Rebecca Shepard (MALS, creative writing) was awarded the 2025 Byam Shaw-Brownstone Thesis Excellence Award for her thesis, The Magdala Moms of La Jolla, a satirical novella set in a fictional evangelical prep school.
What do you consider your hometown and how has it shaped who you are today?
I grew up in Wayland, Massachusetts, and spent many years in San Diego raising my daughters. New England eventually called me home. I think I’m a hybrid of both coasts now: lobster rolls and seasons with a dose of California sunshine.
Where did you earn your undergraduate degree and what was it in?
I earned my undergraduate degree from Plymouth State University through the interdisciplinary studies program, which allowed me to design a course of study that reflected my diverse interests.
I took a handful of graduate-level counseling courses, which provided a strong foundation for understanding human nature and emotional complexity, skills I draw on as a writer.
Tell us about your thesis. What is it about? What inspired you to pursue this research?
My thesis is a satirical novel titled The Magdala Moms of La Jolla. Set in an affluent evangelical Christian school community in Southern California, the story follows a group of mothers whose carefully curated personas unravel after a scandal disrupts the school’s fragile social order. The novel explores themes of religious hypocrisy, social hierarchy, performative virtue, and the ways in which power is quietly negotiated in female-dominated spaces.
The inspiration came during a novella-writing course with my eventual first reader, Professor Alan Lelchuk. I drafted a short version of the story for his class, drawing from my personal experience and observations as a mom who raised public school kids adjacent to the elite San Diego private school community.
Professor Lelchuk encouraged me to pivot from my original thesis plan to write a series of nonfiction essays about hiking. I’ll never forget that conversation. He said clearly, “You’re a fiction writer. Write a novel.” That moment changed everything, giving me the freedom to fictionalize, exaggerate, and interrogate what I saw. The result is The Magdala Moms.
What does it mean to you to receive the MALS thesis award?
It means a great deal—especially because this novel was personal, thorny, and at times difficult to write.
I’m incredibly grateful to my advisors, Professors Lelcuk, Kreiger, and Minardi, for seeing the potential in this story and pushing me to dig deeper and remain unafraid. Their encouragement gave me the confidence to write boldly, and this award is a generous affirmation that the work resonated.
I hope it inspires others to take risks with their stories too. Many thanks and much gratitude to the MALS team. I’m truly honored and humbled by their recognition of my work.
Why did you choose Dartmouth to pursue your degree?
Dartmouth’s MALS program offered something rare: intellectual rigor and creative freedom. I wanted a program that would challenge me to grow as a writer while offering space to develop a long-form project on my own terms.
The faculty, interdisciplinary flexibility, and sense of community made Dartmouth the right fit. As an older student, it reinforced my strongly held belief that you’re truly never too old to take on a big challenge. To my fellow empty nesters and late bloomers: whatever your dream, no matter your age or circumstances, pursue it unapologetically.
What’s one challenge you faced in graduate school, and how did you overcome it?
One of the biggest challenges was managing self-doubt, especially when writing a project that walks a fine line between humor and critique. I overcame it by treating the work like a job: showing up every day, writing through resistance, and learning to trust my voice.
I also leaned on a few trusted readers who reminded me to stay the course. Shoutout to my Dartmouth bestie, Mindy Wren.
What’s next for you—and what are you most looking forward to in this new chapter?
I’m expanding The Magdala Moms of La Jolla into a full-length novel and plan to begin querying agents later this year.
My goal is to build a life that balances meaningful work with unstructured time—something quieter, slower, and rooted in writing fiction full-time. Currently, I juggle a consulting business and my writing. The direction I’m headed looks a lot like fewer meetings, more novels.
What is your favorite place or activity that you like best in the Hanover area?
Early in my time at Dartmouth, I met with an advisor to discuss a possible thesis idea. Rather than meet in an office, she suggested we walk around Occom Pond.
That walk became a ritual for me: something I returned to whenever I needed clarity or was wrestling with a difficult problem in my writing. So, I love Occom Pond. The rooftop at Anonymous Hall is a strong second.
