By Fatima Salinas

For Tracy Meginnis, supporting student writers is more than a job. It is a chance to help students discover their voices, pursue ambitious goals, and find a place within Iowa's iconic writing community.

As coordinator of the Certificate in Writing and student publications at the University of Iowa, Meginnis works closely with students across disciplines, helping them develop their writing skills, explore creative opportunities, and connect with a broader network of writers.

Whether advising a student publication, meeting with a student, or helping shape the future of these programs, her work is rooted in a lifelong belief in the power of writing.

"I get to help a lot of people go after very big and impressive goals," she said. 

Originally from Indiana, Meginnis studied creative writing and education at Butler University, where she also became involved in student publications. That experience that would later influence much of her career.

Over the years, Meginnis held positions across the University of Iowa, including roles in the College of Education and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences' Division of Interdisciplinary Programs. 

When the Office of Writing and Communication was established in 2025, following a reorganization of the university's writing support services, she transitioned into her current role, continuing her work with the Writing Certificate and student publications.

Her own experiences as a writer continue to shape how she approaches her work with students. Meginnis often works with students from a wide range of majors, including engineering, business, nursing, and the sciences.

“The skills that you acquire as a writer—skills like organizing your ideas, incorporating feedback, and making stylistic choices for greater impact—make you so flexible and so valuable in any number of contexts,” she said.

Within the writing certificate, students can strengthen those skills while exploring writing from multiple genres and purposes. The program also helps students recognize how writing can support a variety of professional goals, from graduate school applications and internships to careers in fields both inside and outside traditional writing professions.

From writers to leaders

Student publications provide another growth space for Meginnis. They offer students a rare opportunity to take ownership of creative projects, collaborate with peers, and gain hands-on leadership experience. Unlike many institutions in which student-run publications maintain a consistent direction from year to year, Iowa's are largely shaped by the students who lead them.

"Students get to change that vision every year," Meginnis said. "If they feel like there's something out there that is not being covered by the current slate of publications, they can create it."

That sense of ownership is one of the reasons she remains passionate about supporting these programs. She has watched students grow from first-year writers into confident leaders, using their publication experiences to build portfolios, strengthen applications, and pursue new opportunities after graduation.

One example came from a course she taught for incoming honors students. Two students from that class recently graduated after spending years deeply involved in student publications.

"I saw how they developed as leaders and how much more confident they seemed by the time they graduated," she said. 

What's ahead

Looking ahead, Meginnis hopes to continue expanding opportunities for students through the Certificate in Writing and student publications. She is interested in creating more ways for students to connect with professional writers, explore nontraditional writing careers, and build community, both online and on campus.

At the same time, she remains committed to preserving what she believes makes Iowa's literary culture special: students leading the way.

"My ultimate guiding light is just to make sure that those opportunities remain student-run," Meginnis said.

For Meginnis, that work comes back to helping students realize what writing can make possible. Whether they are publishing a literary magazine, earning a certificate, or simply finding confidence in their voice, she sees each experience as another step toward a larger goal.

"I get to be really actively involved in helping people reach their visions," Meginnis said. "Those visions are so different and so personal."