Alma College graduate students are making a difference.
Some are teaching in college classrooms. Others have launched literary magazines, are publishing books, advocating for caregivers, or helping students with learning differences succeed in schools across Michigan. Together, their accomplishments tell the story of graduate education at Alma College: programs designed not simply to award degrees, but to prepare students to make meaningful contributions in their professions and communities.
From the Classroom to the Literary World
For graduates of Alma College’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program, the journey often begins with a love of storytelling and ends with opportunities that extend far beyond the page.
Just two years after completing the program, several alumni are already shaping the next generation of writers and readers. Cash Whitney, MFA ’24, teaches Engaging with Modern Texts at Lawrence Technological University, while Matty Weaver, MFA ’24, achieved a longtime goal when he joined the faculty at Grand Rapids Community College as an English instructor.
Others have found ways to connect writing with advocacy and public engagement. Marie Gerken, MFA ’23, serves as lead editor and writer for Dear Eudora, an online publication that supports primary caregivers of aging loved ones while promoting dignity and quality of life for older adults. She also publishes The Birch Chronicle: A Reverie of Letters and Books, a project dedicated to reflective literary correspondence and thoughtful discussion of books and writing.
The collaborative spirit of the MFA program has also produced new creative ventures. Whitney joined fellow alumni Joey Lamson Meyer, MFA ’24, Joshua Zeitler, MFA ’24, and Mary Bishop, MFA ’25, to launch The Long and the Short of It, an independent literary magazine that embraces experimentation and brings literary conversations into communities through live events and readings.
Meyer is preparing for another milestone: the publication of a debut novel in 2027.
Other graduates have explored interdisciplinary approaches to storytelling. Joy Bilbey, MFA ’23, collaborated with Alma College dance faculty to blend movement and language in performance, while Mary Peterson, MFA ’23, earned the inaugural Alma MFA Book Prize, recognizing exceptional achievement in writing for her hybrid manuscript Planting Onions: Letters Written Out of Season.
Taken together, their accomplishments reflect a distinctive program that encourages writers to think broadly about where creative work can lead — into classrooms, community spaces, publishing projects, and artistic collaborations.
Supporting Students Across Michigan
While MFA graduates are building careers in the literary arts, alumni of Alma’s online Master of Arts in Special Education program are making an equally significant impact in schools throughout Michigan, helping struggling students find a path to success.
The program’s first graduating cohort in 2024 included 19 educators who earned endorsements in Special Education–Learning Disabilities. Today, they serve students in districts ranging from Grand Blanc and Marshall to Portage, Riverview, and Hancock, bringing evidence-based practices and individualized support to learners with diverse needs.
Growth continued with the 2025 cohort, which expanded to 22 graduates. In addition to completing the master’s degree, some added endorsements in Emotional Impairment, Cognitive Impairment, and Learning Disabilities, broadening both their expertise and career opportunities. Graduates now work in districts including Alma, Midland, Kalamazoo, Lapeer, and Kingsford, serving as classroom teachers, specialists, and educational leaders.
The program’s newest cohort is continuing that momentum and will be serving students in communities such as Port Huron, St. Louis, Corunna, Detroit, and districts across northern Michigan. Many are pursuing additional endorsements that will allow them to identify and support student needs earlier and more effectively.
Their work may look very different from that of the MFA graduates, but the underlying mission is much the same: applying specialized knowledge to improve lives.
Education with Purpose
The paths taken by these alumni illustrate the philosophy that guides graduate education at Alma College. Whether students are refining their craft as writers, advancing their expertise as educators, or preparing for leadership opportunities in their fields, the goal is the same: connecting in-depth, real-world academic study with meaningful professional practice.
The settings may differ, but the outcome is consistent. Alma graduates leave with more than a credential. They leave prepared to contribute, lead, and make a profound impact in the communities they serve.