Mile-High MFA Testimonials
Since graduating in 2018, the Mile-High MFA at Regis University has continued to shape and inspire my creative and professional identity — as a writer, educator, editor, and publisher. The program was truly a complete reorientation of my creative life. It inspired the founding of my independent literary magazine and small press, Inverted Syntax, launched my college teaching career, and, more importantly, redefined how I engage with language, form, and the creative complexities that arise from the writing process. I often hear complaints that MFA programs in general dampen the artistic instinct — that they produce a kind of 'defensive, insular writing,' supposedly symptomatic of the workshop culture, but I have to say that I found the opposite to be true — my experience was energizing. Like all exemplary programs, we were guided by award-winning mentors and visiting writers. But our residencies were more than just attending workshops and seminars, they were collaborative spaces of immersive inquiry, tapping into the insurgency of creative possibilities. For me, the program pushed my writing toward risk, rather than safety, toward complexity, rather than convention. I feel fortunate to have been accepted into the program — a space I deeply needed, with mentors who emboldened my voice. Eric Baus and Khadijah Queen didn’t impose a house style, rather, they challenged me to dismantle assumptions and practices I was holding onto, and to write and create beyond the edges of my intellect and intuition. I will always remember those years as a space where I was encouraged to subvert language and to use creativity as an act of resistance. It was where I discovered a writing community, found the courage to call myself a writer, and the revelation that my writing could be necessary in the world. It was there, too, that the first threads of what would become my book a record of how the mother’s textile became sound (Noemi Press 2023) began weaving themselves into being.
Nawal Nader-French, Graduate, 2018
The MFA program at Regis University has been a transformative return to the heart of why I write — rekindling my soul’s fire in a way few programs dare. In a rapidly shifting literary landscape shaped by social media, AI and post-Covid realities, Regis grounded me in the human experience, validating my voice and vision beyond market trends. More than craft or commerce, Regis offered and delivered a deep affirmation and creative liberation, building a sacred bond and agency between me as writer and the written word.
Dr. Darryl Bryant, Current Student, 2024-26My time at Mile-High MFA allowed structure and access to powerful readers and mentors who helped me shape and complete a book project into a set of manuscripts, one of which was published shortly after my time in the program (an identity polyptych, 2021 at The Elephants).
Meca'Ayo Cole, Graduate, 2018
The Mile High MFA at Regis University gave me the rare chance to focus seriously on both fiction and poetry without having to choose between them. I came in with a strong pull toward flash fiction, but also a deep love for poetry — and this program gave me the space and mentorship to explore both. The faculty encouraged experimentation across genres while still offering grounded, rigorous feedback that helped me sharpen my craft in meaningful ways.
Workshops pushed me to take risks with form, voice and content, while the craft intensives and readings deepened my understanding of where my work fits in a broader tradition. Most importantly, I found a community of writers who were curious, brave and deeply committed to their art. I left the program with a clearer voice, a more disciplined practice, and friendships that continue to encourage me to keep writing.
Hillary Leftwich, Graduate, 2018I came into Regis' MFA as a good writer and will be leaving as an inspired author. This program has facilitated my search for wisdom and truth as well as my seeking of the creativity and craft expressed through storytelling, blurring the space between prose and poetry. During the program my writing also paved my way into the Jesuit honor society, Alpha Sigma Nu.Kris Fabrello, 2024-26
The Mile High MFA accelerated my writing and learning process in ways I never imagined. The program allowed me to write an entire novel and facilitated my growth as both a reader and a writer through granting me access to award winning faculty and a diverse range of literary forms and styles. It transformed my prose and narrative structure and taught me new craft and critical thinking skills. It has increased my confidence as a writer and taught me what it takes to both draft and revise a novel. I am incredibly grateful for this program and all the ways it led to the writer I am today. I highly recommend it to anyone considering an MFA.
Hina Ahmed, Graduate, 2025
This program improved my writing and the way I navigate language, but it’s also improved my life, my worldview, my work ethic, and renewed my faith in the power of art to change the world. The faculty have been genuinely invested in my work and in understanding both my interests and needs as a writer. I cannot imagine how much I would have missed if I had pursued my MFA elsewhere.
Sarah Elgatian, Current Student, 2024-26A Culture of Excellence
The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is offered by the English Department in Regis College.