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Nancy Knowles
Professor of English/Writing
Employer: Eastern Oregon University
Job description: I teach 36 quarter credits in person and online per academic year, including literature, first-year composition, grammar, and grant writing. I publish and present scholarly research and supervise students in approximating professional scholarly work. I contribute to campus and community endeavors.
About Nancy
Why did you choose this program?
I wanted to "be a writer" and thought a master's program would give me time to write. I applied to Cal Poly Humboldt because a childhood friend of mine had gotten his bachelor's degree there and recommended it. He also once recommended I ride a sled head first, and I hit a tree! :) My excellent experience at Humboldt was a watershed moment in my life.
How did this program prepare you for your job?
I learned that I liked teaching more than writing, although I still do both. I learned to teach by interning with multiple faculty members, tutoring first-year writing students, teaching first-year writing under supervision, and collaborating on teaching practice in the Redwood Writing Project. I was MUCH better prepared for teaching than peer Ph.D. students who had a week's orientation before being thrown into classrooms with young adults who were only three months out of high school! I learned to write concise, effective scholarly arguments; to research them using credible sources; to present my ideas to other scholars; and to publish them. My first scholarly publication came out of a master's course on Virginia Woolf taught by Kathleen Doty. My first scholarly presentation was a collaboration arising from work completed during the Redwood Writing Project Summer Institute. I'm sure having presented and published before applying for a Ph.D. made me look more professional in the application process. I also began a lifetime engagement with feminism and social justice. I spent a whole year at Humboldt angry at feminism before I was able to recognize that the theory actually applied to my life! I'm grateful to faculty for their patience with my learning curve.
What did you enjoy most about the program?
The program was small, so faculty and students knew one another well. I even took an Emily Dickinson class hosted at a professor's home. I got individualized attention from faculty who supported me in making key next steps in the professionalization of my teaching, scholarship, and writing. I also have many lifelong friends and colleagues from my time at Humboldt.
What would you say to prospective students who are thinking about applying to this program?
At the time I studied at Humboldt, there were two M.A. degrees, literature and teaching writing. The requirements for one could be used as the electives in the other. The combination was excellent preparation for the reality of college-level teaching where half or more of one's load might be composition rather than literature. It appears that the current M.A. covers both areas. I would recommend that combination to future teachers and to writers who may not yet think they could love teaching.
In addition to gaining a quality education from Humboldt, I enjoyed the opportunity to live in the redwoods. Whenever I visit, it always feels like coming home. Thanks, Cal Poly Humboldt!