In 2005 Dr. Janet Hicks reached out to Menin to see if she would be interested in being added to the list of candidates they were considering for a new position in the English and Communications Department. Menin thought, “well, a list wouldn’t hurt.”
Well, that list kept getting smaller, and her name kept staying as she continued through the application process. In the end, Menin took the position and worked at CSU for 16 years. Menin said, “I was here for 16 years, and it was special. I’m so glad to be able to say that. The friendships that I made, especially in the first 13 years, were beyond special.”
Menin quickly built close friendships with students and coworkers that helped her grow as a teacher. “When I first got here,” Menin said, “I was like, ‘How did I get here, I’m just a high school teacher. What in the world.’ But they never made me feel that way, and they let me grow.” Menin was able to build strong relationships with her coworkers who not only helped her learn more about her career but also helped her grow in her relationship with God. She says, “To work in a place where you don’t even have to think about what Christ would do because it’s always around you, that is an amazing gift.”
Menin worked on her new book “After Genevieve” for 10 years before it was published on May 28, 2022. She started her novel as a part of her graduate studies at Wilkes University in 2012. When Menin graduated the following year, she had to find a reason to keep writing. She found that reason in her students at CSU. They encouraged her, and she wanted to give her teaching some credibility by becoming a published author.
The road to becoming published proved to be a bumpy one, wrought with setbacks and triumphs, disappointments, and hope. To students considering the life of an author, Menin urges them to consider their motivation. She said, “I think every writer must wrestle with: is this a hobby or something I know I have to do. If it’s a hobby, then have fun at it, and don’t stress over the publishing factor. If it’s something you have to do, then learn the market and how things are done.”
She continued, saying, “get a tough skin because there will be rejection…Finally, decide from day one that you do this to honor God and not yourself. If you do it for yourself, then the highs and lows are on a roller-coaster that never stops. But, if you write and publish to bring glory to God—that does not mean you have to write Christian fiction or self-help books—then the emotions can be set aside, and the work can commence.”
Menin is working on another title, a multigenerational piece about three different women. She blogs regularly at RachelMenin.com.
by Ainsley Hall (’22) and Jessica Abbiati (’19)
