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PATRIOT PROFILE
Andrew Joseph White
YEAR:
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Graduate Student
MAJOR:
Creative Writing
HOMETOWN:
Winchester, Virginia
George Mason University MFA candidate Andrew Joseph White, BFA ‘19, says he wanted to tell stories even before he knew how to form letters. White’s first young adult (YA) book, Hell Followed with Us, an LGBTQ post-apocalyptic horror story, came out in June 2022. Now a New York Times bestseller, the novel was an American Booksellers Association Winter/Spring 2022 Indies Introduce title and received an American Library Association Booklist Starred Review and starred write-up in Kirkus Review.
JOURNEY TO PUBLICATION: White chose Mason because its creative writing program is more accepting of genre fiction than many others. This was especially important for the MFA, because White’s application consisted of the first chapters of what would become Hell Followed with Us. White started writing the novel in his senior year at Mason and signed with Peachtree Teen in early 2021 as one of the new imprint’s first three books. While at times White simply had to trust the process, Peachtree Teen’s small team impressed him. He says now he was glad to debut with an up-and-coming press before working with a larger publisher where authors may have less control.
DARKER THAN FICTION: White has been deeply fascinated by monsters since he was very young. He connects this with the fact that unrecognized gender dysphoria and undiagnosed autism can make individuals feel like they are not entirely human. White’s debut novel coincides with legislation in multiple states seeking to severely curtail trans people’s rights. In this environment, White’s story, which acknowledges how life sometimes seems to require monstrous actions to survive, is one he feels that a lot of LGBTQ kids need. Hell Followed with Us is also a way to provide young trans readers something he never experienced growing up—a YA trans protagonist. “The whole point of the book is telling queer kids that you can make it out of hell alive. You might not be in one piece; you might not be okay. But you are still alive.”
EXPANDING REPRESENTATION: In addition to a trans protagonist, Hell Followed with Us features an autistic character, Nick, as the secondary lead and love interest. White emphasizes the need for autistic YA characters who readers can take seriously and look up to. When White began research to ensure the character was an accurate depiction of autism, he realized how much of what he was reading applied to his own experience. This led White to base Nick on a version of himself, and the process has allowed him to embrace his ability to write characters who are both authentically trans and autistic.
LOOKING AHEAD: White says he would love to win a Lambda Literary Award or Stonewall Book Award one day, and he already has more LGBTQ YA horror novels and an adult novella in the works. When White is not writing, he likes to play horror video games, which are another source of inspiration for his stories; read work by queer YA fiction contemporaries; and spend time with his cat.
—Rebecca Kobayashi
Principal Amy Schott greets her Henderson Elementary students as they arrive in the morning.
PHOTO BY EVAN CANTWELL
Principal of the Year Leads by Example
Amy Schott, MEd Education Leadership ’06, says being a principal is the “best of all worlds.”
“I love actively engaging with everyone each day to support the success of all students,” says Schott, who is principal of Henderson Elementary School in Woodbridge, Virginia.
In April, Schott was chosen as the Washington Post’s 2022 Principal of the Year from 14 finalists in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Schott became principal of Henderson in September 2021, having previously served as principal of Rockledge Elementary, also in Prince William County, for 13 years.
Carolyn Renk, a special education teacher at Henderson, says that what makes Schott special is how she fosters a positive school environment.
“She encourages teachers to be open and honest with her and each other to make the best decisions for students,” Renk says. “On the morning announcements each day, Amy tells students, ‘You are loved at Henderson, and you belong here.’ Hearing this message daily helps students and teachers feel a wonderful sense of community.”
Growing up, Schott vacillated between two careers— working with children and becoming an airline pilot. “At the end of high school, I chose to go into education. It’s a decision I don’t regret.” Schott received her bachelor of science degree in early childhood education from Texas Christian University, then moved to Virginia to be near her brother.
“He said, ‘Come to Virginia. It’s like Minnesota without the lakes,’” Schott says. “I always thought it was so funny because I learned that Virginia is nothing like Minnesota after I actually moved here.”
Schott established roots in the area, marrying and having two children. She began teaching English as a second language, as well as third-grade students, ultimately moving into administration.
Her Mason experience as an education leadership major helped prepare Schott for a variety of challenges and experiences. Schott keeps in touch with members of her Mason cohort. “It was a chance to meet with aspiring leaders in the same boat, work with them, and get to know them,” she says. “We established collegial professional relations that benefited us well past graduation.”
Schott enjoys mentoring other principals and helping them navigate both work and family, as she has learned to do through the years. “It’s a joy of mine to be able to help other principals and advocate for them.”
—Anna Stolley Persky
