Introduction: Get to know more about me and my interests in English!

About Me :)

My name is Jenna Stretch!

I am currently a freshman at Mercyhurst University. I am currently majoring in English and have not decided on a minor, but I am considering the possibility of a creative writing minor.

My passion for English:

Ever since I was little I always had a passion for reading and writing, whether that included reading for fun, analyzing pieces of work, or forming persuasive arguments. For the longest of time I wanted to grow up to be an English teacher, but starting in high school I began to think about other careers involving one of my favorite things to do: reading. I am the type of person when I walk into a Barnes and Noble, I am jumping up and down since I am so excited to explore new books and spend hours in the store. There is no better feeling to me then holding a nice paperback book in my hand and feeling the different types of materials used for the covers and paper for the pages. My favorite genre is fantasy fiction with components of romance, drama, action, mystery, kingdom elements, dystopias, and magic/dark magic. 

Only some of may favorite series include:

- Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas (There are no other words to describe this series other than the best fantasy fiction series there is to date - Maas is the Queen of it)

- The Selection by Kiera Cass (One of my first series I read that got me into fiction, fantasy fiction, and dystopian fiction. Cass is one of my favorite authors and I have her new Betrothed series )

-  The Princess Trials by Cordelia Castel (I am reading this at the moment and only halfway through the second book out of 5 but I absolutely love the series already)

- Capture the Crown (Gargoyle Queen series) by Jennifer Estep (Her third book of the series is coming out in March 2023 so I'm excited to order it when pre-order starts)

Besides the books I enjoy reading, I love fiction movies and tv shows. I am a HUGE fan of Star Wars and couldn't imagine what I would have done if I never got into it. I also like Marvel and DC movies along with crime tv shows since I have watched a bunch with my parents. Otherwise I like animated shows of many different genres since it really depends on what the show is about and if I'm interested in the plot.

Growing up and Personal Interests:

My hometown is a rural area in northeast Ohio. I always like to say that I am about 40 minutes away from Cleveland, Ohio since most people know where that is. Growing up I did horseback riding and competitive showing jumping for about 8 or 9 years until it became more of a hobby. From there I took up bowling, competitively, which has been going on for 4-5 years. I compete individually in Ohio and other states such as Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and many more. I also bowl for Mercyhurst's women's bowling team, so if I am not in a class on a Friday, most likely I am away bowling my heart out at a tournament. Books have been my savior on long travel days. They makes me feel so good and enjoy my time reading considering I typically don't have time to read for myself due to homework for college classes comes first. Besides all of this, I love decorating and organizing my room along with my family's house. This interest has made me think of the possibility about working for a home magazine that works with designing homes along with crafts, recipes, etc. Additional hobbies of mine include crocheting, scrapbooking, diamond painting, and a bunch of other crafty activities. 

I hope you all enjoy adventuring through my thoughts and feelings about all kinds of literature explored inside, and outside, of my Intro to English Major class!