C. Erna Jacobsen

Artist and elementary school teacher Carmen Erna Jacobsen began her career in Mexico City. She worked for a private school teaching English as a second language, paying her way through medical school. Some of her articles were featured on the RICE University educational program blog known as REEP in 2012. Her first book of poems called Saudade was first published in 2013 and is followed by a second book, a collection of haiku poems dedicated to Alaska titled "Men of Fish", published in January of 2015. She is currently working on third book "In Defense of Pen and Paper", where she explains the use and importance of keeping penmanship alive in classrooms. She has been a featured poet at the Barnes and Noble Poetry Reading Series and a constant participant in different other literary events. She loves to explore new ideas and created a small Ballet Folklorico group named Aztlan, that combined the rhythm of poetry with the beat of the Mexican "zapateado." She is going into her 10th year with WITS as a Creative Writing teacher. She believes every student carries a story waiting its turn to be discovered.