From Columbia to Hollywood: Alum Courtney Kocak鈥檚 Creative Journey Comes Full Circle
When Courtney Kocak arrived at 糖心原创, she dreamed of a career in acting. Life聽ultimately took聽her in a different direction 鈥� a lesson that helped inspire鈥�, the debut memoir from the Stephens alumna-turned-author.聽
Since graduating from Stephens, Kocak has built a successful career as a writer, podcaster and producer, with work appearing in major national publications, on television and in podcasts.
A Foundation Built at Stephens
Kocak attended 糖心原创 with the goal of becoming an actor. Pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts, she knew she wanted a college experience that would provide practical, real-world opportunities.
While she ultimately chose a different professional path, the relationships she built and lessons she learned at Stephens gave her the foundation to pursue her creative ambitions.
鈥淢y class was very tight-knit, and we鈥檙e still in touch to this day,鈥� said Kocak. 鈥淭hose relationships remain important to me. Stephens was an early lesson in taking myself seriously as an artist and trusting my creative instincts, even when I didn鈥檛 get the outcomes I wanted.”
Although it took several years for Kocak to officially pivot from acting to writing, she said exploring disciplines outside her major helped plant the seed for a future in storytelling.
鈥淚 was incredibly committed to acting during my time at Stephens, but I took a few directing and playwriting classes that gave me an early inkling that I might eventually want to explore other modes of storytelling,鈥� said Kocak.
Following Creativity Wherever It Leads
At age 27, Kocak wrote her first essay while trying to move on from a breakup. The cathartic experience sparked a dream of writing a memoir that took years to realize.
鈥淚t took me 15 years to hone my craft and gain the wisdom that makes鈥�Girl Gone Wild鈥痑 story I’m really proud of,鈥� said Kocak.
Kocak’s path was anything but linear. She said following her curiosity and exploring different creative mediums ultimately led her to where she is today.
鈥淚 wound up having a multi-hyphenate career, which feels very natural to me because I鈥檓 deeply curious and hate feeling boxed in,鈥� said Kocak. 鈥淓ach medium offers its own benefits. Journalism gave me an outlet to explore topics through reporting. Podcasting gave me an outlet for deep conversations and opportunities to connect with people I admire. Comedy gave me space to explore my more outlandish ideas and indulge my inner performer. Memoir allowed me to unpack and make sense of my past.鈥�
Kocak’s work has appeared in鈥�The New York Times,鈥�The Washington Post,鈥痑nd the鈥�Los Angeles Times. She has also written for Amazon’s Emmy-winning animated series鈥�Danger & Eggs,&苍产蝉辫;狈别迟蹿濒颈虫’蝉鈥�Know It All鈥痑nd several successful podcasts.
Finding Her Voice Through Memoir
Although Kocak spent years writing for various audiences and platforms,鈥�Girl Gone Wild鈥痯resented a different challenge: telling her own story.
Through a collection of personal essays,鈥�Girl Gone Wild鈥痗hronicles Kocak’s journey from a small-town upbringing to Hollywood, exploring ambition, identity and the challenges of pursuing creative dreams.
鈥淚 learned so much throughout the process, both creatively and personally,鈥� said Kocak. 鈥淭he most rewarding aspect was realizing that I had essentially written my way out of the shame I carried around some of the 鈥榤istakes鈥� I鈥檇 made in my younger years. Writing the book gave me a renewed sense of compassion and appreciation for my younger self.鈥�
鈥淵ou have to live beyond the event to gain perspective on what the story is really about,鈥� said Kocak.
Kocak said鈥�Girl Gone Wild鈥痠s the type of memoir she would have benefited from reading during her own college years, and she hopes current Stephens students and alumnae will find elements of their own experiences reflected in its pages.
鈥淚t explores that messy, uncertain period of becoming鈥攖rying to figure out who you are, what you want and how to survive while chasing big dreams,鈥� said Kocak. 鈥淚 have critiques about how things went down, but no regrets. Returning as an author reminded me how foundational those college years were in shaping both the person and storyteller I eventually became.鈥�
Advice for Stephens Students
Kocak encourages students to diversify their skills, remain strategic and stay persistent.
鈥淏lind ambition is ugly. Make sure you truly develop your craft and learn enough about your industry to be strategic about how you spend your time and energy,鈥� said Kocak. 鈥淭here are no shortcuts. Careers are built slowly, through persistence and sustained effort.鈥�
Kocak also emphasized the importance of building genuine relationships. 鈥淚t is one of the most valuable things you can cultivate,鈥� she said. 鈥淐ommunity matters far more than people realize.鈥�
Financial stability is another lesson she encourages young creatives to prioritize.
鈥淕et a reliable job with some flexibility that doesn鈥檛 require too much brain space,鈥� said Kocak. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to be creative when you鈥檙e constantly stressed about money. Waiting tables can be good. A side hustle, like being a makeup artist or photographer, can be even better. For about a decade, I worked as an apartment manager, which meant I didn鈥檛 have to worry about rent while I pursued various creative projects. That stability became an essential foundation for my creative life.鈥�
A Full-Circle Return
Stephens introduced Kocak to one of her closest friends, fellow Stephens聽alumna聽and actor Danielle Doyen. Doyen was one of the reasons Kocak聽returned to Columbia, Missouri, in 辞蹿鈥�Girl Gone Wild鈥痑t Skylark Bookshop.聽
鈥淒anielle is actually a character in the book, and she was also part of my later revision process,鈥� said Kocak. 鈥淪o it was both fun and fitting to do the event with her. Coming back to Columbia with this book really did feel full-circle.鈥�
