Jordan Traut is graduating with a double major in English and Anthropology. Jordan plans to continue her education with an MA at Millersville University.

Jordan Traut made the most of every minute of her college education, both in and outside of Millersville.  Jordan planned well and worked with her adviser to maximize her experiences each year; she managed to finish the Honors College curriculum, to write a thesis, to study abroad, to do her internship in Japan, and to complete two majors–all in 3 years.  We celebrate her impressive initiative and her many accomplishments!

Jordan’s research focused on flood narratives, specifically how the flood archetype in literature is universal and prevailing in the creation/religious texts of all cultures around the world.  In particular, she wrote her thesis on the Anishinaabe flood story in their creation teaching, noting how unchecked English-language translations of indigenous oral literature have had serious cultural ramifications.

While at Millersville, Jordan’s favorite class was Professor Karli’s  Reading our World: Masculinity in Literature because the content she learned in that course was relevant and applicable to countless other courses. Some of her favorite books, however, were read in Dr. Jakubiak’s American Ethnic Literature course.

Jordan not only studied abroad in Japan, but also completed her internship there.  She served as the Flash Quote Reporter for Rugby News Service during the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. How cool is that?  She got to travel to different stadiums in Japan and interview the players one-on-one. She loved seeing all the different cultures come together during the games.

Back at home, Jordan has enjoyed the community that the English Department created for its students. She especially felt that at the English Awards Dinner last May, where she received the Cynthia Dilgard Award for her essay on the continuing relevance of Shakespeare. This year, Jordan also received the Dilworth-McCollough Award, given to a student who has achieved excellence in English literature.  In addition to being selected as the first Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Fellow, Jordan was also awarded a MUSE (MU Summer Experience) grant for her research.

One aspect that made Jordan’s time at Millersville special was her work with various communities on campus. During her years at Millersville, Jordan participated in clubs and organizations like Friends and Advocates for Native Nations (FANN), the Honors College Student Association, and the Honors College Curriculum Committee.  She particularly enjoyed developing academic relationships with so many of the English faculty who helped her in so many ways.

As many jobs in the field Jordan is interested in require additional education, and often a masters, she has applied to MU for graduate studies in English. She looks forward to learning and doing more at Millersville!

We feel very lucky to have Jordan in our community for another two years!  We are looking forward to working with you, Jordan, on your next chapter.