Caelan O’Neill, a senior communication studies major at Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication, will present her research work at the National Undergraduate Literature Conference (NULC) in late March.  

O’Neill is from Western New York, and she has studied at eight different colleges. She considers herself an adult learner. 

“I had a very non-traditional path for school,” she said. “As I got older, the most important thing for me was the community around the school and the networking opportunities that come with it.” 

O’Neill shared that out of all the schools she has attended, Temple University is where she has received the most support.  

“The faculty and staff at Klein College want you to succeed,” she said. “Not only are they willing to talk to me but they’re also willing to connect me with other people.” 

Before coming to Klein College, O’Neill believed that feeling lost was a part of every college experience. However, her experience at Klein changed her perspective.  

“I’ve only been at Temple for three semesters, and I’m sad I didn’t choose it from the start,” she said. “People want to see you succeed, and I think that’s very unique to Temple.” 

O’Neill has been involved with various organizations at Klein College. She is a staff writer for Temple University’s chapter of Her Campus magazine, a section writer for REFINE Magazine and works with the TUTV show We Need to Talk. She also served as the opinion editor for The Temple News during the fall of 2025.  

O’Neill serves as an acquisitions and editorial intern at Temple Press, which is Temple University’s academic press. This position ties into her desire to pursue a career in publishing after graduating. She would like to eventually become a developmental editor or a copy editor.  

“It’s a scary time in the publishing world, but I’m not going to let that scare me,” she said.  

O’Neill stated that Scott Gratson, chair of the Department of Communication Studies, has been extremely supportive during her time as a communication studies major at Klein College. She said that he is the one who encouraged her to submit her work to NULC.  

“I want people to recognize the importance of publishing,” said Gratson. “Seeing someone so interested in publishing drove an interest in me.” 

O’Neill’s work is titled “Preserving the Narrative: The Importance of Personal Essays During the Rise of Fascism.” Her research explores how victims are able to share their side of the story through writing.  

When she first started reading personal essays, O’Neill noted how connected they made her feel to others. 

“Other people are having these odd experiences that I’m having,” she said. 

She highlighted that tragic periods in history are often told by the victor. Personal essays allow those who suffer to tell the story from a different perspective. 

“Most people can create their own narrative of what they’re feeling and experiencing. It doesn’t have to be rooted in fact—it has to be rooted in their emotions,” she said. “We need to know how this made them feel because everybody has a different perspective as to what is actually happening.” 

In her work, O’Neill references personal essays that have left an impact on the world. One example is the Diary of a Young Girl, which tells the story of Anne Frank. Another is The Last Girl, in which Nadia Murad speaks about her experience being abducted and enslaved by ISIS.  

O’Neill also called attention to the fact that there are many people currently suffering. When she heard about a seven-year-old girl being hidden by neighbors during an ICE raid, she said it sounded eerily familiar. 

“History is repeating itself in a horrific way right now,” she said.  

O’Neill is both excited and nervous about presenting at NULC. She expressed shock at being chosen from a large pool of applicants. 

“I’m excited, but I have imposter syndrome about it,” she said.  

O’Neill is glad that she faced her fears and applied to the conference.  

“Don’t let rejection scare you,” she said. “The worst case is they say no. I just ask and see what happens, and that has gotten me so many good experiences.” 

Gratson believes that students should take the opportunity to share their work.  

“All I did was show her the door—I let her try. She was the one who had to take the initiative,” she said. “If the work is good, you need to share it." 

The conference will take place at Weber State University in Utah from March 26 to March 28.  

“I’m always excited for a student to experience their first big national conference,” said Gratson. “It’s an academic rite of passage.”