Natalie Akel

Natalie Akel is HCCC's first ever student poet laureate, holding the position for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Natalie Akel is a first generation American, with my family being from the Dominican Republic and Lebanon. She graduated from the University of Vermont in 2017 with a BA in English. After some time deciding between social work or nursing, she chose to continue her education at HCCC as a nursing major, with the dream of one day becoming a midwife. Throughout her educational journey, poetry has always remained her consistent place she goes when she needs to process, escape, or express her feelings, frustrations, and fears. She is also a Full Spectrum Doula, providing support to birthing people and their communities in Hudson County and beyond. When she is not writing poetry, you can find her nerding out about birth, reading, knitting, or hanging out with her cat, Talullah.