Mary Chiang

I studied Animal Behavior in college, but my science professors often complained that I spent more time in the English department. Specifically, I spent a lot of time studying and writing about literature written by authors of African descent. I also worked at the writing center for 3 years. After college, I worked as a college adviser for 2 years before moving to Philly (where I am now). I currently work as a part-time grants coordinator for Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia and part-time coordinator for Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Programs in my neighborhood.

I've been really trying to find my sphere of influence where I can apply my skills towards something that will make the world a better place somehow. I've tried looking into public policy, public health, human-wildlife conflict, tree conservation, environmental justice, and other related areas. However, since elementary school, I've been denying myself the exploration of how to turn my love for writing into a career. From the drafting to the editing to the purpose of writing (as communication), I love every part and feel the most alive and confident than when doing anything else.

Being both Taiwanese and white American and from reading so much literature written by "underrepresented" authors, I've been recognizing the need for more stories to be shared and known and heard and told. More recently, I've been growing increasingly discontent with the content of popular films and TV shows; specifically, I would love to contribute more films and TV shows depicting the nobility of humanity, the side of humanity that is loving, compassionate, truthful, standing up for something good, and making good decisions for the betterment of their community. These qualities I believe all of humanity possesses. With my love of writing and desire to tell stories, I started looking into a career in screenwriting or film. Ultimately, I'd like to have creative control of an entire film or series, but I understand that's something that'll take time (and luck).