Fall 2024 Contributor Notes

Our Contributors

The humans who reflected in this issue

Britney Alonzo

is a senior at Aurora University majoring in English. She also completed her Associate's degree in Art at Elgin Community College. Her goal in life is to opening up a local bookstore, and eventually get her master's in library science.

Andrea Barrón

is a senior at Aurora University, majoring in communications with a minor in creative writing. Her work has been previously published in Wordeater, Elysian, ¡En la madre!, and Environmentalese. She resides in Morris, Illinois, and loves guavas and long walks listening to her carefully curated Spotify playlists.

Carla Carmona

is a prospering Healthcare Administration and English major student. Her continual growth in writing comes from a love of words and self expression. She grew up with her prominent Mexican culture and intends to embrace every bit of her Latin heritage.

Tessa Danko

is a second year college student but this is her first year at AU. She spends her free time writing, crafting, and going on walks with her dog.

Ava Dede

is excited about college. She loves to workout and hang out with friends, along with going shopping. She looks forward to making new friends and experiencing college.

Madelyn Dittmann

is a first-year health science pre-OT major and autism studies minor. She joined Elysian because she has always loved art and writing, and creating is how she expresses herself. When she's not creating, you might find her listening to music, reading, or hanging out with friends!

Alexandra Espinoza Junez

has lived in Aurora IL her whole life. And she started to do photography in high school for the yearbook.

Kennedy Keaton

is currently a biology student at Aurora University, where she is passionate about exploring the intricacies of the science world. When she's not studying, Nadia enjoys hiking through scenic trails and immersing herself in a good book. This is her first time entering her poems in Elysian!

Ainsley Martin

is a full-time junior with autism at Aurora University. Her major is History, and her minor is Museum Studies.

Jett Hussey

From Plainfield Illinois, Jett Hussey has always had an interest in both art and prose. Currently a Communications Major at Aurora University, he formerly attended Joliet Junior College where he graduated with an Associates in Arts and was involved in their Gallery exhibits. Outside of the arts, he is passionate about nature and helping with local animal shelters.

Kimberly Leslie

is a junior with a major in English and a minor in creative writing at Aurora University. She primarily writes fiction, but she also likes writing poetry and creative nonfiction. She has been writing prose ever since she was in elementary school, and in recent years, she has grown interested in poetry.

Richmond Outlaw

is a sophomore who likes doing art to test his creativity, and photography of anything that gets his attention and feels is worth sharing. He may do edits to photos he takes, if he thinks they can look better in doing so but tries to not overdo it.

Claudia Mora

is a senior here at Aurora University and is studying Elementary education. During her free time, she loves to get creative and fill her sketchbook with art ideas inspired by everyday life.

Madalynn Sedgwick

is an undergraduate majoring in English and minoring in Creative Writing. She is the President of the Creative Writing Club and was accepted into Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society. Madalynn is also a veteran, serving six years in the U.S. Army.

Andy Salazar

is a junior majoring in secondary education in chemistry with endorsements in biology and mathematics. He takes his love of art and photography to capture the world around him, hoping to get other people to view the beauty of life. When he graduates, he hopes to keep on taking pictures in his spare time but would like to continue his education by getting his PhD.

Aurora Williams

is a junior from Ottawa, Ontario. She is double majoring in Criminal Justice and Psychology whilst playing on AU's NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Team. During the summer, she plays competitive box lacrosse back in Canada.

Bridget Tully

is a senior at Aurora University who will graduate with her Bachelor's in English in December. She enjoys imagining and writing stories, especially fairy tales, in her free time. Bridget finds poetry easier to write than prose.

Mia Woltman

is a Senior at Aurora University majoring in Elementary Education, minoring in ESL, and working towards an endorsement in English. She served as Elysian's Editor-in-Chief during the 2023-2024 school year and wishes to foster her creativity so she can pass along the gift of art to her future students.

Our Staff

The ones who make this possible

Organization Advisors

Dr. Sara Elliott

has been teaching at Aurora University for 25 years and has served as the Faculty Advisor for Elysian (formerly Nolos) for 12 years. She lives near campus and loves the fact that she can walk to work. She enjoys hiking, traveling, writing poetry, and playing board games with her family.

Dr. Meredith Harvey

has been teaching for Aurora University for fourteen years, but has just started co-advising at Elysian this year. She enjoys teaching about writing and literature, particularly that which focuses on colonialism, gender, and the environment. In her spare time, she enjoys writing fiction, riding ponies, and hanging with her family.

Editor-in-Chief

Jessica Somogye

I am a senior at Aurora University, studying English and Secondary Education. I also have a minor in Spanish. This is my fourth year on Elysian, however, this is my first semester as Editor-in-Chief and I could not be prouder of the blood, sweat, and tears poured into this issue.
Everyone put in an astounding amount of effort into this project over the summer and during this semester and I cannot say thank you enough to the board, who listen to every single one of my ideas and how sporadic they are. Thank you to Dr. Sara Elliott and Dr. Meredith Harvey for being wonderful and supportive, as always. Thank you to my classmates who had to listen to me nerd out about literature and this project, too. I will see you all in the spring!

Digital Graphic Designer

Ximena Torres Ramos

I am a sophomore at Aurora University majoring in both Graphic Design and Communications, and minoring in Museum Studies. Though my work has appeared in Elysian before, this is my first year as a part of the magazine staff! I hope that one day in the future I will be able to design for big film studios or museums, or perhaps travel the world with the help of my photography. In my free time, I enjoy reading a good book or watching a good show, going to the movies, hanging out with my friends, and getting a chance to work on any of my current crochet projects. Hope you enjoy this issue, and see you in the next one! :)

Assistant Editor

Elizabeth Krueger

I am currently a senior Secondary English major at Aurora University. This is my third year working on Elysian, now as assistant editor. I am thrilled to look at the work we have completed as a team!

Graphic Designer

Nuvia Carrera

I am a Mexican first-gen student, graduating December 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing, a Bachelor of Arts Communication, and a Spanish minor. I am Elysian’s Graphic Designer this semester and super excited to put together another great magazine. I am a soccer fanatic, love attending concerts and volunteer events, and seeing movies on the big screen.

Writing Editor

Hamide Azizi

I am a Senior 2 Nursing Major with a minor in Physiology. My plans for after graduating are to work either in an intermediate intensive unit or a psychiatric ward. In my free time, I enjoy roller skating, trying new foods, or hanging out with my family. I decided to join the Elysian team because I always had a passion and love for writing, and being a part of this team would help me strengthen my skills and be surrounded by like-minded people. Since my major consists of healthcare and science, this org is my escape to immerse myself in writing and creative outlets.

Photography Editor

Diego Guzman-Favela

I am a first generation Mexican American student studying Communications & Marketing. Aside from pouring lattes at the local coffee shop, I'm a freelance sports photographer who has worked with individual clients, private companies and most notably with East Aurora High School to cover various activities and athletic events.

Secretary & Media

Naxalí Cervantes

I am currently a Senior majoring in Secondary Education in English. I am Secretary and Media for Elysian. This is my first semester in Elysian and so far, it has been the best decision to join this organization. I am able to expand my talents and expertise through marketing and writing. I hope this organization continues to grow and showcase diverse voices. Que viva Elysian!