Who We Are
The Writing for Change Journal came to life in 2020, during a global pandemic, at the heels of a national reckoning on racial justice, the ongoing climate catastrophe, and profound political polarization. With the rise of Zoom, masks, social and physical distancing, combined with heighten levels of anxiety, distrust, and misinformation, it would have seemed like an objectively bad time to begin something like this. However, it was precisely because of these converging emergencies and exigencies that make the relational work of this publishing space more vital than ever, and that remains true today.
The Writing for Change Journal launched after a few years of surveying students, and meeting with faculty and community members. We discovered a desire for a space in which new writers could break into the professional world of writing, editing, and publishing. The Journal is an effort to bring that world of publishing to the personal and professional lives of budding writers, artists, and creators in the Boise area, specifically those motivated by a desire to grapple with change, who believe in our rhetorical power to use language in all its forms to imagine a more equitable, socially just, and ecologically stable future. We believe this happens when we listen, engage, and respond.
Each year, a new team of editors continue to work with the advisor to improve our work and help guide it in new creative directions. Contact Kyle Boggs at kyleboggs@boisestate.edu for more information.
Kyle Boggs, PhD.
Director, Lead Editor
Kyle Boggs (he/him) came to Boise State as an assistant professor in the fall of 2018. He specializes in rhetoric & public engagement, community writing, digital advocacy, and place-based pedagogies. To the Writing for Change Journal he brings over a decade of experience as a community journalist, a freelance writer, and more than 15 years as a writing instructor.
editors
Fall 2023
Hailey Pike
Editor
Hailey Pike (she/her) was born and raised in Idaho and has lived in Boise for the past seven
years. She is currently working on her BA in English Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical
Communications with a minor in Creative Writing at Boise State University. Hailey’s education
and experiences in both technical and creative writing has allowed her to cultivate her writing
skills across many different genres and she hopes to help others do the same. In her spare
time, Hailey enjoys cooking, reading, writing, and watching bad TV.
Previous Editors
Fall 2022 & Spring 2023
Juliana Rennó B.
Editor
Juliana Rennó B. (she/her) moved to Boise with her family in 2017, and she is currently in her second year of the Master’s of Art in Technical Communication program here at Boise State. Originally from Brazil, Juliana moved to the U.S. twenty two years ago as an International Student Cultural Scholarship recipient. She graduated from Western Oregon University with a bachelor’s degree in English Writing and Linguistics. Before coming back to school, she worked in her business as a professional chocolatier for almost a decade, making chocolate from the cocoa beans to the bars. She has an adventurous husband (a Boise State University Alum!), three awesome kids, and two very caffeinated dogs. She loves gardening, cooking, reading, but really, really loves talking, and wishes she had a podcast.
Sabina Barber
Editor
Sabina Barber (she/her) has been a student at Boise State since 2017. In 2020, she completed her bachelor’s degree in Literature and minored in Creative Writing. Two years later, she is in the last year of her masters program studying Rhetoric and Composition. Sabina’s education and experience in different fields of English allows her to see the value of writing from various perspectives, and helps her to have a creative outlook on what works in texts and why. In her free time, Sabina likes to dance, listen to music, hike, swim, practice yoga, travel, adventure, and write.
Fall 2021 & Spring 2022
MAKYRA WILLIAMSON
EDITOR
Makyra Williamson is from Salem, Oregon, and now resides in Boise while participating in the Rhetoric and Composition M.A. program at Boise State University. A student of language, Makyra loves nineteenth century literature, especially the works of Jane Austen and Anne Brontë. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, music, and creating through baking and crafting. While she’s not sure what the future holds, Makyra plans to continue growing as a communicator and a storyteller after graduation, whether it’s as a writer, educator, or editor.
SARAH JONES
EDITOR
Sarah Jones is from Nampa, Idaho, and now lives in Boise, Idaho. She is currently a second-year student in the English Literature M.A. program at Boise State University. Sarah likes to study Romantic era poetry, Victorian era novels, and is devoted to studying John Milton’s epic Paradise Lost. In her free time, she loves to read, hike, fish, garden, and do anything related to animals. Upon graduating, Sarah plans to work at a community college where she can participate in the transforming power of education.
Fall 2020 & Spring 2021
BEcky Wilson
Editor
fall 2020 & spring 2021
Becky Wilson (she/her/hers) was born in Nigeria and moved to Boise, Idaho when she was seven years old. She is currently a sophomore at Boise State University in Media Arts. She has always had a passion for writing and her most recent article appeared in The Syndrome Mag, a personal essay titled “The ‘N’ Word.” In her spare time, Rebekah enjoys writing music, spending time with her friends and family, and drawing.
Mitch Gentry
Editor
Fall 2020
Mitch Gentry (he/him) is a writer, artist, and father, born in Bakersfield, CA. While stationed in Camp Pendleton, he served in Afghanistan with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines as an infantry rifleman and squad leader. Mitch has been a resident of Idaho since 2011 and is currently a senior at Boise State University, majoring in Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication. Co-founder of the groups Bikers Against Racism and Vets For Equality, Mitch strives to use his writing and organizational experience to influence positive change within his communities.
Natalia Di Giosia
Editor
Fall 2020 & spring 2021
Natalia Di Giosia (she/her/hers) is a long term resident of Boise and a senior of Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication at BSU. Natalia loves studying the craft of nonfiction, and believes that telling stories is how communities can grow, heal, and understand each other. As a consultant at the Boise State Writing Center, Natalia enjoys supporting her peers in gaining the skills and confidence to write for real scenarios and audiences. Upon graduation, Natalia plans to continue growing roots in Boise, writing and researching local topics, and studying the Italian language.