Giving back: MFA Graduate Jennifer Lynn Warren ’26 teaches Storytelling to Incarcerated Youth
Jennifer Lynn Warren, a Stephens College MFA graduate and accomplished actress, best known for her role as Borquita LaLaurie in American Horror Story, is using her skills to teach incarcerated youth the power of storytelling.
Warren’s work for The Michael Daughters Foundation as a Teaching Artist represents the culmination of her journey from performer to screenwriter to community educator. A path made possible by the rigorous training and mission-driven focus of Stephens College’s MFA in TV and Screenwriting Program.
“My goal with the program is to try to help these young folks understand that the stories they have been told and tell themselves shape the reality around them,” said Warren. “Most of these students come from very difficult circumstances, and it shapes how they see themselves and how they behave. When helping them craft a narrative, I gently remind them that they, too, are crafting the narratives of their own lives.”
Stephens Mission Meets Community Impact
Warren’s work at The Michael’s Daughter Foundation directly reflects the values instilled at Stephens College. The Los Angeles-based nonprofit founded by actress and writer Ciera Payton provides free and low-cost arts education to under-resourced communities.
The foundation’s primary focus is on youth who have incarcerated loved ones, or who are system-impacted themselves. However, Warren’s role has her going inside detention centers, teaching incarcerated youth directly.
“My primary role is to empower youth by teaching them the craft of writing and helping them find their voice while building tangible skills,” said Warren.
Warren said Stephens College’s focus on studying and serving underrepresented voices encouraged her to join the foundation, while the MFA program sharpened her storytelling skills – skills she is now sharing with potential future storytellers.
“The program discourages you from writing a cookie-cutter film and instead encourages you to mine your own unique perspectives and craft your own narratives. I share this in every class I have with my students,” said Warren.
A Career Built on Understanding the Story
Warren’s path to this meaningful work began long before she enrolled at Stephens. After graduating from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in ’02, with a BA in theatre and a minor in dance, she built a successful career in front of the camera. But as her industry experience grew, so did her conviction that she needed deeper knowledge of the craft behind the scenes.
“Understanding the story is the most important part of filmmaking,” said Warren. “I’ve always been a writer, and there is a big push for actors to create their own content. I didn’t want to start doing that until I felt like I really knew what I was doing. I had so much respect for the writers I have worked with, that if I was going to go down the path of content creation, I wanted to do it right.”
The Stephens College MFA Program provided the exact foundation Warren was searching for. But the education came with an unexpected consequence: it fundamentally altered how Warren views every script she encounters.
The Showrunner’s Education: Learning to Lead as a Graduate Assistant
Beyond the classroom, Warren’s role as a Graduate Assistant for the Class of 2026 provided an intensive education in the realities of television production. The position gave her the opportunity to manage every logistical detail of the program’s residencies while simultaneously developing her own creative work.
“I think the amount of work the program does to have a successful residency and to keep the program running as one unit, while being a low-residency program, cannot be understated,” Warren said. “If a writer wanted to get a glimpse into the life of a showrunner, I would recommend trying to get the GA position. You learn how to work very long hours on tight deadlines with very interesting and sometimes demanding personalities. You’re the one everyone expects to have all the answers.”
From managing and planning group dinners and get-togethers while adhering to a strict budget to handling hundreds of emails from both industry professionals and fellow students, Warren’s responsibilities were substantial.
“You are the one everyone expects to have all the answers,” said Warren. “These individuals have no patience for errors, missed windows or shifting details, as their time is incredibly valuable, and you are doing this all while reading, researching and writing your own material!”
The GA Position put her right in the middle of the action, and introduced her to the demands of professional screenwriting.
Continuing the Creative Journey
Warren remains committed to her multifaceted career in television, film and theatre.
“At the moment, I am working on adapting one of my works to a stage play,” said Warren. “I’ve also been a theatre lover all my life, and I always return to the stage as often as I can!”
Warren said Stephens College gave her the tools and contacts to succeed.
“How the program continues to benefit its alumni is up to us,” said Warren. “It’s up to us to continue developing our craft.”
For prospective students considering Stephens MFA program, Warren offers candid advice rooted in her experiences.
“Unless you were born with famous family members, there isn’t an easy path to getting work,” said Warren. “There never has been, and there never will be. It’s all on your shoulders. Getting an MFA shows the industry that you take the craft of what you do seriously, and that can help open doors. The program will put you in the room with folks who can actually hire you, so don’t waste those relationships. And really develop a working relationship with your fellow cohort members. Most likely, your first job will come from one of them.”
For Warren, the Stephens MFA was the bridge between performing in someone else’s story and telling her own–and now, empowering others to do the same.
