Alison Godvik, 19, of Gurnee, is preparing to leave behind what is familiar as she takes a bold step toward her future at Sweet Briar College, a small four-year women’s college in Virginia that she says feels like something “straight out of a movie.”
“When I saw the library, it reminded me of the one from Beauty and the Beast,” Godvik said. “There were display cases filled with books written by students. It just felt right.”
A former Fort Atkinson High School student, Godvik plans to study both creative writing and journalism. She said the college’s calm setting and all-women environment stood out immediately.
“I saw the lake, and you can go swimming in it,” she said. “It’s just a beautiful place. It really stuck with me.”
Godvik said she has always been drawn to storytelling. During the COVID-19 lockdown, she began writing more often and found it to be a personal escape. She recalled a school assignment when she wrote a creative story and realized that writing came naturally to her.
“I had to write five pages for the story, but I could’ve fit another 10,” she said. “Writing is something I really enjoy.”
Despite her passion, Godvik said she feels uncertain about pursuing creative writing professionally.
“There aren’t many jobs in creative writing,” she said. “It’s kind of cool when jobs do become available, but with the recent writing and acting strike, it feels really scary.”
Godvik was born in Evanston and has lived in places like Janesville and Gurnee. Moving often has been a consistent part of her life. Still, she said her first big move, which helped her leave behind classmates who were unkind, came as a relief.
“It was exciting,” she said. “I got to move away from mean kids, and now I’m more experienced and used to traveling far.”
These frequent transitions have shaped her perspective and influenced her writing. After her mom moved to Mexico, she spent much of her time taught her how to grow up.
“It’s always possible to adjust,” Godvik said. “living with her dad and stepmom. She said moving between homes was not always easy, but it That’s helped me with writing too because it gives me unique ideas to draw from.”
While she is still figuring exactly what comes next, one thing is certain. Writing will be at the center of whatever Godvik chooses to do.
