Carnegie Mellon University

The Writing Academy

The mission of The Writing Academy (TWA) is to provide real-world experience to writers through mentorship programs, career workshops, and alumni panels. The club is academic and network-based in nature, helping CMU student writers learn more about their respective industries and gain experience in the field while providing CMU alumni the opportunity to share their knowledge and experiences with student mentees.


I'm a student. How do I get invovled?

I'm an alumnus/alumna. How do I get involved?

Student Membership

Student membership is open to all CMU undergraduate and graduate students. While we assume most members will be from the Department of English, there are no restrictions as to whether students from other majors, schools, and departments may join TWA. Applications will be received at the beginning of each semester (Fall and Spring). There is no membership fee. Attendance at all events is optional except for one mandatory event each semester in addition to meeting with your mentor. Potential members may fill out the application at any point during the semester to be reviewed among request.

Members may be removed from TWA if they fail to adhere to University policy or fail to attend more than two consecutive mentor events. Member approval must be decided amongst the board with a ⅔ majority vote. We will also consult the member’s respective mentor to ensure responsibilities are not being met. 

The Writing Academy is committed to following the CMU Statement of Assurance regarding discrimination. The Writing Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, gender, color, national origin, handicap or disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, creed, ancestry, belief, veteran status, or genetic information. Hazing will not be tolerated in TWA and we are required not to discriminate in violation of federal, state, or local laws.

Student Member Meetings

Student member meetings are held once a month on the third Wednesday of the month. Board meetings will be held as needed. General student member meetings will follow an agenda prepared by the Executive Board and will likely introduce a panelist, alumni mentor, or other opportunity. 

The President or Founder is responsible for convening meetings of the Board bi-weekly to discuss career panels, mentorship opportunities, club resources, and other upcoming events. All officers will have equal power in terms of decision making.

Alumni Mentors

Alumni mentors are critical to the success of TWA. In order to be an alumni mentor, you do not have to be affiliated with the CMU Department of English and/or currently pursuing a career directly related to writing. You simply need to be:

  • a CMU alumnus/alumna
  • someone who enjoys wriitng
  • willing to share your wisdom and experience with a student mentee

Expectations for Alumni Mentors:

  • Alumni will be expected to mentor one student for the academic year.
  • Mentors will meet with student mentees as-needed throughout the semester. There will be two
    mandatory mentor-mentee sessions each semester (1 hour each), but aside from these, the
    time commitment will be entirely up to you and your mentee.
  • Due to the pandemic environment and the various locations of alumni, we expect most of the mentoring
    to take place via Zoom, but we encourage in-person meetings if both parties are comfortable with that.

General Guide for Alumni Mentors:

  • What types of industry knowledge might you be able to share with your mentee?
  • What did your path from CMU to your current industry/job look like?
  • What advice might you have for your mentee related to course recommendations, student organizations, and outside opporutnities which might provide helpful career insight for future writers?
  • What tips might you have regarding resumes, interviews, and networking/connecting via LinkedIn?

 Questions?

Contact Samantha Mahler, TWA President, at srmahler@andrew.cmu.edu.