SwirlNewLondon was launched by Carolyn Svatek in November 2008 and is Swirl’s 10th chapter.
Carolyn Svatek and her husband Adam
Carolyn likes to read, write, paint, spend time with her dogs and read some more. She recently married Adam Svatek, who is also her best friend. She received a B.A. in English Lit from Reed College in 2002, spent some time working full-time, then pursued an M.A. in English Literature at Portland State University in Oregon. During the course of her studies, a social worker made an important impact on her life, which led her to decide to pursue social work instead of teaching as a career. She officially completed her Master’s program in English Lit. during her time off between her first year internship and second summer at Smith. Carolyn is a volunteer reader for the Burnside Review, a non-profit poetry journal based in Portland, OR, and also leads children’s poetry workshops at a library in her hometown. Next year she will be finishing her MSW program at Smith College.
Carolyn decided to start a Swirl chapter after struggling with her own racial identification. As a biracial individual usually assumed to be white, she had experienced not only white privelege but also racism and thus felt between worlds. This led to her question what sort of space existed for such a complicated background in which to explore one’s ethnic identity and beliefs. She was referred by a fellow Smith alumni to Swirl, and decided since there was no chapter in a reasonable distance, that she would dedicate time and effort to starting one herself.
For more information on how to get involved with the exciting SwirlNewLondon community, contact the following chapter leader:
Carolyn Svatek: carolyns@swirlinc.org
And always feel free to send any questions or feedback to Swirl National at info@swirlinc.org!
