Major: English and Writing
Why did you choose to attend Carroll University?
I knew I wanted to stay close to home; therefore, I applied and was accepted to UW-Milwaukee, Marquette University, and Carroll University. Out of the three, Carroll offered the best environment as someone transitioning from a smaller high school. Carroll is smaller, too, which gives students a more accommodating relationship with faculty, a more personal learning style, and more opportunities to meet people in your cohort. Also, Carroll offered better financial support.
What made you choose your academic major or area of study?
I have always been more inclined towards the humanities and concepts that were not as formulaic as the sciences despite its commonly perceived higher monetary value. So, when it came to pursuing further education, I chose passion over practicality. Initially, I wanted to be an author growing up; I wished to create written works like the ones I read that were capable of transporting readers to others worlds. During high school, I found a great interest in critical reading and review and decided English/Literature was the subject and skills I wanted to improve upon and cultivate within myself. There is a common misconception and social stigma surrounding the humanities in society that it won't get you a job after graduation. While this is false, my teenage self believed it and still I decided I would rather put myself into debt gaining a Bachelor's degree in a field I enjoyed above all else and risk unemployment than follow a career I had no interest or skills in.
How has what you’ve learned prepared you for your future?
As an English major, you are not solely reading texts and interpreting them, you are gaining abilities that will help you in all aspects of your life, such as critical thinking, rhetoric, and analytical writing skills. Being an English and Writing major has taught me objectivity and cultural competency in a variety of ways. A significant part of this is attributed to my Spanish Minor as well. At this point, it hurts someone in the workforce and as a human to not be able to speak at least one other language besides your native language. Both my major and minor have taught me when to push back and how to recognize when something is amiss. In the current state of the country, it is important to be able to recognize fact from fiction and through comprehensive reading the English Department has taught me that.
What opportunities have you had to work closely with a faculty member and what impact has that had on your education?
There have been numerous occasions in which I have worked closely with one or more faculty members, most notably with Dr. Lara Karpenko. With Dr. Karpenko, I have served both as a student editor, Lead Undergraduate Conference Organizer, and Undergraduate Managing Editor for co-managed, biennial humanities journal and an international Victorian Conference. It was Dr. Karpenko who recommended me to be a presenter for the Scholar to Student event in Fall of 2025 and to serve as a Student Ambassador for a Braver Angels Debate as part of a collaboration between Carroll University and the College Debates and Discourse Alliance. Perhaps unintentionally, Drs. Jessica Boll and Alison García made it possible for me to be able to have the knowledge and courage to submit the topic that I did for the Student to Scholar event. The entire English faculty fostered my obsession for British history and I had the utmost pleasure in having Dr. Novotny as a secondary chaperone during my CCE in London. Dr. Barbara Kilgust's classes have taught me more about myself as someone with mixed heritage and a woman in a increasingly progressing "manospheric" society. It was Dr. Kilgust who suggested I apply to be a Humanities Fellow which has given incredible hands-on experience.
What’s one unique experience you’ve had relating to the coursework for your academic major or area of study?
The most unique experience I have had relating to my major is becoming a grant writer for a semester. I have done my research and the course Carroll offers is not something permitted to undergraduate students. It is a graduate level course/practice. Dr. Dolores Greenawalt not only taught us the intricacies of grant writing, researching, professional writing, but also communicating with clients and learning practical information about 501 c(3)s and tax information. Dr. Greenawalt doesn't hold your hand, she guided us through the entire process and taught us not by showing but by having us do it. Grant writing was an entirely different sort of rhetoric and writing that I was used to and it honed my communicative abilities and writing. Also, we were able to put it on our CVs which is one of the most rewarding gifts a soon-to-graduate student can receive.
How has Carroll enriched your growth as a person outside of the skills you’re learning in the classroom?
My matriculation at Carroll University has made me more confident and assured of myself and my skills. It has made me a better colleague and person, in general. I have learned how to more effectively manage my time and priorities in addition to learning how to navigate professional networking spheres.
Humanitarianism at Carroll
Out of all of the events I see or hear about on campus, most refer to the Humanities. The events I have participated in myself have included science majors; what does it say about the humanities that even the Biology and Animal Behavior majors wish to present their interpretations of UWM film professor's written work. It is the humanities that maintains Carroll's integrity and vitality.
