The world runs on creativity.
From the manufacturing experts designing novel innovations to the public health leaders lighting the way to community wellness, creative thinking is an essential skill in every industry — fueling professional problem-solving and out-of-the-box ingenuity.
The benefits of creative expression extend beyond your career, too. In times defined by inescapable news cycles and social media alerts, writing, art, and storytelling can be a sanctuary. That is the spirit behind Beacons, Goodwin University’s community-based creative arts magazine. Led by faculty editor-in-chief Moriah Maresh, MA, MFA, the newly launched publication provides students, faculty, and staff a place to engage in self-expression and explore their authentic voices.
Creative writing for career-readiness
Assistant Professor of English Moriah Maresh witnessed something remarkable unfold in her creative writing classes at Goodwin University. While many students embarked on her course with the anxiety that often underpins general education requirements, they reached the finish line not only having experienced creative catharsis, but also feeling affirmed in their abilities to express themselves through the written word.
In an era of AI over-saturation, Maresh observed that creative writing encouraged her students to write without over-reliance on digital shortcuts. “Students can struggle with creative writing at first and sometimes don’t think they have a story to tell,” Maresh says. “Creative writing pushes them out of their comfort zones and helps them harness the kind of authentic voice that AI can’t replicate. In addition to reassuring them that they can write, it also helps them feel confident and connected to their own narrative.”
Moreover, for adult learners navigating a complex balancing act of personal, professional, and academic demands, creative writing provides a space for students to center themselves. “Writing allows the body and mind to reboot,” she explains. “It helps us become present in the moment.”
Here, Maresh saw a window of opportunity and a holistic necessity: a formalized creative outlet for the Goodwin community.
Picking up the torch
With an MFA in Creative Writing from Fairfield University and publications in literary outlets ranging from Helix Literary Magazine to Connecticut Literary Anthology, Maresh was well-acquainted with the inner workings of creative arts magazines. This seemed like the perfect avenue for self-expression at Goodwin — and a missing link that could enrich the University’s humanities offerings.
Discussing her idea with fellow faculty members, Maresh made a discovery. “I found out that there had previously been a creative writing magazine at Goodwin called The Beacon. With it being a print magazine and the publishing industry increasingly favoring e-publication, the project was eventually phased out.”
But what if The Beacon could be modernized, revitalized, and brought once more into the Goodwin fold?
Start writing your next chapter at Goodwin. Learn more about beginning your Goodwin journey today!
“We’re all beacons of creativity”
Maresh assessed the issues The Beacon faced and outlined practical solutions. For starters, the cost of printing could be circumvented by relying primarily on digital publication tools. She identified Goodwin’s LibGuide as the perfect place to reign in this new format. Beyond being freely accessible to both the Goodwin community and the public, publishing the magazine to LibGuide allows each volume to be easily archived in a centralized location.
Given that The Beacon was a project of the past, Maresh also made the clever decision to rebrand the magazine as Beacons. In addition to nominally establishing itself as a new publication, the title change echoes the ethos Maresh brings to the forefront of the project. “We’re all beacons of creativity,” she explains, “each of us carrying knowledge, ideas, and stories worth sharing.”
To begin, Maresh decided to plan for two publications per year, a fall and spring edition. For each volume, Maresh will release a call for submissions from students, faculty, and staff — encouraging community members to submit written pieces (including poetry, nonfiction, and short stories) as well as artwork and photography.
Recognizing that an undertaking of this stature would require a team effort, Maresh established an editorial board of volunteer faculty and staff to help coordinate these efforts, review submissions, and help support writers through the revision process. While many new creative magazines struggle to collect submissions for their flagship edition, Beacons was met with eager enthusiasm. “We received a lot more submissions than I anticipated,” Maresh noted.
Reviewing student pieces proved to be a particularly rewarding experience. One submission that resonated deeply with the editorial team came from a student revisiting a place they had long associated with death. Through their writing, they discovered life-affirming energy and personal motivation — a transformation captured in moving, beautifully crafted prose. “All pieces touch you in some way,” Moriah reflects, “but that was one that really stuck with me.”
A bright future for Beacons
Ultimately, Maresh hopes Beacons will strengthen the Goodwin community by allowing readers to hear voices they might never have encountered otherwise. With the first volume slated for release on December 9, 2025, Maresh is excited to continue gaining momentum and expand the project’s scope to elevate authentic self-expression.
Maresh is also exploring the possibility of utilizing Beacons as a classroom resource. “With the publications being available on LibGuide, I would love to teach English and creative writing using student-written pieces with the authors’ permission,” she shares.
Above all, Maresh feels gratitude for working at a university that not only encourages faculty to explore bold ideas, but also supports the collaborative work needed to bring those ideas to life. “Goodwin gives our community the space to take an idea and run with it.”
Ready to bring your creative spark to the Goodwin University community? Learn more about Beacons — visit the Beacons LibGuide, or contact beacons@goodwin.edu for more information.
Bri Gagné is a content developer at Goodwin University, bringing backgrounds in literary studies, creative storytelling, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and social justice. They earned their bachelor’s degree in English Literature, Film Studies, and Gender Studies from University of Connecticut and a master’s in Elementary Education from Eastern Connecticut State University.
After teaching English abroad and locally, Bri transitioned to a full-time writing career, contributing to the University’s educational narratives and brand-building efforts. They are currently earning their Master of Fine Arts in Popular Fiction Writing and Publishing at Emerson College.