Elysian Literary Magazine
Spring 2024- Contributor Bios
This page is dedicated to all of the wonderful contributors who helped build this edition of AU's Elysian Magazine. Read about them below and learn more!
MacHelle Acurio
Francis Balquin
Andrea Barron
Samuel Brown
Joseph Guarino
Brooke Karas
Kimberly Leslie
Delaney McDonald
Amy Melgoza
Claudia Mora
Freddy Munoz-Miranda
Richmond Outlaw
Michelle Palinsky
Madalynn Segwick
Ximena Torres Ramos
Robert McDonald
Bridget Tully
Emily Zeitlin
MacHelle Acurio is a Social Work major passionate about social justice and is looking forward to giving back to those who have helped her the most in the future. She is enthralled by life, love, and the world. In her free time, she loves watching movies and talking with friends. Thank you for taking a look at her work!
Francis Balquin is a Senior undergraduate student at Aurora University. Completing his degree in History and Secondary Education, he has made it a point to consistently contribute to Elysian magazine during his time at AU. He enjoy capturing his world and experiences through the camera's lenses.
Andrea Barron is a Junior at Aurora University studying Communications. Her work has been previously published in Joliet Junior College's Wordeater and En La Madre digital zine. As an undocumented artist, she uses spoken and written word to advocate for marginalized communities.
Sam Brown was born in Arizona where he lived for the first ten years of his life taking in the desert experience, all to realize that the Illinois winters are better than the Arizona summers. As a runner, musician, psychology major, and co-recipient of the 2006 Time Magazine Person of the Year, he hopes that one day he can find success with writing and storytelling.
Joseph Guarino is an amateur photographer who enjoys photography as a way to experiment with seeing things in a new light and as a way to allow people to see things they might not have normally seen. His main interests and focus are landscapes and aviation photography.
Brooke Emily Karas is an undergraduate student at Aurora University pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Studies/Sustainability and English with a minor in Creative Writing. In her spare time she enjoys reading, writing poetry, and singing. She is passionate about human and animal rights and will do everything she can to raise awareness for environmental issues.
Kimberly Leslie is a Sophomore majoring in English and minoring in Spanish. She hopes that there won't be any more pandemics or other catastrophes interfering with her plans to stay at Aurora University for four years and partake in Elysian and the Creative Writing Club.
Delaney is a second-year student majoring in Biology with a focus in environmental studies. Between studying and completing assignments, she enjoys reading and writing to fill her time.
Robert McDonald is a Senior transfer student in the English program at AU. He's a lover of writing and language with a drive for storytelling, but he also spends a lot of time gaming and playing with his foster dogs. He hopes to write professionally as a published author in the future.
Amy Melgoza is an AU student studying Communications. It would seem that writing is her calling, the world her canvas.
Claudia is a Junior at Aurora University and is pursuing a career in education. During her free time, she loves taking photos around her home and life to then use as her art inspiration.
Freddy Munoz is currently a Senior at AU. He is studying to become an English Teacher. He is passionate about writing, music, and his cat. He plans on pursuing a Master's after he graduates in December.
Richmond Outlaw is a Freshman who likes doing art during his free time to help relax his mind from anything worrying him and test his creativity. He also likes to photograph anything that gets his attention and may make edits to the photos he takes (if he believes they can look better in doing so but he tries to not overdo it).
Michelle Anne Palinsky is a wanderer at heart and a Chicagoan by birth. She has lived in various places across the US but always comes back to her hometown. She is a student, a mother of two, and an adventurer. She loves to explore new places, learn new things, and have fun. She writes to express herself and share her experiences with others.
Madalynn Sedgwick is a 24-year-old aspiring author who transferred to Aurora University in the fall of 2022. She transferred from Waubonsee Community College and has plans to continue her education to earn a Master's in English as well as a Master's of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Madalynn hopes to one dat publish a novel or two but plans to teach English at a college level.
Ximena Torres Ramos is a Freshman student at Aurora University double majoring in Graphic Design and Communication and minoring in Museum Studies. Her art has been featured in universities such as NIU, University of St. Francis, Waubonsee Community College, and Aurora University. Her work has also won local and national accolades from the Village of Oswego (1st place and Best in Show), Art ConnectED (3rd place), and The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards (Gold Key and National Silver Medal).
Bridget Tully is a Senior undergraduate student at Aurora University working towards a Bachelor's Degree in English; she will complete it in December. In her free time, she enjoys analyzing and coming up with stories. Bridget writes poems sometimes as well.
Em has been a creative spirit her whole life, singing as soon as she could talk and drawing as soon as she could hold a crayon. She continues to express herself through her art, poetry, and photography.