You could say that alum Sean Michael Galvin (B.A. ′01, Creative Writing) doesn’t like to sit still. After graduating from WMU, he moved to San Diego for a year, then returned to Michigan where he lived everywhere from his hometown in the thumb to suburban Detroit to mid-Michigan.
“You might say I’m somewhat of a restless soul,” he said. “I’ve worked in various fields, always managing to pull my English education in to use and continually writing poetry and screenplays in my free time.”
Combining his love of writing with media/entertainment, Sean went on to earn a certificate in Radio and Television studies at Specs Howard School of Media Arts in 2008, which eventually led to a job in New Media with the Detroit Red Wings for two seasons. He has since roamed to Oklahoma to be with his now wife Ryleigh, adopted a dog, Pilla, moved to New York City, and finally shifted gears and relocated to Tacoma, WA in 2016.
It's no wonder why he also advises current Broncos to chase their passion, no matter where it takes them. “Make a list of the things that bring you joy, take that list and pair it down to the ones that you might be able to transform into a career and explore what it might take to make that happen,” Sean said. Oh, and listen to your gut and always stay in motion. Over-thinking and over-analyzing will paralyze you. Stagnation is a bad look.”
To date, his proudest accomplishment is self-publishing his latest book of poetry entitled Bad Teeth. “It’s what I’d always dreamt of as a boy. It’s come to fruition a bit later in life than I’d imagined, but that’s the beauty of writing. You’re never too old,” he said. “I’m a middle-aged man now and don’t have any children, so my words are my legacy on this earth. Poetry is powerful. So much can be said with so little.”
While at WMU, Sean credits author Darrin Doyle (B.A. ’96, Creative Writing; M.F.A. ’99, Creative Writing), now a professor at Central Michigan University, with “helping him fine-tune his literary voice.”
During his time at the University and in Kalamazoo, Sean was a contributing opinion columnist for the Western Herald, played intramural sports, and was a drummer in a band called Minus Mat. “We played regularly at gatherings at friend’s houses, as well as Harvey’s on the Mall, Papa Pete’s and the legendary Club Soda in downtown Kalamazoo,” he said.
His favorite campus memory is an impromptu snowball fight that happened outside his dorm during a fire drill in the dead of winter. “Everyone joined in, even the RAs and the half-asleep students wrapped in blankets with shorts and flip flops on,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade my experience at WMU for anything. Not only did I get a great education, which helped shape the person I'd become in the future, but I made friendships that are solid to this day.”
Do you have an alumni success story you’d like to share? We’d love to hear it! Submit your stories today at WMUalumni.org/YourStory.