The English department at SUNY Fredonia is more than just an
academic department for me—it has become a home. I’ve always loved
words: the way they can be strung together in an infinite amount of
combinations and always mean something new. But for the longest time, I
had my heart set on a career in music. Obviously, that plan did not come
to fruition, and I spent a year majoring in psychology, just trying to
keep myself afloat. When I realized I was miserable and desperately
needed a change, I sought out the English department chair for advice.
The minute I stepped into her office, the entire atmosphere shifted. I
felt more at ease than I had in months, and I knew it was where I
belonged. Since changing my major, I’ve been challenged both as a
student and as a person, and I’ve made enormous strides toward becoming
the person I want to be. Through spirited intellectual debates and
challenging research and writing assignments, I’ve found myself growing
increasingly passionate about subjects I’d never thought of or thought
I’d take an interest in. Of the many assignments I’ve completed, one has
changed my life immeasurably. I was given the opportunity to complete a
research project of my own design relating to English and literary
study in any way. As a die-hard fan of the television series Castle,
I chose to focus my assignment on the idea of television being a form
of literature, using examples from the series to support my claim. After
completing the project, I used social media to catch the attention of Castle
series creator Andrew W. Marlowe, who took the time to read my paper
and reply through twitter. This seemingly innocuous event garnered
attention from not only my immediate supervising professor, but the
English department as a whole, as well as the college campus newspaper
and PR department. The success of this paper has opened my eyes to the
option of going into a field of study relating to literary study and
television in some form, which is something I’d never considered—and
wouldn’t have without the opportunity to research something I was
passionate about. That’s what I love about Fredonia. The professors here
really care and take a real interest in their students—both in and out
of the classroom—and are constantly going above and beyond to help us
succeed. They want us to study what we love and love what we study, and
they push us beyond what we think we can do into the realm of the
impossible. Without the support and motivation from my professor, I
never would have been able to complete the kind of project I did, and
having the freedom to choose what I really wanted to talk about allowed
me to actually be excited about the things I was researching. While my
future career is still a mystery, every day I’m finding more and more
doors being opened to new and exciting possibilities.
This scholarship is sponsored by CenturyLinkQuote.com.
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