Why did you choose to attend UM?
I chose the University of Mississippi almost solely because they offered a program that I was passionate about as a whole major. I knew I did not want to have to pick and choose something "along the lines" of rhetoric at another school and get stuck studying something I did not enjoy. Because the Writing and Rhetoric major was new, it was small. Everyone I came in contact with assured me that this was going to be a great and growing program, and they were right. I was welcomed with open arms. I have since been given every opportunity to use the skills I developed in my classes and gain new ones with things like student panels, internships, work opportunities, department involvement, and a lot more! Ever since then, I have chosen it every day again, and I have not regretted my decision at all. Campus is beautiful, class sizes are perfect, there are an amazing number of ways to get involved, and people all over want to support you or UM in some way, shape, or form.
I chose the University of Mississippi almost solely because they offered a program that I was passionate about as a whole major. I knew I did not want to have to pick and choose something "along the lines" of rhetoric at another school and get stuck studying something I did not enjoy. Because the Writing and Rhetoric major was new, it was small. Everyone I came in contact with assured me that this was going to be a great and growing program, and they were right. I was welcomed with open arms. I have since been given every opportunity to use the skills I developed in my classes and gain new ones with things like student panels, internships, work opportunities, department involvement, and a lot more! Ever since then, I have chosen it every day again, and I have not regretted my decision at all. Campus is beautiful, class sizes are perfect, there are an amazing number of ways to get involved, and people all over want to support you or UM in some way, shape, or form.
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?
My major is niche; rhetoric is a smaller department compared to most others. There are so many places you can take rhetoric. I love rhetoric because it's versatile. The skills developed in the writing, speech, and rhetoric courses are valuable no matter what direction life takes you. I would pair rhetoric with almost any other major, and it would contribute valuable skills (whether a major or minor) to any other course. The most important thing to know if you are interested in pursuing rhetoric is that it is what you make it. If you want to go heavy on the speech and persuasion aspects of it, you can. If you don't love that kind of thing and would rather write or edit, there is plenty of space to lean in that direction instead.
My major is niche; rhetoric is a smaller department compared to most others. There are so many places you can take rhetoric. I love rhetoric because it's versatile. The skills developed in the writing, speech, and rhetoric courses are valuable no matter what direction life takes you. I would pair rhetoric with almost any other major, and it would contribute valuable skills (whether a major or minor) to any other course. The most important thing to know if you are interested in pursuing rhetoric is that it is what you make it. If you want to go heavy on the speech and persuasion aspects of it, you can. If you don't love that kind of thing and would rather write or edit, there is plenty of space to lean in that direction instead.
Why is your department a special place?
As I said, although this department is growing, it is small, and being small allows us to be a close-knit group. The faculty in my department is what makes it so extra special to me. Every professor in this department does all they can to help you succeed and wants to get to know you as a student and a person to help and support you wherever they can. I see or have the opportunity to see the chair of my department at any time; he is a great person! Resources like that are not always so accessible and approachable. I also appreciate and understand how unique it is that faculty in our department are all so connected with each other and the community. There is always something going on in Oxford that my professors happen to be a part of, which is so neat.
As I said, although this department is growing, it is small, and being small allows us to be a close-knit group. The faculty in my department is what makes it so extra special to me. Every professor in this department does all they can to help you succeed and wants to get to know you as a student and a person to help and support you wherever they can. I see or have the opportunity to see the chair of my department at any time; he is a great person! Resources like that are not always so accessible and approachable. I also appreciate and understand how unique it is that faculty in our department are all so connected with each other and the community. There is always something going on in Oxford that my professors happen to be a part of, which is so neat.
What class or professor has had the most impact on you?
John T Edge and Professor Ellen Shelton have absolutely changed the way I write and my life, I would say. Both professors have a unique outlook on writing from their lives and educational experiences that must be shared with the world. John T Edge taught me how to write creatively and, more importantly, little ways to make my writing effective and unique. Discovering new places and people should be shared, and our writing can express little details that can be very moving for a reader.
Professor Ellen Shelton had me re-thinking the way I write and why I write anything at all. Her teaching style allowed me to be vulnerable and learn a lot about the perspective of teachers, the different ways people write, and how those styles come to be.
Finally, Dr. Unger's class about zines. This was a class I was not looking forward to before I started because I was afraid of alternate writing that wasn't in the form of a paper or an essay. I had so much fun sharing elements of myself and creating a zine sharing my third place with the class that semester, that I now share what a zine is and why they are important with all my family and friends.
John T Edge and Professor Ellen Shelton have absolutely changed the way I write and my life, I would say. Both professors have a unique outlook on writing from their lives and educational experiences that must be shared with the world. John T Edge taught me how to write creatively and, more importantly, little ways to make my writing effective and unique. Discovering new places and people should be shared, and our writing can express little details that can be very moving for a reader.
Professor Ellen Shelton had me re-thinking the way I write and why I write anything at all. Her teaching style allowed me to be vulnerable and learn a lot about the perspective of teachers, the different ways people write, and how those styles come to be.
Finally, Dr. Unger's class about zines. This was a class I was not looking forward to before I started because I was afraid of alternate writing that wasn't in the form of a paper or an essay. I had so much fun sharing elements of myself and creating a zine sharing my third place with the class that semester, that I now share what a zine is and why they are important with all my family and friends.
What do you hope to do after graduation? What are your career goals/plans?
After graduation, my current plan is to take the LSAT and head home. I have a lot of family in Minnesota, and I like the idea of spending my life there. After that, I would ideally like to work in patent and intellectual property law, or at least editing and pushing legal documents. I love to write and plan to go the legal route because that is always something I have had an interest in pursuing. Alternatively, I would love to work in publishing wherever the wind takes me and for any subject. Sports writing, news, literature, all of these are possible avenues for me if I go into a publishing house doing editorials or rights to bring something to life for production.
After graduation, my current plan is to take the LSAT and head home. I have a lot of family in Minnesota, and I like the idea of spending my life there. After that, I would ideally like to work in patent and intellectual property law, or at least editing and pushing legal documents. I love to write and plan to go the legal route because that is always something I have had an interest in pursuing. Alternatively, I would love to work in publishing wherever the wind takes me and for any subject. Sports writing, news, literature, all of these are possible avenues for me if I go into a publishing house doing editorials or rights to bring something to life for production.
What is one thing you wish you knew as an incoming freshman that you'd tell your past self (about the general college experience)?
Something that I wish I knew, that I would tell all incoming freshmen, is to go out and try your freshman year. Try new events, new foods, talking to new people, new hobbies, etc. Your freshman year of college can be transformative, and you should take the chance while you have it. I was more reserved as a freshman, and I feel like I missed out on some things because I was afraid of judgment or if it was going to be the right thing for me. Looking back, as a freshman, there were so many opportunities to plant a seed and watch it grow. This doesn't have to be involvement on campus, but anywhere in the Oxford community or with other SEC schools. Networking and new things start now, and everyone loves hearing from college freshmen; your opinion goes a long way.
Something that I wish I knew, that I would tell all incoming freshmen, is to go out and try your freshman year. Try new events, new foods, talking to new people, new hobbies, etc. Your freshman year of college can be transformative, and you should take the chance while you have it. I was more reserved as a freshman, and I feel like I missed out on some things because I was afraid of judgment or if it was going to be the right thing for me. Looking back, as a freshman, there were so many opportunities to plant a seed and watch it grow. This doesn't have to be involvement on campus, but anywhere in the Oxford community or with other SEC schools. Networking and new things start now, and everyone loves hearing from college freshmen; your opinion goes a long way.
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