Halfway through Kate Sprandio Ells’ freshman year at Chestnut Hill College, she began to have second thoughts. Having started as a biology major with hopes of becoming a veterinarian, Sprandio Ells realized her true passion lay in a more creative field. To her academic advisor’s surprise, she switched to an English major with a minor in communications by the end of the year.

“It was definitely more of an abstract switch,” Sprandio Ells said in an interview with the Local. “Science just felt finite… [but] with the English and communications stuff you can jump around.”

Fifteen years after graduating, Sprandio Ells put her degree to good use. Now a self-published author with an award-winning book, she is glad she made that change back in college.

Sprandio Ells says her early career was full of freelance work in the neighborhood, including hyperlocal stories for the Chestnut Hill Patch website and even an article in the Chestnut Hill Local. She also worked with Kate O’Neill and the Chestnut Hill Business District, helping shop owners market themselves on social media.

Sprandio Ells then decided to return to school and attended Arcadia University for a two-year online program in creative writing. Equipped with a master’s degree but lacking a steady paycheck and health benefits, Sprandio Ells joined her father’s medical practice in Delaware County doing secretarial work. However, throughout all of these jobs, a common thread remained: she always wrote on the side.

After her first child was born in 2018, Sprandio Ells made the decision to stay home. Now, with three children aged 6, 4, and 2 — and a fourth on the way — she is busier than ever. Yet Sprandio Ells is also writing more than ever.

“My life is insane with [my kids], but I’m more determined to set aside time for myself,” she said. “When I had a little bit more time, I wasn’t as focused. Now, I need to put in the effort because my days fill up. If I carve out that time, I can really create some good content.”

By the end of her master’s program at Arcadia, Sprandio Ells completed a 50,000-word manuscript of short stories and poems. However, she was not ready to publish it.

“I put that away after I graduated,” Sprandio Ells said. “I thought, ‘Those stories aren’t good enough to be released. I don’t know what I’m going to do with them.’”

Then, in 2023, she made a life-changing decision. Sprandio Ells read about self-publishing through Amazon and decided to try it herself. 

Her first book, “Please Read Me: A Collection of Short Stories and Some Poems Too,” contains comical, heartfelt tales of relationships and coming-of-age moments. Although the stories are fictional, she loosely based them on her own experiences. The cover features a goofy photo of Sprandio Ells peeking from behind a door frame. For her, making the decision to include this image as the cover is just one example of the fun choices she can make with self-publishing.

“With self-publishing, it’s so cool because you can throw your ego to the wind,” Sprandio Ells said. “You can just do what you think is funny and just hope that it hits, and if it doesn’t hit, you keep trying and see what works.”

However, in addition to humor, the book also includes touching moments. One of Sprandio Ells’ favorite short stories is called “Brush Burn,” about the relationship  between two young girls who meet in grade school and remain friends through the years. When one girl’s mother passes away, the pair must navigate the hardships of adulthood. Sprandio Ells said this story holds significant meaning to her.

Sprandio Ells’ second book, “Laugh Like a Mother,” came out in 2024 and won a Gold Book Award from Literary Titan, an organization of professional editors, writers, and professors. The collection of amusing poetry covers the highs and lows of motherhood, appropriate since Sprandio Ells’ mother provided the illustrations. 

“When I asked her to do it, she said ‘I’m not an artist!’” Sprandio Ells said. “But that’s the best part. [The illustrations] go perfectly with the ridiculousness of these poems.”

Sprandio Ells’ favorite piece from her second book? It’s called “Ode to My Shower,” a poem about how a shower becomes a “mini vacation” when you’re a mother.

While her first book is filled with questions surrounding dating and young adulthood, Sprandio Ells says her perspective noticeably evolved by the time she wrote her second book.

Sprandio Ells specifically writes her books to be relatable and lighthearted. She wants readers to enjoy the stories and poems, jumping in and out of the book without feeling like reading it is a chore. For some of her heavier writing material, Sprandio Ells publishes a blog on her website. 

“When I write — whether it’s happy stuff or more serious things — it’s a way of letting it all out,” Sprandio Ells said. “For me, putting it on a page and rereading it helps me reabsorb the situation.”

Sprandio Ells’ husband Zach and her parents are big supporters of her work, motivating her to keep writing. She already started new comedic poems and may also write a more serious essay compilation about motherhood. Sprandio Ells says this project will have to wait until after her fourth child is born, but her creative spark remains.