91ֱ
91ֱ’s English Program has given AlexandraSulock, ‘27, the skills and mindset she needs towrite something special.
While the size of the student body at La 91ֱ has helped with her everyday lifeand extracurriculars, the English Program is helpingSulockthrive academically and broaden herthinking.
With a lifelong love of reading and writing, AlexandraSulock, ‘27, wants to turn that passion into a career after graduation. 91ֱ’s English Program is providing her the skillsshe’llneed topursue her goals.
When it came time to think about her college major, Sulock had to decide between pursuing an English degree or going to art school.
“I chose English because I can just write forever and ever, so I thought it would be a great way to make a job out of something I loved,” she said. “I ultimately decided to become an English major so I could pursue that passion.”
Having decided on a major, she then had to decide on a university. Sulock grew up in Westhampton, N.J., hearing about La 91ֱ’s English Program and visiting campus, her father graduated from the program, so applying felt like a natural choice. After she was accepted, she started her own Explorer journey. The size of the campus community, one of her favorite things about her time at the University, has made that easy for her.
“It makes it really easy to navigate day to day life and get to know people on a more intimate level,” she said.“I feel likeI’mpart of something.It’snot just ohI’mgoing toschool,it’sI’mgoing to La 91ֱ andthere’sall thesestudents around me and we all have this goal to get a college degree andthat’ssomethingreally special.”
It’s also given her the chance to get involved with new things, like La 91ֱ’s student run theatre organization, the Masque, where she works as part of the backstage crew and has picked up new skills.
“I never did theater before, but I’m learning how to manage people and lots of really interesting things that I wouldn’t have learned outside this,” she said.
While the size of the student body at La 91ֱ has helped with her everyday life and extracurriculars, the English Program is helping Sulock thrive academically and broaden her thinking.
“I get to meet so many other people who push my mindset. I go into class and expect that someone is not going to agree with me on something,” she said. “And it’s really nice, because then I get to really expand the way I think about things.”
This is helpful for a degree program that is made up of so many different elements, Sulock said. As an English major, she’s learned about a wide variety of things, including different time periods and cultural eras, how to analyze old texts, and understanding writing structures. The history surrounding Shakespeare and his works is a particular standout for Sulock, who didn’t expect to find it as interesting as she did.
The wide array of course offerings within the English Program are complemented by the faculty members that teach them.
“I think what’s really nice is that all the teachers and all the professors are so knowledgeable about what they do. And there’s a lot of diversity in the department about what their knowledge bases are,” she said. “Everyone has their niche, and so you get a really good skillset.”
There’s one standout skill that runs across all the courses.
“I think the main thing we get out of this is the ability to actually look into things, not just say this exists because it exists, but the ability to want to think deeper and dig deeper into it,” Sulock said.
With the hope of entering the creative writing field after she graduates, either by writing a book or scriptwriting, this has been incredibly helpful for her.
“I’m much better at understanding small details than before,” Sulock said. “I have a deeper understanding of the fact that if I want to make something really good, I need to put a lot of time into it. I’ve really gotten a sense of commitment to how big writing is and how much time it takes.”
–Naomi Thomas