Acknowledgements

This publication would not be possible without the faculty who nominated student work for publication. This volume features student work from the following instructors: Marcio De Oliveira Bahia, Emily Beck, Lynn Butzlaff, Peter Cajka, Tirna Chandra, Ian Gerdon, Barbara Green, David Griffith, Anna Hayden, Paulina Hernández-Trejo, Romana Huk, Whitney Lew James, Matthew Kilbane, Erin McLaughlin, Clíona Ní Ríordáin, Nathaniel Myers, James Otteson, Jessica L. Shumake, Elyse Speaks, Jessica Thomas, and Joanna Lin Want.

We would like to recognize the editorial board for their time and expertise in reviewing more than ninety submissions and selecting the work featured here. 

We are especially grateful to Assistant Editor Karla Maravilla, whose careful reading of student writing and consistently insightful feedback enriched the editorial process. In particular, her observations sharpened our understanding of the submissions, and her discerning judgment brought both rigor and delight to the selection process.

Our sincere thanks go to Patrick Clauss, Director of the University Writing Program, for establishing two inaugural McPartlin Award Honorable Mention prizes, which expanded opportunities to recognize outstanding student compositions. Patrick Clauss, Nicole MacLaughlin, and Erin McLaughlin provided invaluable support. Their leadership and guidance brought rigorous generosity to the publication process.

We owe special thanks to Matthew Bizoe, Web and Digital Content Strategist, whose kindness and patience were integral to the production of this volume. Matthew supported the editorial team in navigating digital publishing workflows with steady technical leadership.

We are grateful to Sheila Christophorou, the University Writing Program's Senior Program Coordinator, whose administrative expertise sustained the behind-the-scenes aspects of the publication process. We also thank Whitney Lew James for her generosity in documenting editorial workflows and supporting the transition to new editorial leadership.

We are appreciative of Bridget Hoyt, Curator of Education at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, for her partnership in the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art Writing Competition and her ongoing commitment to student learning through slow looking and writing about art.

We thank all of the first-year students who submitted their projects. Although we could not publish every strong submission, we benefited from engaging with the ideas, questions, and perspectives in your work.

To the authors featured in this volume: your work exemplifies the creativity, curiosity, and ethical engagement with ideas that keep Fresh Writing vibrant. Through the ideas you explore here, you contribute to the ongoing pursuit of truth and understanding that animates intellectual life at Notre Dame and beyond. We are honored to share your projects and to extend their reach to new audiences. 

As always, thanks for supporting Fresh Writing.  

Jessica L. Shumake and Elizabeth Capdevielle, Co-Editors