Why I do What I do
(Submitted as my “Letter of Intent” on my graduate school application)
It is my most humble intention to work through the next level of breadth education in literature so that I may be better prepared to pursue doctoral work in the field of English literature and later teach at the community college or university level as well as professionally publish both scholarly and creative works. I believe I have spent the latest years of my undergraduate studies wisely in preparation for this next level: I have done my best to expose myself to a variety of literature throughout the world and throughout time; I have made a conscious effort to take classes from a diverse base of professors; and I have formed solid relationships with undergraduate and graduate students as well as professors within my field of study. In short, I feel I have carved a home within the College of Arts and Humanities and look forward to further developing that home as a graduate student.
During my time as a graduate student, I fully expect to find a specific area of specialization within the scope of British Literature, and I look forward to the opportunity to work even closer with my professors and peers. I am also looking forward to applying for a teacher’s associate position at some point during my graduate studies as well, and I believe my background as a writing tutor at Fresno City College and teaching assistant for Professor Ruth Jenkins in her “Masterpieces of British Literature” course (English 102) will be great assets to this end. My reasons for this ambition are two-fold: on the one hand, I believe being in a teaching environment will only help develop my potential as a professor in the future; on the other hand, there is much to be said about the learning to be had that comes from the teaching side of the classroom. Moreover, I thoroughly enjoy both sitting in the desk and standing in front of the whiteboard, and in both places I make it my business to foster a healthy learning environment for my professors and my peers.
