Originally from Greenville, North Carolina, Pamela Tuck, has been writing poems and stories since she was a child. Pamela credits her writing to her upbringing surrounded by southern storytellers. In fact, her family inspires many of her stories. Pamela, mother of 11 children, was drawn to RACC for its conveniently, accessible remote courses. “The creative writing program is offered primarily online, which worked best with my schedule and lifestyle and the staff are very welcoming and supportive.”

Pamela graduated RACC with an Associate of Arts in Creative Writing. The creative writing program helped Pamela hone her craft as a writer in the areas of fiction and nonfiction. “I currently write leveled reading books for school students, which requires research and outlining. My experience with RACC further developed those skills for me and allowed me to apply those skills in my current position.”

Pamela is an award-winning author for the many children’s books she has written. Some of those awards include, the 2007 Lee and & Low Books New Voices Award for her book As Fast As Words Could Fly and the 2019 Mom’s Choice Award Gold for her book Mother of Many. Reflecting on her time at RACC, Pamela acknowledges the vigorous writing exercises and techniques she learned in the creative writing program that she applies to the various types of writing she produces. “The creative writing program also gave me a foundation of fundamentals that I am able to conceptualize and build upon as I grow as a writer.”

In fact, Pamela credits her professor, Joey Flamm-Costello, for helping her bring out the best in her writing. “Joey believed in me and her genuine interest in my success empowered me to follow my dreams. Joey offered such deep analysis of the literature we read and wrote.”

Moving forward, Pamela will continue to work her dream job as a fulltime writer and utilize the skills she learned at RACC to advance her career. “The challenging and engaging courses prepare students with the skills they need to succeed in their profession.”