous roles stepping stones. Quite frankly, I never saw myself in this role, but when the opportunity presented itself to me, I had a lot of support and encouragement. I started in August 2023 at the end of the summer semester. A lot of what I did over the summer involved transitioning. I had the benefit of working with former CSS Dean Dr. Kitty Engelmann as Associate Dean.鈥�

It began with writing 听

Our most formative experiences often encompass the unplanned. Still, it may come as a surprise to learn that Amy Nawrocki never specifically sought a career in higher education.

Her road to the classroom didn鈥檛 begin with a decision to teach 鈥� instead, the first spark was lit by her passion for the written word. 鈥淔reshman and sophomore year of high school, I began gravitating to literature,鈥� Nawrocki reflects. 鈥淪ometimes, it was about academic success. Other times, it was about finding solace in literature, which led me to explore creative writing.鈥�

Embarking on her first year at Sarah Lawrence College, poetry was the path Nawrocki pursued. 鈥淔or a first-year seminar, we had to take a core class,鈥� she recounts. 鈥淵ou put down your top three choices. I don鈥檛 know if I put literature or fiction-writing, but I ended up in a poetry-writing class.鈥�

Although poetry may not have been her first choice, Nawrocki found it was the perfect fit. 鈥淢y sensibilities as a writer are more suited to poetry than prose fiction,鈥� she shares. 鈥淚 just found a home in poetry. In addition to writing poetry, I studied its form and theory.鈥�

An odyssey interrupted

Nawrocki鈥檚 college career began unfolding like that of many first-year students. While she experienced the familiar growing pains of adjusting to higher education, the start of her time at Sarah Lawrence was also teeming with enthusiasm, creativity, and curiosity.

Yet in the summer following her first year, Amy’s journey was jolted from its tracks when she contracted encephalitis. Marked by inflammation of the brain, encephalitis is an elusive infection. Often difficult to diagnose, the consequences can be catastrophic. Affecting the brain and body, the symptoms of this life-threatening illness range from seizures and speech difficulties to paralysis and memory loss.

At only nineteen years old, Amy began experiencing these symptoms. Following a swift hospitalization, medical specialists were mystified. Debating the nature of her condition, some even cast doubts as to whether her symptoms were purely psychological.

After determining the infection in her brain was caused by a virus, Nawrocki’s physicians and family made a difficult decision. Placing Nawrocki into a medically induced coma, the doctors facilitated a high-risk healing process which, against all odds, rid her of the symptoms threatening her life.

Regaining rhythm 听

For Amy, the most traumatic elements of this experience did not entail medical tubes or white coats. Instead, it was the loss of her memories. From the time Amy began experiencing symptoms to her subsequent recovery, over half a year had passed without her recalling what occurred.

In the wake of her recovery, Amy needed to relearn the essential skills many take for granted 鈥� including writing. But at that time, continuing her work as a poet was not a priority. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 remember being goal-oriented or conscious of my motivations, but that鈥檚 also part of recovery. You don鈥檛 necessarily think about it. You just do it.鈥�

鈥淚t is not false modesty which detaches me now from the notion of a heroic return from unconsciousness. I want to be the girl who rebelliously poked her tongue out and stuck her middle finger up at doctors who only saw surfaces. But I can remember her, and without that, I have no agency to see what I did as miraculous. I want the music of spheres, but all I have is spacedust.鈥�

-Amy Nawrocki, The Comet鈥檚 Tail

Recounting what she can of the recovery process, Amy attests the path was uncertain and unsteady. Even as her memory reawakened, whether she would return to Sarah Lawrence remained indefinite. 鈥淎t the time, my plans had to change because I couldn鈥檛 go back, reinvent my life, or just step back into the life I had lived,鈥� she shares candidly. 鈥淭he goal was always to return to college. That didn鈥檛 change, but it was difficult recognizing that may not be possible due to what had happened.鈥�

Yet with steady footing and a strong will, Amy continued progressing toward her goals. 鈥淲hen I began taking classes again, the first step was Western Connecticut State University because it was easier for me to live at home when I started,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淭hen, I went back to Sarah Lawrence, easing into it as a part-time student.鈥�

Amy proudly completed her undergraduate degree in poetry in 1996. Reclaiming her voice as a learner and poet was a return to the essential self 鈥� laying stones for the next steps of Amy鈥檚 journey.

 

Whether you plan to pursue graduate school, dive into the field, or are uncertain of your post-college goals, 911爆料网 has your back. With resources ranging from tutoring and counseling to career development and internship opportunities, UB will help you navigate your next steps. Learn about beginning your UB journey today! 听听

 

An unexpected arc

After completing her first degree, Amy surveyed the options at her feet 鈥� her affinity for poetry acting as a compass as she crafted the path ahead. Mindfully making her next move, she balanced the aspirational with the practical. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 ever tell myself I’d be a professional poet because I knew that wasn鈥檛 something I could realistically make a living doing.鈥�

Wanting to remain immersed in art and literature, Amy decided to pursue her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing. When she made this choice, she didn鈥檛 realize it would lead her to answer a second, unexpected calling 鈥� teaching and inspiring students. 鈥淲hen I went for my MFA at the University of Arkansas, I had a graduate assistantship. It was basically teaching composition in exchange for tuition. That made me see teaching as my career path.鈥�

In many ways, this decision sculpted a full circle, curved by irony and serendipity alike. “My mom was a first and second-grade teacher, and my dad taught special education and later became a middle school guidance counselor. I never consciously said I would be an educator just because both my parents were. It came about through my gravitation towards art, and it was very organic.鈥�

Breaking in her teaching shoes

As Amy began her assistantship, she found herself in the shoes of an instructor for the first time. As it so happens, those shoes were leather Steve Madden knockoffs.

Before beginning to teach, Amy gained some background in pedagogical theory. 鈥淚 think there was a two-week boot camp where they showed us strategies for teaching composition and rhetoric,鈥� she recollects. 鈥淥ne of the pedagogical concepts we discussed was the lead-up to teaching, like building rapport with students. I don鈥檛 know if it was suggested to me, but I got the idea of doing attendance and getting to know the students by having them fill out index cards.鈥�

While this idea seemed simple in execution, Amy鈥檚 first day of teaching didn鈥檛 go according to plan. 鈥淭he first day of class was a Tuesday. University of Arkansas has a huge campus, and the bookstore where I had to pick up the index cards was far from the building where I was teaching my class,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚 went to the bookstore, and the line was out the door. My class started at 11:00. It was already 10:45, but I was committed to getting these index cards. I had to decide to stay in line and pay for my cards or leave. I stayed in line.鈥�

Amused in hindsight, Amy recounts the panicked realization that she would be late for her first class. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 remember the exact timeline, but I knew I was going to be late,鈥� she relates. 鈥淚 was panicked and flustered. I was wearing pretty new shoes. I started running, thinking I didn鈥檛 want to be as late as possible on my first day. The shoes were killing me 鈥� and Arkansas in August is hot. So, I took them off and kept running.鈥�

Upon reaching her destination, the stress and panic of Amy鈥檚 cross-campus relay caught up with her. 鈥淚 walked into class, telling the students I was sorry for being late. I was crying. I took a few minutes to compose myself, and then we started going over the syllabus.鈥�

As Amy concluded and dismissed her class, her trying morning took a turn for the triumphant. 鈥淎 group of three or four students walked up to me and said, 鈥榃e just wanted to say it鈥檚 our first day, too.鈥欌��

That moment of solidarity would come to define Amy鈥檚 approach to teaching. 鈥淭hat was the first teaching experience I had that truly struck me,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t gave me the sense that we were all in it together.鈥�

The Comet鈥檚 Tail

Amy may not still slip her Steve Maddens on, but she鈥檚 used them well at 911爆料网. 鈥淲hen I was teaching writing classes, I usually put the shoes on my desk as a first-day prompt. I put a bunch of other items on the desk, too, so students can brainstorm and free-write.鈥�

Beyond serving as a writing exercise, Amy uses the shoes as a jumping off point 鈥� telling anxious undergraduates the story of her own nerve-wracking first day. 鈥淭he takeaway was to be open-minded and pivot. And to wear comfortable shoes,鈥� she laughs.

This isn鈥檛 the only part of Amy鈥檚 journey she鈥檚 connected back to the classroom. In 2018, she gained a sense of closure on a traumatic chapter of her own life 鈥� penning and publishing The Comet鈥檚 Tail, which she began using as a resource for reading and writing in her classes.

A memoir of her year-long road recovering from encephalitis, the story wasn鈥檛 easy to tell 鈥� especially considering memoir writing typically hinges on memory. Given Amy can鈥檛 recall the majority of what occurred, the process of piecing together her narrative was complex 鈥� often echoing the work of a detective discerning clues to understand the intricacies of a story. 鈥淚 was writing it after 25 years, which is a long time, right? The process of writing it was kind of like a research paper. I didn鈥檛 know much of what happened, so I had to get medical records and go through and sort all these materials.鈥�

鈥淔or a long time, I put that half-year away. Mapped in invisible ink, the secret short cut to present tense does not show up, even in the ultraviolet light of memory. Drafts and redrafts skip over the recovery roadblocks of embarrassment and easy silence. I didn鈥檛 like talking about it anyway. When life goes on, the old script folds faultlessly, slipped into a box in the closet, easily moved across state lines, untraceable in the memory palace.鈥�

-Amy Nawrocki, The Comet鈥檚 Tail

Performing a research project about oneself can seem surreal. But at the same time, Amy found the experience offered an enlightening change in perspective. 鈥淲hen I was coming out of the coma, I didn鈥檛 know what my personality was. I had to find myself and fit back into this world where things were frustrating, and I didn鈥檛 understand why. But looking back, I got a sense of what the doctors must have been going through.”

Amy continues, “The situation was difficult for everyone involved. I felt a lot of compassion and empathy for my father and siblings, my aunts and uncles, and the friends who always supported me. I could talk to some of them, and I did, but I was finally able to turn the lens out from myself and see how it affected them. I began understanding what it meant to go through that situation from their perspectives.鈥�

Bringing her story to UB

In teaching The Comet鈥檚 Tail to UB undergraduates, Amy finds it to be a vehicle not only for teaching genre theory but for inspiring her students to craft their memoirs.

These exercises don鈥檛 just serve English majors, either. From Amy鈥檚 firsthand experience, having students of all backgrounds write their memoirs is an enriching experience. 鈥淪ome students study Psychology, Human Services, or a health science, and this can help shape their understanding of that,鈥� she offers. 鈥淚t helps provide a holistic education.鈥�

Understanding the nature of the topic at hand, Amy takes a delicate approach. 鈥淲hen I鈥檝e taught The Comet鈥檚 Tail in classes, I鈥檓 very sensitive to the fact that what happened to me occurred at the end of my freshmen year, and many of my students are reading it during that period in their own lives.鈥�

Although the topic is a delicate matter, Amy鈥檚 teaching helps students understand the healing offered by putting pain into words 鈥� aiding them in becoming more effective writers. 鈥淯sually, I introduce it as a memoir or medical narrative. I talk about the structure and use it to explain the narrative point of view. We also talk about autobiographical writing and sequence in creative writing.鈥�

She continues, 鈥淭hen when I assign a narrative project in that context, they share a lot themselves. I hope it encourages them in their own writing. I give them parameters because not everyone has had that kind of medical experience, so I鈥檝e had a lot of students write about family members or aspects of their own mental health that have affected their lives.鈥�

Unwritten resolution

Perhaps the biggest challenge of being appointed Dean of the College of Science and Society has been striking a new balance between art and academia. In the midst of a busy schedule, Amy attests that writing requires you to take advantage of the time you have. “When you have the energy to do a few lines, you can progress from there,” she offers. “Commit to three lines. Commit to five lines, or commit to 100 words.”

Amy still finds opportunities to use poetry writing as a method of self-restoring expression. 鈥淎s part of my practice has been finding ways to experiment with form and structure to shape my free writing or my scribbles, I call them. I have notebooks all over the place, but as a poet, the goal is to shape the chaos of my mind into something that is art.鈥�

As Dean, Amy also finds herself stepping back from the classroom. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 taught yet since becoming dean, but I鈥檓 contemplating teaching next fall. That鈥檚 one thing I don鈥檛 want to lose, and I鈥檓 hoping to continue.鈥�

Regardless, Amy still has words of wisdom to offer UB students. 鈥淏e mindful of what鈥檚 going on in your head and lead by example,鈥� she advises. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e stressed or overwhelmed, pause to assess things before you react. Give yourself the time and space to manage emotions, frustrations, and stress. Make sure you manage your responsibilities in a way that still allows you to be healthy and happy.鈥�

To explore Amy鈥檚 poetry and other literary works, visit her online at

 

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