Irena Smith
Irena Smith is the author of the award-winning memoir The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays and creator of the popular Substack, Personal Statements. Born in Soviet Russia and raised in the United States, she weaves her experiences of migration, generational expectations, motherhood, and memory into her writing. Irena lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, a rotating cast of children, and two cats who are working on resolving their differences.
Where to find me at the festival
May 31, 2026 -
Taking the Long Roadtrip Home
