This quarter, WRD welcomed several new MA students from a range of academic and professional backgrounds. Here, each new student shares what they hope to learn and accomplish during their time in the program.
First, meet Bee. Bee (Baylee) Browning is a WRD graduate assistant in their first year of the MAWRD program. They attended the University of Central Arkansas, where they received their BA in Professional Writing. Bee hopes to pursue a career in writing pedagogy and working with marginalized populations.
Nan Denette is another first-year MAWRD student as well as a graduate assistant for DePaul’s Writing Center. She holds an MA in Religion, Literature & Visual Culture from the University of Chicago as well as a BA in Religious Studies and English Literature from the College of Wooster. Previously, she worked in writing centers and in nonprofit communications. While at DePaul, Nan is working toward teaching Writing and English professionally, either in a classroom setting or in a writing center.
Grace Von Lehman begins the MAWRD program as a graduate assistant in both the WRD Department and DePaul’s Writing Center. Grace received her BA in English and Communication from Marian University Indianapolis, where she led writing workshops and literacy events at various community organizations. Currently, she works with a literacy agency in Chicago to help advance adult education, and she hopes to hone her passions for public literacy and strategic storytelling throughout her time in WRD.
Finally, Christian Woodley comes to the MAWRD program with a BA in Communication and Rhetoric from Wheaton College and six years of experience in leadership development training and software sales. During his time in WRD, he hopes to explore the ways that communities and cultures are shaped by messages and the technologies they use to convey them. Outside of class and work, he enjoys biking, rock climbing, running marathons, writing poetry and short stories, and traveling the world with his wife, Elli.
We look forward to each of these students’ success as they begin the MA program with support from across the department. To learn more about individual students throughout the years and to stay up to date with new achievements, be sure to check out our “Student Spotlights” in Student and Alumni News.