Annie Cao ’25 is an English major pursing a minor in creative writing. With funding from a Mallach Senior Thesis Award from the Lewis Center for the Arts, Cao traveled to Asia in summer 2024 to research the legacy of Teresa Teng, often referred to as “Asia’s Eternal Queen of Pop.” Her research led to her creative writing thesis: a collection of original poems interpreting Teng’s life, musical narratives, and cultural influence. Seniors pursuing a minor in the Program in Creative Writing work under advisement of a faculty member to create a collection of poems or short stories, a novel, or a screenplay as their senior independent work. Advised by Professor of Creative Writing Patricia Smith, Cao not only completed her thesis but also learned about how to walk through the world as a poet.