Learn about the writer.
Jesslyn Parrish is a writer that enjoys writing YA fantasy and creative non-fiction, and also happens to be severely hard-of-hearing.
​
By day, she works as a communication specialist. After the work day is complete, Jesslyn spends her time writing fantasy stories and creative nonfiction pieces about life with hearing loss. She was initially diagnosed with partial deafness as a child, and eventually accumulated so many "no kidding there I was stories" that she had to start writing them down.
​
In addition to writing fantasy stories, Jesslyn does what she can to help other grad students and early professionals understand what to expect, how to plan their grad school experience, and determine the skills that will be needed for success.
​
Jesslyn is developing a new program, Grad School Gamified (GSG), with her colleague Sarah Beals Sager. This program pulls together the skills that grad students should learn while completing their advanced degree, but are often overlooked. More information can be found about GSG here
She was a first-generation college student, with a background in anthropology, applied linguistics, and digital media from her time in academia. It was in this academic sphere that Jesslyn started exploring her hearing loss identity. Her research spanned different elements of the hearing loss experience with her doctoral dissertation focusing on translating her 20+ years of living with hearing loss into an interactive digital game prototype. Besides her research experience, Jesslyn also learned countless hard-won skills related to navigating the academic and professional world as she found her career.
​
In 2022, Jesslyn accepted a position as a Presidential Management Fellow and began her career in public service.
​
Her current writing projects include a fantasy story featuring a hard-of-hearing main character, and a creative nonfiction book featuring anecdotes about life with hearing loss.
​
Outside of work, Jesslyn enjoys spending time inhaling as many books as possible, crafting - crochet is her current obsession, participating in Toastmasters, and spending time with friends. She is a huge dog lover and will take any opportunity to pet and cuddle any dogs she encounters that are amenable to receiving pets.