40 Under 40: Christopher D. DiCicco ’13M

CHRISTOPHER D. DICICCO ’13M

Age 35

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
​Award-nominated short story author; English Department chair and award-winning teacher at Neshaminy High School

How Arcadia Influenced My Path

In essence, Arcadia provided me the platform to develop into the teacher I am today: an educator who firmly believes writing to be an art that can be shared better with students. At Arcadia, I was allowed to examine writing to such an extent that I was able to form my own philosophy on the impact of its pedagogy on literacy, which has greatly shaped my career.

Greatest Achievement

Familial accolades aside, my first book, So My Mother, She Lives in the Clouds: And Other Stories, was my greatest achievement until I designed and implemented my own writing curriculum. The course is the natural product of time dedicated to writing, my own craft, and the writing community’s, and it is where I provide the greatest service to literacy. I wanted students to write like they were creating art, to examine the craft as just that. You can walk into one of my classes, classes catering to more than 130 students, and find them, entire classes of adolescents, crafting—writing and creating—and it’s beautiful."

 

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