Best Selling Author holds Master Class on Writing at Ursuline School

NEW ROCHELLE, NY - - December 8, 2022 - “Write That Book!” may have been the title of The Ursuline School’s inaugural Master Class series held on Thursday, December 8, but that only tells part of the story. This community-building event featured alumna, best-selling author, and Emmy Award-winning producer, Yvette Manessis Corporon who captivated the diverse crowd with an in-depth discussion on how to strengthen and build marketable writing skills. But perhaps just as impactful was her heartfelt desire to give back to the place where she first discovered her passion for writing as a seventh-grade student at the all-girls Catholic school.

To host a Master Class event, you need to be a true expert in your field. An engaging storyteller who is fiercely committed to lifelong learning, Corporon clearly delivered as she skillfully unpacked what it takes to become a published author. With more than 80 in-person attendees and a live-stream, interactive audience of alumnae and community members from across the country, the vast audience collectively found inspiration in Corporon’s disciplined, can-do approach.

The Master Class event also cast a spotlight on the school’s innovative Writing Center which was launched last spring in direct response to the growing interest amongst students to create a dedicated space for writing at The Ursuline School. Corporon asked the students, “Do you know how lucky you are?” She shared that writing can be isolating and it is extremely beneficial to collaborate and critique. “To flex such strong writing muscles at such a young age is just incredible!”

As school principal Ms. Theresa Napoli puts it, “The Writing Center is a collaborative community of competent and confident student writers.” The Center’s student leadership, comprised of National English Honor Society members, empowers fellow students by creating opportunities to discuss and improve both academic and creative writing. The Master Class series is the latest initiative at The Ursuline School, underscoring its efforts to connect current students in meaningful ways with accomplished alumnae, talented parents, and community leaders.

Corporon, a proud graduate of Ursuline’s Class of ‘86, is a shining example of the school’s long-standing commitment to leadership development. “Our students become reflective writers, learners, and thinkers,” explains Ursuline school president Dr. Colleen Melnyk. “By putting our students first, we create opportunities to showcase their varied interests and limitless potential.”

Afterwards, the in-person crowd gathered in the school’s spacious new lobby for a reception and book signing with the esteemed author. While signing copies of her most recent book, Where the Wandering Ends (Harper Muse, 2022), Corporon warmly greeted student writers and fans who were moved by her story about Mrs. McEvily, the seventh-grade English teacher who encouraged and inspired her. “She gave me an A on a poetry assignment and wrote ‘You will be a great writer one day!’ across the paper. Those words stayed with me,” she said with a smile. “We all know that what happens in this building matters. It shapes you.”

To date, Corporon has authored three best-sellers. Her books have been internationally acclaimed and translated into 16 different languages. Her latest was selected as one of Good Morning America’s Buzz Books in August 2022.

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About The Ursuline School

Founded in 1897, The Ursuline School is an all-girls, Roman Catholic, independent college preparatory school, for grades 6-12 located on a 13-acre modern campus in New Rochelle. Its mission is to educate, inspire and empower young women to become wise, active, globally-minded leaders by cultivating lifelong learning, spiritual growth, integrity, respect for all, and dedication to Serviam – which means “I will serve.”