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Cole Shepard

Portrait of Cole Shepard

Advisor

Janet Winston

Cole Shepard, 2023

Thesis:

I am currently in the MA in English program. Humboldt State University was also where I got my bachelor’s degree—the wonderful faculty here did not make my decision to come back for my Master’s very difficult. The program has been a blast so far, and the faculty have been very accommodating with my less-than-typical English department project. Along the way, I have seen nothing but support, everyone in the department I talk about my project with providing me with new resources and new insights. I’ve been researching and writing about postcapitalism and its surrounding conversations. I’m interested in seeing how people envision a future without capitalism and how they expect us to get there, and I’m casting a wide net for answers. This has led me all around the academic world from queer and Indigenous scholars to sociologists and anthropologists to philosophers and politicians. Every field has a vested interest in re-examining our relationship to capitalism, and my goal is to trace where those conversations are going. When not knee-deep in homework, I am pursuing miscellaneous creative endeavors, like writing, drawing, or music production.

Allison Iafrate

Portrait of Allison Iafrate

Advisor

Janelle Adsit

Allison Iafrate, 2022

Thesis:

I’m Allison, I’m 24, and I’m in my last semester of the MA in Applied English program. When I’m not working or taking classes, I like to go on walks outside, buy discount flowers and plant them in the garden, pet dogs, and watch Netflix. I grew up in the Central Valley of California and went to community college there. I transferred up to HSU as a junior and got my BA in English: Writing Practices with a minor in Anthropology. I applied to this grad program right after getting my BA, mostly because I wasn’t sure what to do with my life yet so I figured that I could keep being a student for a while! When I first started, I didn’t really have an idea of what I wanted to study, so if you’re in that boat too, no worries! There were plenty of really cool ideas in the grad classes that got me started and helped me find a topic that interested me. I've enjoyed the variety of skills that this program has given me, and the wonderful people I have met.

Natalie Ray

Portrait of Natalie Ray

Advisor

Janelle Adsit

Natalie Ray, 2019

Thesis:

Currently I am employed as a Support Specialist for Coast Central Credit Union, which is a locally invested credit union here in Humboldt County. My primary job is providing outreach for our older members within the community. We work to ensure they are protected financially by providing them with access to remote banking services. My department and its work has become invaluable with the lasting duration of COVID. The research I did for my MA project not only honed my professional skills and interpersonal abilities, but also, as I compiled my research, instilled in me a lasting compassion for our local community and history. I hold this fervor with me still as I assist our community with their financial services, and as we do our best to help them navigate an uncertain future.

Mary Lipiec

Portrait of Mary Lipiec

Advisor

Janelle Adsit

Mary Lipiec, 2023

Thesis:

My MA research project, "Nothing About Us: Three Models of Disability in Three Works of Literary Fiction," takes a "theory in the flesh" approach to applying some basic threshold concepts of disability theory (namely, three models of disability that act as framing devices for how disability is viewed) to three different novels that feature main characters who are disabled in order to determine how those novels frame disability. The MA program allowed me to read a wide range of texts and theories, which not only strengthened my research and writing skills, but helped me think more creatively about literature and the world at large.

Jonathan Abidari

Portrait of Jonathan Abidari

Advisor

Lisa Tremain

Jonathan Abidari, 2021

Thesis:

I have been a writing tutor and instructional assistant at HSU, and I have taught English as a foreign language in China. My MA research project focused on first-year composition pedagogy. Specifically, I examined the implications of multimodality on the composition classroom. My research was aligned with that of veteran scholars in the fields of digital humanities and composition and rhetoric who look to bring composition instruction into a new era that incorporates digital technologies and their potential to deliver multimodal content. The goal of composition instruction is to cultivate critical thinking and rhetorical awareness in our students. In our current society, digital literacy is often a requirement for engaging in critical discourse, and my work explores how instructors can assist their students in attaining all the literacies necessary for their academic and ensuing professional careers. I live locally in Arcata, California where I can be found peddling a variety of tomes at local independent bookseller Northtown Books. The experience and rhetorical awareness I gained from completing the MA in Applied English Studies serves me well in this occupation, and I hope to find even more applications in future professional contexts.

Jason Stibi

Portrait of Jason Stibi

Advisor

Suzanne Scott

Jason Stibi, 2017

Thesis:

I decided to pursue a master's degree in English because of my passion for language and my desire to deepen my understanding of how English functions as a tool for communication. Earning an advanced degree provided me with the skills and knowledge necessary to teach effectively, engage with diverse texts, and help others appreciate the richness of the English language. Additionally, it has allowed me to specialize in areas such as Business English and English for Specific Purposes, enhancing my ability to meet the varied needs of students around the world.

What I enjoyed most about my master's program in English was the opportunity to immerse myself in diverse literary works and linguistic studies. The program fostered a deep appreciation for the intricacies of language and the power of storytelling. I benefited from the stimulating discussions with professors and peers, which broadened my perspectives and enriched my understanding of different cultures and ideas. The program's emphasis on pedagogy and critical analysis helped me develop a strong academic foundation, while the practical teaching methodologies I learned have been invaluable in my career as an English teacher.

I am currently self-employed, teaching Business English in Central Europe, where I work with professionals and students to enhance their language skills for career advancement and effective communication in global settings. In addition to teaching, I run English Refresher, a website dedicated to English language learners. Through this platform, I provide comprehensive lesson plans, insightful language tips, and practical learning resources tailored to learners at all stages of their journey. This venture allows me to combine my passion for teaching with my commitment to creating accessible, high-quality educational content for a diverse audience.

Aaron Laughlin

Portrait of Aaron Laughlin

Advisor

Michael Eldridge

Aaron Laughlin, 2021

Thesis:

My work in the MA in English program was primarily concerned with how stories help people construct social realities and conceive of relationships between the self and the world. With a bachelor’s degree in religious studies, I extended my interest in studying religion and myth to my work in English Studies to understand further the role of stories in relation to meaning-making and identity. For my culminating MA project, I studied Indigenous literature and theories of myth to reconsider and revise academic and popular paradigms about myth and its function. My work found that, for many Indigenous theorists, creating and maintaining relationships of health and balance between the many interconnected inhabitants of the world depends on myth, understood as a medicinal, visionary, creative storytelling potential. The MA in English program opened the door for my work as a managing editor and digital designer at HSU Press. With HSU press, I managed HSU’s interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed ideaFest journal for two years, and edited and designed many additional journals, books, and magazine layouts. The program helped me cultivate a skill set for working with language, whether it be through critical reading, writing, editing, facilitating, collaboration, or discussion. Perhaps more than anything, the MA in English program has helped me understand the many ways language acts on ourselves and the world, in order to help foster meaningful and ethical change.

Cassandra (Curatolo) Johnson

Portrait of Cassandra (Curatolo) Johnson

Advisor

Janet Winston

Cassandra (Curatolo) Johnson, 2018

Thesis:

I currently work as the Administrative Coordinator for Transforming Post Secondary Education in Mathematics, a grant-funded organization that mobilizes faculty leaders, university administrations, membership associations and relevant disciplinary societies around student success and teaching faculty support initiatives. As a graduate student, I studied Postmodernism, postcolonial subjectivity, Asian American narratives, and the socio-historical relationship between Japan and the United States. I was interested in cultural mythology and the idea of a national collective imaginary – specifically the ways that these phenomena shape our identities and our understanding of others, and therefore our material realities. The MA program offered a space for me to combine my academic research and my family’s history, making the project all the more meaningful. I rely heavily on the skills I developed as a graduate student at my current position. Written communication is at the core of the internal and public-facing work I do for TPSE Math. As a grad student, I studied rhetoric, dialectics and disciplinary communities of practice. So, while I do not have a background in STEM, having a deep understanding of how disciplinary cultures and communities are formed and interact has helped me participate meaningfully in conversations about math education. The critical framework I developed during my graduate studies is fundamental to the way I navigate all aspects of my life. In both of my professional experiences, I am always conscious of the power of storytelling. The community that surrounded me during my time as a graduate student continues to support me in personal and professional endeavors.
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