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| RAVEN CHIONG, CLAY COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE FOR NCWN-WEST, AND ONE OF HER DEARLY LOVED RESCUES |
We are fortunate to have Raven take on this responsibility which I accepted many years ago along with Janice Moore. Raven was a student of mine in my Zoom classes during the past two years and I found her to be an excellent writer, but also a caring and encouraging person. She has been promoting writing events, helping write a play, posting flyers, and devoting much of her time to NCWN-West. I welcome Raven and hope you all will take the time to do so as well.
Raven’s writing career began at five years of age when she became a loyal pen pal to her absent mother. She earned her Master of Arts in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of Florida. Raven is a lifelong student, life coach, and educator.
Raven’s writing career began at five years of age when she became a loyal pen pal to her absent mother. She earned her Master of Arts in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of Florida. Raven is a lifelong student, life coach, and educator.
Career highlights include qualifying for the First Ever 1984 Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials and paying it forward with her 19-year cross country coaching career at DePauw University (IN), Florida Atlantic University, Pine Crest Prep School (FL), and Mills College (CA) where she was also coordinator and grant writer for the N.C.A.A. program, C.H.A.M.P.S.—Challenging Athletes Minds for Personal Success.
She served as United States Ambassador at the International Olympic Academy in Olympia, Greece, and took 10 ten-year-old students to Australia to run, relay style, in the Brisbane Half-Marathon. After a long competitive running and coaching career, Raven now runs her pen across the pages of this life.
In Utah, Raven won the Jacob Hamblin essay contest for her research on “Lovina Manhard Brown—Kane County Pioneer.” She created a souvenir chronicle for the centennial celebration of the Kanab City Library in 2015. Additionally, Raven founded the Willow Wind Poets, a local Kanab chapter of the Utah State Poetry Society in 2017. She was an annual presenter at the Kanab Writers Conference on “Writing as a Spiritual Practice” and led Plein Air writing and hiking groups in the high desert. In 2019, she was awarded a fellowship to attend the National Federation of State Poetry Society’s (NFSPS) national conference in Santa Fe, NM.
Since returning to her maternal ancestral homeland of Western North Carolina in 2020, Raven’s poems have garnered silver medals at the Cherokee/Clay County Senior Games in 2021 and 2022. She collaborated with author and poet Carroll S. Taylor on a one-act play entitled “Beneath the Sky and Waters” at a Scribes on Stage event at the Peacock Performing Arts Center in Spring 2022.
Raven is a member of the North Carolina Writers Network, North Carolina Poetry Society, Utah State Poetry Society, Florida State Poetry Association, and National Federation of State Poetry Societies. Additionally, she is a member of the Clay County Communities Revitalization Association (CCCRA), Clay County Historical and Arts Council (CCHAC), Friend of the Moss Memorial Library, and a supporter of Historic Hayesville, Inc, Celebration of Pets Foundation, and One Dozen Who Care, Inc.
To date, Raven’s poetry has been published in the Red Rock Review, Kanab Arts Magazine, Utah Life Magazine, Best Friends Animal Society blog and Fall Forever Friends Newsletter as well as The Art of Isolation, A Thousand Writing Paths, and Old Mountain Press anthologies. Her forthcoming collection of poems entitled “Ode to the Still Small Voice-A Memoir of Listening” will be published by Covenant Books and available in early 2023.
Raven has been working with Best Friends Animal Society since 2008. Above all, she is the proud and devoted mama of four rescue dogs Dulce, Buddy, Sage, and Bini who adopted her in Southern Utah. They are her ongoing source of inspiration, a-muse-ment, and greatest teachers.
In Utah, Raven won the Jacob Hamblin essay contest for her research on “Lovina Manhard Brown—Kane County Pioneer.” She created a souvenir chronicle for the centennial celebration of the Kanab City Library in 2015. Additionally, Raven founded the Willow Wind Poets, a local Kanab chapter of the Utah State Poetry Society in 2017. She was an annual presenter at the Kanab Writers Conference on “Writing as a Spiritual Practice” and led Plein Air writing and hiking groups in the high desert. In 2019, she was awarded a fellowship to attend the National Federation of State Poetry Society’s (NFSPS) national conference in Santa Fe, NM.
Since returning to her maternal ancestral homeland of Western North Carolina in 2020, Raven’s poems have garnered silver medals at the Cherokee/Clay County Senior Games in 2021 and 2022. She collaborated with author and poet Carroll S. Taylor on a one-act play entitled “Beneath the Sky and Waters” at a Scribes on Stage event at the Peacock Performing Arts Center in Spring 2022.
Raven is a member of the North Carolina Writers Network, North Carolina Poetry Society, Utah State Poetry Society, Florida State Poetry Association, and National Federation of State Poetry Societies. Additionally, she is a member of the Clay County Communities Revitalization Association (CCCRA), Clay County Historical and Arts Council (CCHAC), Friend of the Moss Memorial Library, and a supporter of Historic Hayesville, Inc, Celebration of Pets Foundation, and One Dozen Who Care, Inc.
To date, Raven’s poetry has been published in the Red Rock Review, Kanab Arts Magazine, Utah Life Magazine, Best Friends Animal Society blog and Fall Forever Friends Newsletter as well as The Art of Isolation, A Thousand Writing Paths, and Old Mountain Press anthologies. Her forthcoming collection of poems entitled “Ode to the Still Small Voice-A Memoir of Listening” will be published by Covenant Books and available in early 2023.
Raven has been working with Best Friends Animal Society since 2008. Above all, she is the proud and devoted mama of four rescue dogs Dulce, Buddy, Sage, and Bini who adopted her in Southern Utah. They are her ongoing source of inspiration, a-muse-ment, and greatest teachers.
She has an inspiring bio that proves to me she diligently works for the things that grabs her interest. We are fortunate to have Raven with us in Clay County, NC but also as a part of NCWN-West.
I hope you will leave your good wishes for Raven in the comments section of this blog. Remember, your words will not appear immediately. Come back later to see what is published.
Congratulations, Raven! I am so thrilled to read about your many accomplishments. You are a gifted writer and a great historical researcher! You will be a fantastic representative for Clay County. Best wishes!
ReplyDelete"Wow!" That's what I kept saying to myself as I read about Raven. I know she's a dedicated member of NCWN-West and a kind and generous presence at events we've both attended. However, it doesn't surprise me that in her quiet way she's been such a powerful in all she does. We are fortunate to have her here!
ReplyDeleteRaven, thank you for serving as a leader in Netwest. Your writing is beautiful, heartfelt, accessible, and worthy of accolades. Your rich life, your accomplishments and your kindness are the ink in your pen as you write, write, write. Congratulations!!
ReplyDeleteRaven, congratulations for making this choice. We all will be the better for it. Wonderful to read your bio! Maren O. Mitchell
ReplyDeleteThank you for your warm welcoming and supportive words that go straight to my heart. It is my honor and privilege to serve as your new Clay County Representative. Glenda Beall and Janice Moore can never be replaced. With each of you, I aim to carry on their legacy of Netwest excellence. I look forward to working with Glenda (Program Coordinator) to best serve our amazing writing community as we write ever onward.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Raven. I appreciate very much your representing Clay County with NCWN-West. Your story about "The Teacher Who Changed Your Life," was touching and an inspiration to everyone. Your resume is very impressing!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Raven. We appreciate very much your representing Clay County. Your resume is impressive. I also appreciate the great job that Glenda Beall and Janice Moore did representing our organization, but I'm sure you will do an outstanding job taking up the torch.
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