On Wednesday, May 13, Camas High School (CHS) teacher Stacy Nillis hosted author Jordan Fitch in their classroom for a visit aimed at inspiring young readers and writers.
At CHS, Nilles teaches English and Geometry, primarily focusing on sophomores and freshmen. For her morning classes on Wednesday, May 13, Nilles invited Fitch, an up-and-coming author in the horror genre, to talk about his experiences. Fitch and Nilles met at their local gym a few years ago and have been friends ever since, allowing Nilles to easily contact him regarding this visit.
Fitch is originally from New Hampshire and served as a Marine before settling in the Pacific Northwest. According to Nilles, Fitch also has an electrical engineering degree, meaning that he works as an engineer full-time and publishes his books on the side.
“We’re very grateful for him making time to see us the other day, especially given his busy schedule,” Nilles said.
He is currently developing his third novel for publication. Fitch’s previous works lean towards psychological thrillers and science fiction horror, meaning that his experience in storytelling and fiction allowed him to connect strongly with the classes.
“Hopefully, as they go into this new unit that we’re doing, which is about fiction writing and book club and analyzing novels based on all of that, Jordan was a big help for them,” Nilles said.
During his time in Nilles’s class, Fitch explored the inspiration behind his writing styles, story ideas, and how he turns experience into stories. Considering Nilles’s new unit that revolves around storytelling and analysis, Fitch’s published works gave him a lot of material to pull from while giving advice to the classes.
“What I found most fun was learning how he got his ideas from actual real-life things and how useful that can be in stories,” Emmett Stockdale, CHS freshman, said.
Bringing in a published author such as Fitch is a strong strategy for direct connection with students, especially those who are particularly passionate about the subject in question.
“I think it’s important to have real-life figures because not only can you hear from their real-life experiences and be able to ask questions to an actual human being,” Abigail Lim, CHS freshman, said.
“I basically love all things in the English subject,” Lim said. “Reading is one of my biggest passions, and this talk really helped me because I have a lot of ideas for potential books I hope to read one day.”
Students like Lim and Stockdale were two of many throughout Nilles’s classes who gained knowledge and connection through hearing about Fitch’s real-life experiences in the publishing and storytelling industry. This visit exemplifies the importance of introducing students to real-life figures who can contribute their personal experiences and perspectives to help foster the passions and curiosities of students.
