Undergraduate

Alexandra Harris Coats

  • Class

    Class of 2027
  • Program

    English; Rhetoric Writing and Speech Communication ( College of Liberal Arts )
  • Involvement

    Greek Life
  • Quick Intro

    Alexandra is double majoring in English and Rhetoric, Writing & Speech Communication with a minor in Legal Studies. She is a member of Chi Omega Sorority and Sigma Tau Delta Honors Society. On campus, she also serves as a Pre-Law Ambassador.
person in pink shirt smiling at camera

Why did you choose to attend the University of Mississippi?

 Hello, my name is Allie! I chose to come to the University of Mississippi because of its great English and Writing program. Along with academics, Ole Miss is known for its social life as well as being one of the prettiest campus universities. When I was in high school, I loved reading and writing. Math was not my thing! So, when looking at colleges, I looked into Ole Miss’s College of Liberal Arts, which is where I found my home. Since choosing Ole Miss, I have not once been disappointed! I have had great professors who go above and beyond for their students. I have had interesting classes, for example, with the Department of Writing and Rhetoric, I am currently taking a Taylor Swift class! I know not everyone here is a swiftie, but that is the kind of class diversity that you will see on CLA’s side of campus. The faculty truly work to focus on your interests and help you be interested in your major’s classes. There are always opportunities for your dream class, project, or paper to come true at this university because this college is here to support you in everything you do!  
 Hello, my name is Allie! I chose to come to the University of Mississippi because of its great English and Writing program. Along with academics, Ole Miss is known for its social life as well as being one of the prettiest campus universities. When I was in high school, I loved reading and writing. Math was not my thing! So, when looking at colleges, I looked into Ole Miss’s College of Liberal Arts, which is where I found my home. Since choosing Ole Miss, I have not once been disappointed! I have had great professors who go above and beyond for their students. I have had interesting classes, for example, with the Department of Writing and Rhetoric, I am currently taking a Taylor Swift class! I know not everyone here is a swiftie, but that is the kind of class diversity that you will see on CLA’s side of campus. The faculty truly work to focus on your interests and help you be interested in your major’s classes. There are always opportunities for your dream class, project, or paper to come true at this university because this college is here to support you in everything you do!  

What would you tell a high school student about your major? What is most important for them to know if they are interested in pursuing that field of study?

 Being a double major, I get to experience both the English and Writing programs at Ole Miss! Being an English major is to love and respect the work you encounter. English consists of reading and writing at its foundation, if you want to pursue an English degree in college, you will want to be comfortable with heavy reading loads during the week and weekend. I personally love to read about anything, so I love the work I’m doing. I don’t necessarily love science-fiction novels, but if my professor assigns this genre then I might not love what I’m reading, but I can respect the work for what it is. Understanding the two components of loving and respecting English is something you have to keep in mind while being an English major. For my Writing major, you have to  keep the same things in mind, but with different forms of writing. I love a good argumentative or analytical essay, but synthesis essays are not my favorite. This is where understanding the purpose of different forms of writing allows you to respect the work and grow from each form of writing. Within the CLA, we deal with the emotive side of our brains more than oether majors. As a CLA major you will be asked to look into the empathy of the author. I believe that loving your work and being able to respect the work are the most important pieces of a CLA major to consider. 
 Being a double major, I get to experience both the English and Writing programs at Ole Miss! Being an English major is to love and respect the work you encounter. English consists of reading and writing at its foundation, if you want to pursue an English degree in college, you will want to be comfortable with heavy reading loads during the week and weekend. I personally love to read about anything, so I love the work I’m doing. I don’t necessarily love science-fiction novels, but if my professor assigns this genre then I might not love what I’m reading, but I can respect the work for what it is. Understanding the two components of loving and respecting English is something you have to keep in mind while being an English major. For my Writing major, you have to  keep the same things in mind, but with different forms of writing. I love a good argumentative or analytical essay, but synthesis essays are not my favorite. This is where understanding the purpose of different forms of writing allows you to respect the work and grow from each form of writing. Within the CLA, we deal with the emotive side of our brains more than oether majors. As a CLA major you will be asked to look into the empathy of the author. I believe that loving your work and being able to respect the work are the most important pieces of a CLA major to consider. 

Why is your department a special place?

The English Department is special to me because of the faculty. I have made so many connections with my professors within a short amount of time. Many of the teachers, such as Tom Franklin, Dr. Cogswell, and Dr. Ellis have their doors open for students to pop in and say hello. They are always helpful with schoolwork as well as graduate school questions. The English faculty is truly a hidden gem.  
The Writing Department is special to me because there are so many great faculty members as well as opportunities. Many of the writing staff have encouraged me to submit work for competitions and scholarships. The faculty look out for their students and support them in all their endeavors. Lamar Hall is one of my favorite places to be on campus because of my connections in the DWR as well as the wonderful class experiences I have had there!  

 

The English Department is special to me because of the faculty. I have made so many connections with my professors within a short amount of time. Many of the teachers, such as Tom Franklin, Dr. Cogswell, and Dr. Ellis have their doors open for students to pop in and say hello. They are always helpful with schoolwork as well as graduate school questions. The English faculty is truly a hidden gem.  
The Writing Department is special to me because there are so many great faculty members as well as opportunities. Many of the writing staff have encouraged me to submit work for competitions and scholarships. The faculty look out for their students and support them in all their endeavors. Lamar Hall is one of my favorite places to be on campus because of my connections in the DWR as well as the wonderful class experiences I have had there!  

 

What professor or class has had the most impact on you?

An English class that had the most impact on me was the creative fiction workshop that I took with Mr. Tom Franklin. I felt so welcome in this class, and for the first time, I was able to give specific attention to my own creative work. I struggle with making time for my personal writing, but this class allowed me to focus on something important to me!  
A class that impacted me in the Writing Department was my Writ 101 class with Dr. Huddleston. Dr. Huddleston and I immediately hit it off! I wrote a movie trailer analysis essay in this class that won a writing award from the University. This award proved to me that I had a talent for writing and helped me in deciding to take on my second major in the Writing Department. I loved this class because of Dr. Huddleston’s attention to her students and because of my success with this paper!  

 

An English class that had the most impact on me was the creative fiction workshop that I took with Mr. Tom Franklin. I felt so welcome in this class, and for the first time, I was able to give specific attention to my own creative work. I struggle with making time for my personal writing, but this class allowed me to focus on something important to me!  
A class that impacted me in the Writing Department was my Writ 101 class with Dr. Huddleston. Dr. Huddleston and I immediately hit it off! I wrote a movie trailer analysis essay in this class that won a writing award from the University. This award proved to me that I had a talent for writing and helped me in deciding to take on my second major in the Writing Department. I loved this class because of Dr. Huddleston’s attention to her students and because of my success with this paper!  

 

What do you hope to do after graduation? What are your career goals/plans?

After I graduate, I plan to go to grad school! I plan to apply to different programs within English and Writing to see where I get accepted! I would like to achieve my Ph.D. in either English or Writing so that I can teach college classes as my full-time job! I decided on this career because of the staff in both the English and Writing Departments!  
After I graduate, I plan to go to grad school! I plan to apply to different programs within English and Writing to see where I get accepted! I would like to achieve my Ph.D. in either English or Writing so that I can teach college classes as my full-time job! I decided on this career because of the staff in both the English and Writing Departments!  

What is one thing you wish you knew as an incoming freshman that you’d tell your past self (about the general college experience)?

I wish I knew how beneficial my Professor’s office hours are! This past week I met with four different professors and faculty just to ask questions about graduate school and all of my teachers were happy to answer all of my questions. Getting to know your department’s faculty is so valuable as you go throughout your college years and I wish I would have recognized that importance earlier so that I may have gotten to know more faculty!  

 

I wish I knew how beneficial my Professor’s office hours are! This past week I met with four different professors and faculty just to ask questions about graduate school and all of my teachers were happy to answer all of my questions. Getting to know your department’s faculty is so valuable as you go throughout your college years and I wish I would have recognized that importance earlier so that I may have gotten to know more faculty!