top of page
Please subscribe to receive new updates as I share my writing, whether it be my research, reflections, or the threading of wanderlust.


The Spaces Between Belonging
Why the Fulbright program matters and the spaces between feelings of belonging.
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Jun 2311 min read


The Educator I Want to Be
The following entry includes two excerpts from a section of my memoir focused on my diagnosis of a pseudoaneurysm and how it influenced...
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Feb 23, 202414 min read


You Are Not Alone: Reflections and Encouragement on Graduate School and Being Whole
This piece is on my journey as a PhD student and encouragement for others to remember to remain whole.
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Jun 5, 20238 min read


Housing Justice in San Diego
I've lived in San Diego for most of my life. I was born here, grew up here, left at 18, September 2006, and returned September 2011, 5...
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
May 19, 20237 min read


Stay Today
The smell of the fresh rain hitting the gravel road, The light that showed, Roared, And sparked in the sky, Reminding us of the beauty of...
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Jul 24, 20221 min read


Breathing, Fighting
I wrote this poem in the summer of 2020, but I wanted to share it now so it's more recent and accessible. Feeling, breathing, fighting,...
Charlene Holkenbrink-Monk
Jul 7, 20221 min read
bottom of page