Elizabeth McColloch writes first book, Discover What Matters
After graduating from Boston College, Elizabeth McColloch found herself back in her hometown of Menlo Park where she started writing a blog Crafting a Life of Love.
That she turned to writing after majoring in business (with a minor in global public health) should not be a surprise. While at M-A, she was editor-in-chief of the school newspaper.
“I loved the opportunity to write, but also to learn leadership skills and have the creativity to work with other students to create something unique and original,” she told the M-A Chronicle about being involved as a student journalist. “I really appreciated the independence and responsibility that was given to students in journalism. Interviewing people for stories allowed me to get to know different people who weren’t in my classes.”
Recently her experiences as a resident assistant at Boston College were captured in her first book, Discover What Matters, which invites students to choose a more meaningful college experience.
“There were so many months when I was just writing,” she recalls. “I would wake up every morning, open my computer, and just write. I hadn’t gotten an external approval, but I didn’t need any to feel joy. Then I started sharing chapters with friends and hearing what impact it had on them.”
In the book she writes: “It is not the external appearance of moments in our lives that makes them significant. Rather, it is the way we pay attention to and savor these moments that gives them meaning.”
“For context, I say this in chapter one when talking about cultivating meaningful moments,” she tells InMenlo. “But I also think this mindset can apply to the college experience as a whole! I think it’s important for students to not just spend time ‘building their resumes” but also to devote themselves to activities and relationships that bring them feelings of purpose, wonder, and joy.”
With the book written and published, Elizabeth says she’s going to look for job. “But I’m hoping I’ll always be able to write on the side, whatever job I have. I like the entrepreneurial side of publishing as well as the writing!”
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth McColloch
