Nicole Butler ’09 is one step closer to becoming a professional writer, thanks to a summer research grant from St. Lawrence. 

Earlier this year, Butler and 21 other St. Lawrence students were awarded fellowships for the summer of 2008.  Her long-term project, titled “Crazy: My Life on the Other Side of the Looking Glass,” is a memoir that chronicles her life after taking a hiatus from college and joining the workforce.  “It seemed like this subject had the most potential,” Butler explains.  “It was a very natural choice – I knew I needed to write that story before I could go on to write about other things.”

Upon leaving SUNY Canton, Butler worked as a freelance writer for a number of local publications, including Flair, Absolutely Business and The Penny Saver.  She transferred to St. Lawrence in 2007 to earn a bachelor’s degree in English and further her writing skills.  “I’ve really enjoyed my time here,” she says.  “I’m particularly thankful to my adviser, [Associate Professor of English] Bob Cowser, for the time and energy he’s invested in teaching me how to write.”  Butler also spent a semester in France with the University’s abroad program and cites the experience as among the most memorable of her college career.

Butler plans to attend graduate school for a degree in creative nonfiction.  Regardless of where that might be, she’s ready for the next step.  “St. Lawrence does a better job than most schools of preparing students for the outside world,” the aspiring writer says.  “I’m a firm believer in the liberal arts education.  Knowing a little bit about a number of different subjects will help you succeed in any field,” she continues.  “St. Lawrence strikes the right balance between a broad-based curriculum and a set of core requirements that leaves enough flexibility to follow one’s interests.”