Tristan Buck-Tomaselli had started their academic journey at Monroe Community College (MCC) with low expectations of success, as they were unsure if college would be for them, given their age of 28. Then, coming to Brockport from MCC, they earned their bachelor’s degree in English: Creative Writing in 2018 and graduated Summa Cum Laude. Now they are finishing their master’s degree in English with a focus on Creative Writing in 2026.
“There are genuine free thinkers here, both educators and students. I attribute this to the wide range of experiences people come here with that you might not see at a less accessible college,” Tristan explained how one of the reasons they chose Brockport was because of how close it is to them. They believe state schools are a great service to the people. Brockport was able to show them a diverse community of learners, and it’s one of the things that made them fall in love with the school.
They have attributed their passion for teaching writing to the opportunity to be a writing tutor and graduate assistant. They work with students of all majors, which has really opened their eyes to a feeling of accomplishment in helping others write. “… from my time working in the writing center as a tutor, I get the sense that many of us came to Brockport because we want to bring our knowledge home to enrich our communities. Coming back as a grad student has been wonderful. I was exceptionally fortunate to reconnect with a former professor who encouraged me to apply for a graduate assistantship.”
Something Tristan emphasizes is that becoming a writing tutor really helped lead them to become a future writing educator. “Working with students across all disciplines is sharpening my skills more than I could have guessed… One minute I’m helping a nursing student polish a lab report, the next I’m helping someone with their sociology essay.” They have given lots of kudos to the opportunity of being a writing tutor for broadening their writing abilities.
Along with that, Brockport also gave them the opportunity to study abroad, specifically at Oxford University, attending the New College. Tristan explains that it was a huge life-building experience, besides being there academically. One of their most notable memories besides studying is the balcony flat they had that overlooked a small part of the River Thames.
Tristan feels so grateful to attend Brockport, and that has helped them find a passion for teaching writing. Tristan hopes to see themself continuing their career here at Brockport while focusing on their own stories to see their name on bookshelves with hundreds of other storytellers. They have learned to focus on the characters they create and their stories instead of fixating on a singular genre, one of the many important takeaways they learned while studying at Brockport.
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