August of 2021 was the beginning of the end of a certain chapter in my life. Like other students, I was happy to return to in-person classes and clubs on campus. My junior year had been completely virtual, and I was greatly missing the connections made in the classroom and in my social life. Although the excitement to return for my senior year grew stronger each day, so did the sadness of knowing this would be my last year at Millersville. I would torment myself with the question of “what will I be doing a year from now,” hoping that I could somehow find a way to align myself with my future goals. I knew that going to graduate school was something that I wanted to do, but where and when was something that overwhelmed me to think about. That is, however, until I learned about the Master of Arts in English program that was offered at Millersville.

When I looked back on my undergraduate years, I was able to see how much I had grown and changed in a positive way from being a student at Millersville. My freshman year, I was a quiet and uncertain student who didn’t believe in herself. Over the course of four years, I had turned into a student who was confident in her academic abilities, and knew the value in herself not only as an academic, but also as a teammate, peer, friend, and partner. The different skills I had learned in my English courses, such as learning how to compose a range of texts, fostering my creativity, and expanding my analytical thinking, had only reinforced that furthering my education in the subject was the best choice for me. Speaking with Dr. Pfannenstiel that spring semester my senior year, I saw a direct path on how to achieve my goals by staying at Millersville.

Although some may assume that staying at the same university for both undergrad and graduate degrees may limit one’s growth, I would argue that it only helps to expand it. Since I already knew the campus, department, and professors I would be working with, I didn’t have to worry about any of that when the school year started. Instead, I could just focus on my studies and figure out how to make the most out of my two years in the program. Another major reason I chose to further my education at Millersville was because of the opportunity to have a graduate assistantship in the English department. Working with Dr. P, Dr. Baldys, Dr. Mando, and my amazing fellow GA Becca on a daily basis has helped me grow as a professional and as a scholar in ways I never could have expected. Their kindness and knowledge have inspired me to look towards my own future, as the skills and connections they have provided me with have helped me to become more excited by the unknown rather than fearful.

Millersville has and continues to be a place where I am changing and growing in a positive way each and every day, and I am so thankful to my past self for choosing to stay here to continue my journey into higher education. Although this chapter will be closing soon, I now have direction on where the next one may start.

Click here to learn more about our graduate programs:

With registration for the upcoming fall semester just around the corner, the English department would like to highlight some of the higher level courses that will be available next semester.

WRIT 280 – Intro to Rhetoric for Writers

Taught asynchronously by Dr. Pfannenstiel

Course Description: “In the past few decades, scholars of writing (Writing Studies and Composition) returned to rhetoric and rhetorical theories to develop productive ways of teaching writing. As part of our Writing Studies program here in Millersville University’s English and World Languages Department, Introduction to Rhetoric for Writers introduces students to the rhetorical theories that form the baseline of how we understand and develop as writers.

This course starts with rhetorical theory in Greek and Roman times. We then jump to contemporary uses. We build an understanding of how rhetoric exists within communication all around us, all the time”

ENGL 331- Special Topic: The Beats- Before, During, and After

Taught by Dr. Ording on Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 11:00-11:50pm

Course Description: “Explore the brilliance and influence of The Beat Generation through the poets from each era. This includes predecessors Whitman, Emerson, then The Beats themselves Kerouac and Ginsberg, and their successors Brautigan, Bukowski, and Morrison.”

ENGL 334- African American Literature II

Taught by Dr. Jakubiak on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:10-2:25pm

Course Description: “Students will read works by 20th and 21st century African American poets, prose writers and playwrights including James Baldwin, Toni Morrison and Colson Whitehead. Explore how these major writers use literary art to ask questions about race and intersectional identity in the United States.”

ENGL 343- Ecofeminist Fiction Seminar

Taught asynchronously by Dr. Mondello

Course Description: “Ecofeminist Fiction centers relationships between women and the natural world in novels, novellas (short novels), and short stories. While sometimes this takes the form of a celebration of connection, it is more often portrayed as a shared subjugation to patriarchal forces. Responses include solidarity between women, animals, and nature, as well as monstrous figures and revenge plots against exploitation. We will read texts from a variety of time periods to consider the history of ideas about the connections between nature and gender in fiction to trace the wide range of styles and techniques across literary fiction more broadly. Readings and class discussions will focus on literary representations of the environment with an emphasis on gendered, racialized and other intersectional depictions of nature, as well as on human and non-human characters who are associated with nature.”

ENGL 428- Contemporary American Literature (1945-Present)

Taught by Dr. Ording on Mondays from 6:00-9:00pm

Course Description: “Explore fiction and other cultural productions in the contemporary period through works by notable writers such as Salinger, Steinbeck, Morrison, and Baldwin.”

WRIT 466- Special Topics Seminar on Rhetoric, Writing, and Social Justice in Educational Settings

Taught asynchronously by Dr. Farkas

Course Description: “Words are powerful and can be used to inspire and foster change.  This course will examine the intersections among rhetoric, writing, and advocacy, and in it, students will focus on understanding the ways language and practice can affect systems of inequality, particularly in an educational context.  Beginning with a reflection on their own educational journeys and culminating with a case study of an educational context, students will examine whether Pennsylvania and Lancaster County schools (K-12 and higher education) provide a thriving learning environment for every student, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, disability, and sexuality. Students will also analyze the role of power and privilege in shaping educational policies and practices and develop strategies to advocate for equity and justice in education.”