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“Every single professor in the Department of English has
forced me to become a better writer, both creatively and
technically.” |
Brett Jenkins
began her career at Huntington University despising poetry, but
was surprised to discover a passion for the writing genre during
her years at HU.
A 2008 graduate
with a Bachelor of Arts degree in
English, Brett is pursuing her Master of Fine Arts degree.
She is continuing her education at Bennington College’s Writing
Seminars, where she will earn her degree after two years of
intense reading and writing. Between short residencies on
Bennington’s campus, Brett will read and write on her own,
corresponding with instructors and fellow writers to receive her
MFA.
Although Brett
did not eagerly anticipate the poetry portion of her
creative writing class, she was pleased to discover in it a new
appreciation for the craft. “Dr. Del Doughty’s creative writing
course changed my life,” Brett says. “I went into that class
with a sincere loathing for poetry, but once I learned that it
didn’t have to be boring and angsty, I loved it, and I loved
writing it.” Shortly after, she took an independent study course
in poetry with Dr. Doughty. “At the end of the semester, I had
compiled two collections of poetry,” says Brett. “The study in
poetry was invaluable for me as both a student and a writer.”
Many of the poems she wrote for this course were published.
Brett
attributes her improved writing skills to her professors,
saying, “Every single professor in the Department of English has
forced me to become a better writer, both creatively and
technically.” She credits professors in other departments as
well, saying that their personal interest “pushed me to become a
better student and a more well-rounded individual.” During her
time at Huntington, Brett says she was introduced to a broad
range of writers and genres, and that she was taught not just
what to read, but how to read.
Believing that
Huntington University’s small size contributed to her success as
a student, Brett says, “Because my academic advisor had a
limited number of students in his counsel, he was able to direct
more attention to my academic career than would probably have
been possible at a larger school.” In four years, she had the
opportunity to take two independent study courses, as well as
upper-level courses with as few as six or seven students. This
gave her the chance to be involved in both one-on-one
interaction and small group discussions in class.
HU has given
Brett the chance to travel and pursue interests aside from
English. She made her first visit to Washington, D.C. over
January Term of her junior year. She had recently read about
several U.S. presidents, and on this trip, Brett says, “It was
fascinating to see parts of history come alive in my
imagination.”
Brett’s
extracurricular activities ranged from Huntington’s Guerilla
Theatre, to wind ensemble, to being a DJ for a special folk
music hour on the campus radio station,
The FUSE FM. “Because of
my extracurricular activities in theater, radio, and music, I
made friends with people I probably never would have interacted
with under other circumstances,” Brett says. “Some of these
friends have grown to be the people who inspire me most.”
Through
Huntington University’s Department of English, Brett was
involved in other extracurricular activities. During her junior
and senior years she presented poetry once at Taylor
University’s Undergraduate Literature Conference, twice at the
Sigma Tau Delta National Convention, and won a poetry slam in
Huntington, Ind., that was hosted by Huntington University’s
chapter of Sigma Tau Delta. She also traveled to see
professional productions of plays. One of the most memorable was
“Othello” in Chicago. Brett says, “‘Othello’ had never been my
favorite Shakespeare play. In fact, it was probably my least
favorite before I went to see it performed.” However, seeing
“Othello” on stage gave Brett
“a new appreciation for the play.”
In the
Department of English, Brett had several leadership
opportunities, such as being the vice president of the
Huntington chapter of Sigma Tau Delta and editing Ictus,
Huntington’s official literary journal.
To students
considering majoring in English at HU, Brett gives this advice:
“Read all you can; write all you can. Get to know interesting
people.”
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