Hometown: Dallas, TX
High School: Hebron High School in Plano, TX
Major/Minor: English and American Literatures with a focus in Creative Writing
Activities: SIM, Middlebury MOTH Storytelling Hour, Poor Form slam poetry team, MIDD Slam, Sweatervest Literary Magazine, Somali Bantu Outreach, Middlebury College Musical Players
Study Abroad? (have you, or are you planning on it, where/when?): A semester in Madrid in Fall 2011
Why did you choose Middlebury?
Middlebury is a wonderful place to be a writer, which is one of the most significant factors that pushed me into our little slice of nowhere, 1,000 miles away from home–I get mountains and sunsets and nights full of stars and rich, meaningful conversations with people every day. If that’s not reason enough, I’m not sure what is.
Why/How did you choose your major?
ENAM (English and American Literature) sort of chose me. I came into school wanting to study Psychology. And then Spanish. And then Environmental Studies. And then Theatre. And then Italian. And then, out of the blue, I took a creative writing class and fell zanily head over heels in love with the English department and its crazy, passionate professors. I also get to read Shakespeare while all my other friends read Economics and Biology textbooks, which is a major plus.
What was your biggest challenge transitioning into the college atmosphere?
The urgency of meeting and re-meeting and re-meeting dozens (hundreds? thousands?) of people every day for the first month of school or so. I had to let the ice settle in my drink a bit before I felt comfortable enough to make true, lasting friendships.
What is your fondest memory of Middlebury thus far?
What I love about Midd is that, in every day, there is the possibility for a thousand amazing memories, a lot of which come true.
What is your favorite class/Who is your favorite professor?
Foundations of English Literature with Professor John Bertolini. It just doesn’t get much better than having 14 kids in a room discussing Milton and Chaucer and Shakespeare with a professor unshakeable in his devotion to English literature. He made us all catch the bug, which is something I still carry around inside of me.
What do you do in your spare time?
In the little spare time that I have, I like to venture downtown and pour over the used books at the book store in Marble Works or share a coffee with a friend at Carol’s Hungry Mind Cafe. Sometimes, it’s even just enough to catch a nap in an adirondack chair.
If you were a disney character, who would you be and why?
Mary Poppins because I’m practically perfect in every way. And we have the same umbrella (actually).
One piece of advice you would give prospective students in the admissions process?
Allow yourself to think about whether or not you’ll get into ____ College, but do not become consumed by your thoughts. Cherish where you are and the friends you have because in a year’s time, everything will change, whether you got into your “dream” school or not.
