Short Version
Jennifer M. Ward is a writer, editor, and teacher from Brooklyn, New York. She completed her first novel and her MFA in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University in 2024. While in the MFA program, she was a Graduate Teaching Assistant supporting college students in English Composition II. She writes contemporary fiction and nonfiction stories. In 2022, her essay, “The Courage to Rekindle a Dream,” was published in The Penmen Review. Jennifer graduated from SUNY, Empire State University, with a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Studies and a Master of Arts in Teaching. She has taught English classes in Brooklyn for over a decade.
Long Version
Jennifer M. Ward was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. As a child, she often spent afternoons reading at her aunt’s house who lived downstairs from her. On Fridays and during the summer, she visited the local library where she read for hours and watched movies. Some of her favorite stories were Anne of Green Gables, Little House on the Prairie, and books by horror author R.L. Stine. During her senior year of high school, a beloved English teacher gave her a hardcover copy of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, which holds a special place on her bookshelf and in her heart.
In the early to mid-2000s, Jennifer worked as a waitress while attending college in New York City. After taking a creative writing class, she developed a stronger interest in becoming a writer. In 2004, Jennifer began working in healthcare administration and spent most of her career in Midtown. While working in Manhattan, she graduated from SUNY, Empire State University, with a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Studies.
In the mid-2010s, Jennifer began her career in education and found a position teaching a mile from where she grew up. In 2017, she earned a Master of Arts in English Education. Her experience as an educator has taught her a lot about people and relationships. Jennifer currently teaches English. Some of her favorite stories and plays to teach are “The Most Dangerous Game,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” Romeo & Juliet, The Miracle Worker, and Twelve Angry Men.
Jennifer is revising her first novel. She completed her MFA in Creative Writing in 2024. In 2022, her essay, “The Courage to Rekindle a Dream,” was published in The Penmen Review. It tells about her experience with finding the direction, courage, and confidence to pursue her dreams of becoming a writer and educator. In 2023, her blog post, “Five Books Every Writer Should Own,” was published as well. She writes contemporary fiction that tends to be more character-driven and introspective, focusing on the intricacies of relationships and mortality.
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