Kianna

Year: Junior
Major: English
Minor: Communication and legal studies (pre-law track)

I love being an English major because nothing beats writing down ideas, stories, and even essays on a page. Through my English classes, I have taken my experience beyond myself and now explore the ideas and literature of the past. Through experience, I learned to advocate for myself and have become an even better writer and student.

In my spare time I aim to uplift women in my role as innovative programming chair in Women of Color as well as being secretary in the Minority Association for Future Attorneys. I also work on campus at the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Culture Center as a programming intern. I take pride in being a student at Illinois, but more importantly a lover of the arts.

Sarah

Year: Senior
Major: English
Minor: Computer Science

My passion for English began in middle school when I read Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. In high school, I recognized the interdisciplinary ties between subjects while taking physics and honors math courses alongside the humanities. This fascination with the interconnectedness of different subjects led me to explore the unique English programs at Illinois, where I was thrilled to find tailored courses on Programming Narratives, Screenwriting, Critical Theory, and Computing. These experiences guided me toward a career in Technical Writing.

Throughout my internships, I have contributed to enhancing user experience by working with cutting-edge technologies and ensuring document accuracy through meticulous editing. Currently, I am set to complete my senior year while interning at Leidos, a Fortune 500 technology company. 
 

Tommy

Year: Senior
Major: Creative Writing and Psychology

Something about the title of the major struck me from the very beginning, creative writing. My grandparents were creative writers, and I’ve always had a strong love for storytelling and the human condition. I honed my skills in the writers workshops which helped me grow immensely as a person and as a writer. This unique opportunity allowed me to share my work with my peers and get substantial feedback. 

Aside from writing, this summer I had the opportunity of being a Teaching Assistant for the Glenbrook North High School ESY program, working with students with disabilities. I am also a Research Assistant for the Lamp lab and do research in the psychology field. I play soccer and basketball and regularly participate in intramurals here on campus. After college I’m excited to continue to grow with my writing and explore career paths in the classroom relating to psychology and english. 

Vidhi

Year: Senior
Major: English
Minor: Sociology

I first chose this major to pursue law but ended up falling in love with the curriculum and changed my path to pursue it further. My hope is to stay in academia and become a professor one day to foster the passion in others that my professors instilled in me.

I enjoy 19th-century and gothic literature but my favorite book is "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt.

Joy

Year: Sophomore
Major: English and Creative Writing

I’ve always loved reading and writing and knew that I wanted to pursue both those topics academically. I was nervous about going to college at a school with a population over three times that of my hometown, but the smaller size of the English department helped that transition.

This year I’ll be working as one of the newsletter writers for the English Student Association. I’m also exploring my different interests in writing and literature; I intend to focus on a fiction track in my Creative Writing major, with an interest in weird fiction, and I’m still taking a variety of classes for my English major.

In my free time, I also enjoy exercising with the Cross Country and Women’s Rugby clubs, playing video games (badly), and knitting (less badly)! I hope to go into the publishing industry after graduation.

Sophia

Year: Junior
Major: Creative Writing and Global Studies
Minor: German

I am also pursuing the certificate in environmental writing and am a communications intern for the Institute of Sustainability, Energy, and Environment. My passion for storytelling is central to what I do, from crafting short stories in my creative writing classes to exploring how narratives shape our understanding of the world in my student organization involvements.

My workshop classes in the Creative Writing Program have been pivotal to my understanding of myself as a writer and reading my peers’ work is a constant source of insight and discovery. As Editor-in-Chief of the Green Observer magazine and Media Officer for Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS), I’m working on blending creativity with purpose, using writing as a tool for environmental advocacy.

Outside of academics, I find inspiration in nature, music, and travel — often drawing on these experiences to inform my writing. I play trumpet and piano, and I love discovering new places and perspectives through hiking and thrifting.

Chigo

Year: Senior
Major: English
Minors: Spanish and Criminology, Law, and Society

My passion for English, like many, began with a love for reading and writing in elementary school. Moreover, my captivation for languages and learning about how the law functions in society led me to add minors in Spanish and CLS. 

Studying English has shown me how valuable it is to just about any career you can imagine — teaching, law, medicine, etc. English is an incredible and versatile field of study and I’m grateful to be attending one of the best English programs in the country here at Illinois.

After graduation, I plan to attend law school and explore which field of law I will be most interested in practicing. On campus, I’m involved with the Pre-Law Honors Society and LAS Honors program. I am also a third-year Resident Advisor, and have previously served for two years as Programming Chair for the African Cultural Association.
 

Nyx

Year: Senior
Major: English
Minors: Gender and Women's Studies and African American Studies

I am a transfer student from Triton College majoring in English with a concentration in race, indigeneity, gender, and sexuality. I developed an interest in English studies because I enjoy analyzing the way language functions to tell stories! I aspire to harness my intellectual curiosities and composition skills.

In my free time, I love creating art. I have been the social media chair and researcher for the McKinley Health Center’s Sexual Health Peers. My poetry can be found in the Beyond the Margin Issue of the Ebony Tomatoes Collective, The Montage Arts Journal, and the Sanctuary Issue of the Pink Slip Zine. I am currently a member of BlacQ and PizzaFM. This year I will be interning at the Gender & Sexuality Resource Center as a campus engagement intern.

With my English studies, I’d like to have a thriving career as a freelance writer and partake in community initiatives to promote sexual health.