The Lasting Impact of Prof. Regina Robbins Flynn
Profile
Red Skies' longtime faculty adviser says goodbye with some tips to break up writing blocks.
"You can be living in Massachusetts, but find out what life is like in Alaska, Timbuktu, and Paris. It allows you that freedom to explore. It’s not just places and people, but it’s ideologies, histories, geographies, different psychologies. That’s what I always loved about being an English major. It wasn’t restrictive.” – Regina Flynn
by Sam Flaherty
As an avid political hobbyist and Coordinator of the Professional Writing Program at Salem State University, Regina Flynn is a woman of many trades. She loves to travel, hike, practice photography, and write. But most of all, she loves surrounding herself with her students. She always wanted to be a teacher, Flynn said in an interview with Red Skies. “From the first day, I never had any doubts. I never regretted it. I didn’t, ever, not want to show up,” she said, recalling how good it felt to drive up Lafayette Rd., and see her place of work each day. Such a feeling could best be described as extreme gratification--though she admits that having an ID for the faculty parking lot made all the difference! Because there weren’t many teaching jobs when Regina graduated with a BA in English and a certification to teach in New York, she decided to move to Boston. She landed a job working with the director of Boston University’s medical center, running seminars out of office. Soon, she moved to the American Health Foundation, where she worked on brochures and newsletters, both of which helped with her organizational skills and broadened her interest in preventive medicine. In the midst of establishing her career, Prof. Flynn got married and moved to Salem, where she took classes at Salem State University, and eventually earned a Master’s degree and a Master of Fine Arts. It was around this time that a professor in the English department, Claire Keyes, asked Regina if she would work full time, and the rest is a warm and storied history. A Focus on Her Students Regina made an impact on herself by doing what she loves, and she’s also influenced many students to continue their educations. She told me there were a number of students who would come up to her and say, “I’m so glad you made us do that personal statement for Grad school.” Sofia Perez, a past student, stated, “In ENL 411, Professor Flynn always encouraged us to write about something we were interested in or cared about. Her class made me feel more comfortable with reading and sharing my work with larger groups of people. She is a great teacher.” In her role as advisor for Red Skies, Prof. Flynn described the many times students would ask, “Does this mean I’m really published?” And each time she got to reply, “Yes, yes it does!” Regina Flynn's involvement with students and the Department is legendary. According to Professor Emerita Nancy Schultz, Flynn very ably coordinated the Professional Writing program for many years. "Her dedication to her students and to Red Skies is exemplary,” Schultz said. “[Regina] has also been a standard-bearer for community action in the English department. Whenever the department sought volunteers for its various projects, Regina was always among the first to step up. Her generosity to the department continues to be truly remarkable.” English Dept. Chair J.D. Scrimgeour added that “for decades, Regina helped Salem State students expand their horizons with her Travel Writing courses, supervising excursions to Europe. Her nurturing style supported and developed many of the best writers Salem State has produced.” As Regina’s colleagues reflected on her lasting impact, she shared what the school has meant to her. “It’s a place where they know you on a first name basis, remember you, and only want the best (for you). I think it is a really special place. in that I hope all the students realize how much the teachers and staff all really care about them.” She was also insightful about the English major. “I think it (English) opens up the world to you. You can be living in Massachusetts, but find out what life is like in Alaska, Timbuktu, and Paris. It allows you that freedom to explore. It’s not just places and people, but it’s ideologies, histories, geographies, different psychologies. That’s what I always loved about being an English major. It wasn’t restrictive.”
Prof. Flynn’s Writing Tips
Mental blocks are common in writing, and finding ways to counteract them can be tedious. A change of scenery and perspective are Prof. Flynn's prescription. “As I was writing a piece the week of graduation about what it was like when the whole school went online, when everything stopped, and how I was missing the students, I would walk Central Campus with my little dog and we’d go on the bike path too,” she said. She would also talk to others she knew and ask them what they thought about something regarding her topic. If you wish to write a specific literary prose, “then read those types of artworks and read deeply into the genre, or author, and write. Write all the time,” Regina advises. It is very easy to slip into turmoil about how long a piece should or shouldn’t be, when you’re just trying to get an idea onto paper, she warned. It can be incredibly short if that’s where your mind is taking the story. After years of working with students who fell in love with the same subject as she, it only makes perfect sense that Regina has also grown as an individual. “I have become more patient, a better listener, and (more) understanding of (the fact) that everybody has a backstory,” she said. One cannot judge someone else just on surface things, she points out. “I find it exciting thinking about what [someone’s] back story is; why they’re wearing a jacket in 80-degree weather, or why they bought that car. It allows me that peacefulness to be contemplative and think.” Sometimes all it takes is something simple, “like a flower, or people walking and talking,” to spark an idea for an interesting story upon answering the question, “How will I write that?” Her treasured walks manifest many questions, and invite plentiful rumination. It simply goes to show that Salem State University and its familial surrounds have touched the heart of Regina Flynn, just like she has touched all of ours.