Juanita Iheanacho is a fourth-year student at UCSB, pursuing her degree in Global Studies and completion of the Professional Writing minor. As a McNair Research Scholar, she aspires to spark a discourse of love and community within academia with her research, which focuses on Black women’s sisterhood and community dynamics. Juanita sits on UCSB’s Student Fee Advisory Committee as Vice Chair and Senior Representative, where she does her part in ensuring student fees go towards initiatives designed to better the UCSB student experience. She plans to pursue a PhD in interdisciplinary research, but for now can be found painting in her sketchbooks or writing satirical think pieces on Twitter.
Creative writing
Have you ever looked up at the stars and wondered “What could it feel like to be up there?” After waking up one Thursday morning to a puddle in my apartment kitchen, I decided to bring that question down from the sky and into my space, under my very own right foot. Read on.
Year-long Project
My project is called Head in the Clouds, a collection of short poems that chronicle my inner musings through young adulthood. I showcase fantastical interpretations of real life observations in my work, documenting what I’ve seen, and writing what I’ve felt during significant and simple moments of my life. Each poem features complementary artwork that I designed to give readers a glimpse into the visual brain space inspired by each piece. The goal of my project is to simplify what can be considered art. I want to apply documented meaning to my thoughts and lived experiences, and I wish for my work to inspire others to do the same.
