Poet and a minister-in-training. I live in Eugene, OR with my pet snail Chippy. I’m concurrently working on an MFA in poetry at the University of Oregon (where I also teach) and a low-residency MDiv at Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago. I am excited to serve as the intern minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene for two years beginning in September 2017.

My previous graduate studies in English and linguistics were at Rutgers University (Camden). As a Worship Associate at my home congregation in Philadelphia, I preached regularly for three years before answering the call to ministry. I completed my first unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Springfield, OR.

My study of language has informed my poetry as well as my theology, and my academic side interests include philosophy, translation, and Anglo-Saxon literature. In 2010, I studied at the Azerbaijan University of Languages. Cross-cultural communication and interfaith dialogue are especially important to me.

I value simplicity and minimalism, and strive to always be available for coffee. My hobbies include hiking, camping, quilting, circus arts, and snailkeeping. I was born in South Jersey and lived in Philadelphia, where I was a bartender for many years. Every Skochko on the east coast is related to me.