Whether it be a dream job achieved after meeting with company representatives at the career fair or taking a life-long project to new heights through a senior design project, Stevens offers many opportunities for students to take what they love further. Stevens fourth-year student and Stute member Sara Deuidicibus snatched up one such opportunity and published her book Ends on the Positive Ones. The Stute met with Deuidicibus to learn more about her journey into being a published author.
Deuidicibus has been writing poetry since she was just 11 years old. Since then, her passion has only grown — and so has the number of poems. This past summer, after much encouragement from those around her, Deuidicibus embarked on her journey to compile her poems. Entering the final year of her Stevens career, Deuidicibus realized that publishing might become more challenging as her schedule expands to a job, internship, or other commitments. With help from her immediate family and professor Robin Hammerman, Deuidicibus learned how to format her poems into a book, copyright her work, and register with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In August 2023, she self-published her first book on Amazon.
Deuidicibus’ book includes seven unique sections, each with a theme, ranging from resiliency to self-perception and beyond. Within each section of the book, the tone of the poems gradually progresses from dark and sad to a more positive note in the end — hence the title, Ends on the Positive Ones.
Deuidicibus worked to ensure that the theme of her book is one of hope and empowerment. She shared with The Stute that when she was an infant, she was diagnosed with autism before entering kindergarten with a recovered autism diagnosis. Experts told her family that she would not talk — odds which Deuidicibus has not only overcome, but shattered. She explained that this publication signifies much more than the theme of the poems. Deuidicibus hopes her book gives parents hope that their kids will succeed in whatever they want and that their “kids’ voices will be heard.”
The Stute asked Deuidicibus if she had any advice for anyone looking to publish their own book. Her response could fit right in with her Ends on the Positive Ones poems: “If you have a vision, you can do it.” She explained that it took her ten years to get to the point of publishing. Deuidicibus encourages anyone who writes that your regimen can be 30 minutes every day or long breaks of no writing and still possible to publish if you are genuinely motivated. She insisted it is better to have tried and failed than to look back and wonder: What if?
Deuidicibus’ journey to becoming a published author is a testament to her journey and the opportunities that Stevens offers its students to pursue their passions and turn them into something more. Her book, Ends on the Positive Ones, not only showcases her talent as a poet but also serves as an inspiration to others to follow their dreams. Deuidicibus’ message of hope and empowerment is a reminder that anything is possible with hard work and determination. Her advice to aspiring authors to have a vision and go for it is a valuable lesson that applies to all aspects of life. We congratulate Sara Deuidicibus on her momentous achievement and wish her the best in her future endeavors.
