Biography

My name is Avery Valentine, and I am a student at Wakefield School in The Plains, Virginia. I am thrilled to share that I will be attending the University of Miami in the fall, where I will major in journalism. I have always loved writing, whether it be creative or academic, and I am excited to continue to develop my skills as a writer in college. My lifelong fascination with true crime, particularly the subsect of serial killers, led me to the exciting opportunity to explore the appearance of serial killers in popular culture, specifically in the media, for my senior thesis. Understanding their origin stories and the reasons behind their glorification is important. I wanted to intertwine two interests of mine, writing and true crime, which is why I decided to write my thesis on the glorification of serial killers in popular culture. I believe it is important to understand the danger of the media when it comes to glorifying and romanticizing certain subjects that could lead to further harm in society.