The first time Melissa Scholes Young felt seen within the writing community was in third grade.

Young remembered looking out at the crowd and seeing her parents supporting her from afar as she read her winning Mother’s Day essay aloud at her local news station.

“I have the best mother because I have the best father, and they pick the best mothers. The end,” Young said, recalling the last words of her essay.

For Young, that day gave her a sense of belonging and made her realize she was speaking to a crowd that cared not just about her writing, but what she had to say as well.

Whether it is writing novels or short stories, the creative writing professor said she can always be found with a journal, observing the world around her.

Young, who has lived in Lexington, Ky., since mid-2025 with her two children and husband, teaches a creative writing class at the University of Kentucky.

To Young, recognizing the importance in discussing the value of rejection and feedback with her students to show them every writer has their successes and failures is a crucial part of every writer’s process.

“I am going through the same process as my undergraduate students,” Young said. “I am drafting things and writing poorly sometimes and revising and then hopefully writing better and getting feedback. I’m doing the exact same thing, and it’s hard.”

Since moving to Lexington, Young and her family have involved themselves in many parts of the city’s art circle, often visiting local art events to stay connected with community members.

“I think there’s an incredible writing and arts community,” Young said. “I think I’m finding my way in it. I’ve only been in town a few months, but it’s a very welcoming space.”  

Young said she is grateful to be able to have a profession that values her scholarly work and research, while also making her feel supported and welcome within the community.

When she is not sharing her passion with her students, Young can be found at readings, bookstores and art galleries, connecting with the community of arts. 

“Art really moves me,” Young said. “I have an emotional response to it and I always want to talk about it with other people.”

According to Young, making art and allowing each other to interpret and see things from different perspectives helps the community live and become better humans.

“I think art, and especially stories, I think it’s how we understand ourselves, how we write our way into meaning,” Young said. “I think it’s also how we make sense of the world, which we desperately need right now.”

For Young, it is important to have a well-balanced life as a writer, and not just work all the time.

“We can be quite motivated to work, but I think that we also have to live in the community,” Young said. “We have to do other things that encourage and motivate our writing as well.”