By Natalie Esposito
Fighting a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis prompted UC Santa Barbara alumna Ashley Ratcliff to inspire others and author her first book, a memoir titled “Jesus Year.”
Ratcliff graduated in 2006 in sociology, with a minor in professional writing in the editing track. She went on to become a journalist and media professional.
Ratcliff’s diagnosis in 2018 taught her how to persevere and connect with others, especially through her love for writing. Her book was published in 2020 and hit No. 1 on Amazon’s bestseller list last April.
In a recent interview, Ratcliff discussed the inspiration behind her book, which focuses on the first year after her diagnosis.
Ashley Ratcliff ‘06 is a UCSB sociology alumna who minored in Professional Writing and went on to publish a memoir Jesus Year.
Q: What inspired you to write your book, Jesus Year?
A: It’s about my journey with multiple sclerosis. So, if you don’t know, MS is a chronic illness that affects your central nervous system, and so it affects everyone differently. It’s called a snowflake disease because no one case is alike [as is the case with each snowflake]. Basically, I’ve been healthy my entire life, and then all of a sudden, my left foot went numb, and it wouldn’t get better, and it limited my ability to walk properly. This sent me on this journey to find answers, like “What the heck is wrong with me?”
Q: How did you choose the book’s title?
A: I was in my Jesus Year at age 33 when I was formally diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Jesus was 33 when he died and was resurrected. A Jesus Year is a time in a person’s life when they are reborn in a sense, such as abandoning old ways and starting new ones. Being diagnosed during my Jesus Year caused me to cling tighter to Jesus and my faith than I ever had. It ignited a fire in me and caused me to start living life intentionally.
UCSB alumna Ashley Ratcliff’s book, Jesus Year, hit No. 1 on Amazon’s bestseller list last April.
Q: How has your minor in professional writing led you to your professional work today?
A: I must say that the professional writing minor has been the most valuable thing that I’ve gotten from the university. It’s really practical knowledge and being a good editor in our line as journalists, is really crucial. When I started my career in journalism, I worked at the Daily Nexus, I interned at the Santa Barbara News Press, and then from there I got my first job at the Palos Verdes Peninsula News.
It has been crucial to my success as a journalist being able to edit my work, being able to edit other people’s work. This minor has been really integral to my success in the work I do now, even though I’ve transferred out of journalism and I now work in communication at Snapchat. I use my degree every day, via editing stories that we produce for our website, company-wide emails, and messaging that I write on behalf of our executives.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to someone interested in professional writing or journalism?
A: Run, don't walk. It is going to enrich your life in so many ways. Definitely put the work in. Definitely get out there and put the skills that you’re learning to use. If I didn’t intern anywhere, and I didn’t practice it, it would just be wasted. So basically, you’re doing this for a reason, make sure you go out and pursue whatever you are interested in when it comes to journalism or professional writing.
Natalie Esposito is a third-year communication studies major at UC Santa Barbara. She wrote this piece for her Writing Program class, Digital Journalism.