Category Archives: imanenglishmajor

Hey! I’m Eliza Schow

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I’m a Disnerd, a collector of threadbare books, a realist living in a world of fantasy. And I’m an English major.

Eliza Schow

Thinking of a secret

We’ve all been faced with a well-known question. What do you want to be when you grow up? My ready answer as a child was always, “I don’t want to grow up.” Grown-ups were much too boring, stern, and had absolutely no imagination. I was determined to escape the inevitable by flying away with Peter Pan to Neverland where I could fly all day, have adventures, and never become a cold-hearted adult. The decision made by Wendy to return to the real world of England at the end of the novel made me a bit melancholy. Years later in my life, my sympathy shifted from Wendy to the protagonist himself. In choosing to be a little boy forever, Peter chose to be lonely forever. Peter didn’t want to grow up because he didn’t want the humdrum life and responsibility that came with it. What he didn’t realize was that a grown-up isn’t sentenced to a dull life and responsibility can bring an infinite amount of joy. As a grown-up, I have a responsibility to help and bring hope to others, and I love it. I want to be a writer because I want to keep the maturity of an adult in addition to the heart of a child and because I want improve the point of view people have on life.

One of my favorite books is Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Hello, I’m Brittany Rytting

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I’m a hopeless romantic, an avid ice cream eater, a musician… and I’m an English major.

Brittany Rytting

Look, it’s my face!

How can I put into words my passion for being swept away by words and music? The books I read, the music I listen to or create, and the words I write make up my very being. (Therefore, snippets of songs and random quotes will often spew out of my mouth when prompted by someone’s innocent comment.) I am a lover of literature and hope to be an author. Music and editing are my intended minors, so I’ve also been considering becoming and editor. I play the piano, flute/piccolo, guitar, and I love to sing. When I have time I also love to act, and I dream of being in marching band again. And when the weather is just right, I love to dance in the rain.

One of my favorite books is The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (and Brandon Sanderson)

Hi, I’m Amie Wambach

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I’m a poet, a reader, a baker, an orator, a feminist, and a Montanan. And I’m an English major.

Amie Wambach

Amie

When I was seven years old, my mom gave me a copy of Little House on the Prairie and told me I wasn’t allowed to move until I read at least one chapter. I got one page into the book, and was hooked for a lifetime. I have never been picky about genres, my interests range from fantasy to historical fiction, classic literature to horror, sci-fi to biography. Some of my favorite authors are Shannon Hale, J. R.R. Tolkien, and Diana Wynne Jones. My passion for reading soon grew into a love for writing. I have had stories and poems floating around in my head and scribbled into random notebooks since I was ten, most of them unfinished. Writing has always been the most natural and honest form of communication for me, but during my sophomore year in high school I decided to take a risk and join the speech and debate team. I soon found my niche as an orator, writing my own ten minute speeches then memorizing and performing them in front of a judge. While I never grew into a particularly strong public speaker, I never quit. I have always been shy, but the ability to reach and communicate to people ideas I am passionate about is addictive. I want to be an editor, probably for children’s and young adult literature, because I cannot imagine a life where I am not surrounded by stories and words.

One of my favorite books is Shannon Hale’s Book of a Thousand Days.

 

Hello, I’m Ashley Barlow

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I’m a Ravenclaw, a Disney Nerd, a Trekkie, an actor, a nerdfighter, and a gamer. And I’m an English major.

I have wanted to be an English major for as I can remember. My love for the written word started very early and has now branched into many different forms of expression. I love the theater, spoken-word poetry, comic books, movies, newspapers, and vlogging. I’m one of the geekiest nerds and one of the nerdiest geeks you will ever meet. If it’s geeky/nerdy, I probably have my fingers in that fandom. I’m from Nauvoo, Illinois in the beautiful midwest. I love country music. Despite my love for trying to be grammatically correct, I say “y’all” a lot. I love to read and I’m so excited to have a major that will allow me to do that. I believe in the magic of books that can transport us anywhere we want to go.

One of my favorite books is James Dashner’s The Maze Runner

Hi! I’m McKenna Wilkes

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I’m a musician, a doodler, a gamer, a teacher. And I’m an English major.

McKenna Wilkes

Me enjoying my wonderfully crazy life.

I have always enjoyed the beauty and soul within the spoken and written word. I’ve always found solace within the pages of books and I love the thoughts and ideas books can invoke into our minds and I want to help others find the same joy in English that I’ve found. I hope to become a high school teacher for this very purpose. I have several hobbies including, drawing, playing piano or ukulele, cross-stitching, and of course reading and writing.

My favorite work of literature is Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Hi, I’m Aubrey Milligan

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I’m a percussionist, a hiker, an optimist, and a poetry-lover. And I’m an English major.

Aubrey Milligan

Aubrey (right)

To talk about myself is difficult, but here goes (I’ll try not to bore you to tears). Like the rest of you I am an English major, and perhaps unlike some of you I also want to be a book editor. I get a nerdy excitement when I read good poetry or decipher some kind of meaning from and abstract text. I want to write a novel someday; I already have some ideas floating around in my head. Now I just need to give them some attention. I’m very interested in psychology and understanding what it means to be human, and that’s something I want to bring into my own writing. For recreational reading I’ve always been partial to fantasy, but I’m open to anything with a good plot and amazing characters. Thanks to my amazing AP Lit teacher I am now in love with poetry and classic novels and I can’t wait to expand my mental library!

One of my favorite books is Eoin Colfer’s Airman.

Hello, I’m Hailey-Kate

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I’m a flutist, an Idahoan, an avid reader, a member of the marching band and I’m an English major.

Hailey Kate

Hailey-Kate

I am addicted to reading pretty much everything. I enjoy quoting movies at random times without warning and “I’m super into close-up magic.” I have an unhealthy amount of awkward situations daily and enjoy being outdoors.

One of my favorite works of fiction is Harry Potter

 

Greetings! I’m Laura Standage!

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I’m an aunt to thirteen, a Spanish speaker, a collector of teacups, a fantasy writer, a hobbit impersonator, and I’m an English major.

Laura Standage

Dramatically looking off into the distance…

Ever since I was young, I have been fascinated with stories. The real start to my life as a writer began when I wrote a fairy tale for my fourth grade class. Since then, plenty more ideas have come. Most are epic fantasy and fairy tales with a teslapunk in the mix. There is something particularly powerful about teaching lessons and portraying themes through a world of my own, such as in epic fantasy novels. There is also great merit and impact in the feelings and thoughts created by experimentation with language. That is what I want to share with the world. My exceptional shortness adds to my love of hobbits (I’m 3′ 25″) and how they can be both adventurers and quaint homebodies, titles I hope to develop.

One of my favorite books is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Hi, I’m Madeline Olsen

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I’m a chocolate connoisseur, a David Bowie lover, and a fantasy novel junkie. And I’m an English major.

Maddie Olsen

Moi

My love for books was a sudden development. I can see my kindergarten self struggling over We’re Going On A Bear Hunt, wondering what on earth my teacher meant by “sound out the words,” and frankly hating the concept of reading in general. I wanted to give up and probably would have had my mom not insisted I continue. She forced me through picture book after picture book, and with each one I declared that I would never like reading on my own. One day, however, something changed. I opened up a book and the strange marks that decorated the pages weren’t just strange marks anymore–they were words. A new world was unlocked to me, and, in that instant, what had been hatred turned into a deep, unfailing love. That love, though it wasn’t love at first sight, is still burning today, getting stronger with each book I read and story I write.

One of my favorite works of literature is Kate Chopin’s The Awakening.

 

Hello, I’m Mauri Pollard

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I’m a poet, a football fanatic, a believer in paper books, and a wannabe Parisian. And I’m an English Major.

Mauri Pollard

Me in front of the house in The Notebook.

Throughout my whole I have had passion for words. Whether it was writing them or reading them, words have always seemed like a genre of music to me. I love poetry, reading and also writing, and my favorite poet is Sylvia Plath. Another passion of mine is the language of French, and along with it, the city of Paris. Although I have never been, I feel like I belong there and am planning on going on a study abroad to Paris sometime in the next few years. I know everything there is to know about Harry Potter and The Great Gatsby is one of the best books ever written. I love my friends, family, football, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

One of my favorite stories is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.

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