On Thursday, May 28th, five graduating students from the Master’s in Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse (MAWRD) gave their exit presentations to faculty, classmates, family members, and friends. It was a successful event, thanks to the graduates’ engaging presentations that highlighted their unique journeys through the MAWRD. It was also a relaxed and collegial gathering: There was pizza and conversation, many appreciations and congratulations, and it was an ideal opportunity for current MA students to get a sneak peek of what their own exit presentations might look like.
The graduates shared where they started and how far they’ve come as scholars and writers in the program, and they presented some of the most impactful and creative projects they worked on over their time in WRD.
Liz Adames
Liz has been teaching writing for 26 years. For her, this program has been a way to keep up with current developments in the field of Writing Studies in order to support her work at College of DuPage (COD), where she is a tenured professor of English. Through the TAP program, TESOL certificate, and a project that examined modern students’ use of AI in composition, she strengthened her commitment to inclusive teaching, and took on projects that allowed her to learn more about diverse student populations.
Dylan Cabrera
Dylan began the MAWRD program interested in growing as a writer, teacher, and academic. In his presentation, he also expressed a commitment to student-centered teaching and diversity, and spoke about making connections with students in the TAP program and helping them feel confident and supported. Together with WRD faculty members, he presented on curriculum for a reading bridge program at the Illinois Association of Teachers of English conference in autumn of his second year in the program. Starting in fall, he will begin teaching first-year writing classes as an adjunct instructor at COD.
Callie McNorton
After entering the program, Callie quickly took interest in nonprofit work and ethical storytelling. She completed an internship with Refugee One, and later worked with them to develop a solicitation plan while earning her SWAN certificate. In addition to the practical skills, she also spoke about the identity she’s built as a communicator, listener, and critical thinker. Callie plans to work in nonprofit development, grant writing, or editing, and is interested in completing a PhD in the future.
Amelia Mills
Amelia highlighted their interest in multimodal text design and social justice: one of their projects involved creating a video game as a form of counterstory, and it raised several hundred dollars for Palestinian refugees (check it out at the link). They have a background working with unhoused neurodivergent and LGBTQ youths, as well as teaching geometry in a Chicago school. Post-graduation, they intend to continue working with students and immigrants, with the long-term goal of completing a PhD in rhetoric or a law degree—or possibly both!
Jillian Muncaster
Jillian came to the MAWRD program to learn about the relationship between language and power and to build skills in teaching and editing. Through coursework and experiences in the program, Jillian discovered that helping people is what feels most fulfilling. Key experiences that Jillian highlighted were completing the TESOL Certificate and TAP program, where they focused on fostering student agency through syllabus and activity design. Jillian spoke about building a scholarly identity with a chronic illness and shared that they plan to continue their research in disability studies as they begin teaching first-year writing as an adjunct instructor at COD this fall.
Congratulations to this year’s graduates! Their presentations were a joy to watch. We’re so proud of the work they’ve done, and we wish them luck as they continue to make the world a better place.