Duane Bonifer  |  Published August 24, 2017

Scholes Young ’97 returns

Author, professor to speak at ILA convo, give public reading of her novel
MONMOUTH, Ill. – The Monmouth College community will get to hear alumna Melissa Scholes Young from several perspectives when she returns to campus – author, college teacher and first-generation college student.

A 1997 Monmouth graduate, Scholes Young will speak three times on Aug. 31 at the College.

At 11 a.m. in Dahl Chapel and Auditorium, she will address the first “Introduction to Liberal Arts” convocation of the fall semester in a talk titled “What Are the Liberal Arts?”

From 3-4 p.m. in the Mellinger Center Lounge, Director of Multicultural Student Services Regina Johnson will facilitate a discussion with Scholes Young about her experiences as a first-generation student and as a teacher of first-generation students.

And then at 6:30 p.m. in the Morgan Room in Poling Hall, Scholes Young will read from her debut novel, Flood, which was published in June by Hachette Book Group.

Her convocation talk and reading are both free and open to the public.

(An article by the College’s Duane Bonifer about her writing and Flood is available here.)

“Bringing Melissa here to talk with our first-year students is ideal,” said Assistant Professor of English David Wright. “She felt lost when she was first here, and then, with help from some key folks, she found her way. I’m eager to hear what she has to say to our ‘Introduction to Liberal Arts’ students, who might be feeling a bit lost themselves.”

Scholes Young’s reading in the Morgan Room will also begin this year’s Writers@Monmouth series. The event is sponsored by the College’s Integrated Studies Program, English Program, Office of Intercultural Life, Alumni Office and the Wackerle Career and Leadership Center. Copies of Flood are available in the Monmouth College Bookstore, and Scholes Young will sign copies following her reading.

“When I read Flood this summer, I was fully engaged from beginning to end,” said Wright. “She gets small-town, Midwest life. And the echoes of Mark Twain resonated for me, and I think they will for other readers too.”

After graduating from Monmouth, Scholes Young earned a master’s degree in education at Stetson (Fla.) University and taught in Brazil before earning a master of fine arts degree in creative writing at Southern Illinois University.

In addition to teaching writing at American University in Washington, D.C., Scholes Young has published essays and fiction in several national publications, including The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Ploughshares and Huffington Post.

Scholes Young published an essay last year in The Atlantic about how to help first-generation college students navigate campuses more successfully. The essay drew heavily on her time at Monmouth, reflecting on how longtime Monmouth professor Stacy Cordery reached out to Scholes Young as a first-year student and helped her learn to write at the college level. The essay details how that experience informs the writer and professor’s own work in the classroom.

“As a writer, I really admire the breadth of what Melissa can do, from literary fiction to smart cultural commentary for some of the best publications in America,” said Wright. “Our student writers can really benefit from what she has to say.”
Back to News & Events

Did you know?

  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College offers unique academic minors in Global Public Health and Global Food Security for students who want to use their education to address global challenges. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/global-public-health/" target="_blank">Global Public Health</a></li><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/global-food-security/" target="_blank">Global Food Security</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> We offer a certified Peace Corps Preparation program that gives Peace Corps bound graduates a leg up in the application process.</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/peace-corps-prep/" target="_blank">Peace Corps Prep</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College covers the cost for all current students to get a U.S. passport. Unlock access to over 198 different countries! We’ll even help with the paperwork :)</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/study-abroad/" target="_blank">Study Abroad</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> 99% of Monmouth students received some type of scholarship or financial assistance.</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/offices/student-financial-planning/types-of-aid/scholarships/" target="_blank">Scholarships</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College offers several international trips each year during 2-week Scots Terms in January and May. Recently students have traveled to Botswana, Greece, Scotland, Japan, and more. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_urls"><a href="https://monmouthcollege.edu/offices/global-engagement/" target="_blank">Scots Term</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p><strong>Monmouth College is the birthplace of the women’s fraternity movement. Pi Beta Phi, the first such collegiate women’s organization, was founded at Monmouth in 1867. It was followed three years later by Kappa Kappa Gamma. The two pioneering organizations today boast a total of 275 active chapters nationwide.</strong></p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/student-life/sororities-fraternities/" target="_blank">Sororities & Fraternities</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College has an active Pipe & Drum Band. Each year on Scholar’s Day in April the bagpipers wake students up at 6:00 a.m. by playing in the residence halls!</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/academics/music/pipe-band/" target="_blank">Pipe Band</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College is proudly test optional. Applicants may choose whether or to submit SAT or ACT scores for admission and scholarship consideration. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/admission/apply/test-optional/" target="_blank">Test Optional</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> 98% of Monmouth graduates were employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation.</p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_page"><a href="/wackerle-center/career-services/" target="_blank">Career Preparation</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> Monmouth College has an educational garden and 6.7 acre farm. Students grow and harvest fruits and vegetables to sell at the local farmer’s market. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_urls"><a href="https://monmouthcollege.edu/academics/only-at-monmouth/educational-garden-farm/" target="_blank">Garden & Farm</a></li></ul></div></aside>
  • <aside class="factoid-item"><div class="factoid-item-text"><p> We’re no stranger to winning. Last year the Fighting Scots won Midwest Conference championships in Football, Women’s Soccer, Women’s Basketball and Men’s Track and Field. </p></div><div class="factoid-item-links"><ul><li class="lw_related_urls"><a href="https://monmouthscots.com/" target="_blank">Fighting Scots</a></li></ul></div></aside>