- What drew you to the major?
I have always had a profound love of reading and writing. Even as I was still learning how to do so in elementary school, English class was my favorite subject. Throughout high school, close reading poems and short stories gave me a larger appreciation for English literature as a discipline instead of simply a passion. In my first year at Case Western Reserve, I was immediately drawn to English as a major and was eager to find reasons to solidify it. Between the kindness and helpfulness of each professor, the personal and close class structure from small class sizes, and the ability to study specialized topics, I quickly found more reasons to embrace the English major at Case Western.
- How has your English major prepared you for life after graduation?
My ultimate aspiration is to become a writer, specifically a fiction writer and poet. I have taken more than four workshop classes helping me grow as a fiction writer and a poet while simultaneously exposing myself to the structure of workshops. The professors each gave me advice that I think of each time I put pen to paper. Moreover, I wish to attend graduate school for English literature. I am confident in my essay and creative writing skills due to my training at Case Western.
- What is it like being an English major at Case in particular, with its perceived focus on the sciences?
My freshman year at Case was the time I felt the most separated from the rest of campus. New friends would ask about my major and admit to me that they knew nothing about it and did not wish to learn. However, as my time went on here, I grew closer with those in the humanities through events, colloquiums, clubs, classes, and even just bumping into new faces in the Guilford Parlor. Even though Case is renowned for its STEM programs, the close community I found in the humanities is something that I would not trade for another experience.
- Why would you encourage a prospective English major to sign on?
Being an English major at Case Western Reserve is a unique opportunity to focus so wholly on your own academic endeavors. Professors are always willing to adjust their schedule if you want to chat about a book you love or a problem you are experiencing. Friends you make in your first semester never fail to say hello and ask how your writing is going. The campus encourages reading in soft spaces and embracing each season as they come and go. I have had a truly wonderful experience and have grown so much as a person, an academic, a writer, and a friend through my time here at Case.