Student Spotlight

*Since this original post, Dr. Manning has completed her doctoral program and has accepted the position of Assistant Professor of English at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California, where she will specialize in poetry and linguistics. Katie and husband Jon also welcomed their first child Elliott to the family last winter. Congratulations all around!

Katie Manning

As a doctoral fellow in English at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, I am just at the beginning my dual career as a professor and poet, but my preparation for these vocations began when I was still an undergraduate student at PLNU. My LJML professors not only imparted to me the literary background and writing skills that I would need as a poet and teacher, but they also went out of their way to encourage me in these pursuits. Rick Hill frequently told me in advising conversations that my enthusiasm for literature and writing made me sound like an English professor; I had never considered that option before he mentioned it. Bettina Tate Pedersen praised my presentations in the many classes I took from her and gave me confidence in my ability to teach literary material to a group. Charlene Pate provided guidance and allowed me to plan and teach grammar workshops when I tutored in the Writers’ Studio, which is when I discovered that I enjoy teaching people about the technical aspects of writing as well. Kay Harkins told me on a few occasions that it was worth giving up some writing time to teach because she loved working with students, and she gave me tips about submitting my writing for publication as well. Several of the professors in this department have kept in touch with me during my graduate school years, and they continue to provide mentorship and encouragement from afar to this day. The department even hired me as a visiting professor for a year in between my M.A. and Ph.D. programs, providing me with important faculty experience and treating me as a valued colleague. I can say without exaggeration that I would not be who and what I am without the influence of this department.

Jennie Daniels: Spanish Major

When I began my freshman year at PLNU as a Spanish major, I had never considered earning a Ph.D. I only knew that I had chosen a program that would give me a good foundation in Spanish language, at a school where I could augment academic experience by living near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Now, as I finish a doctoral degree in Spanish and Portuguese Literature at the University of California, San Diego, I have realized that the Spanish major was more than an assortment of interesting classes in language, literature, history and linguistics. In LJML, I received a well-rounded education that prepared me for Latin American as well as Peninsular Studies, and honed my critical thinking and analytical writing skills. In addition, and perhaps most importantly, the LJML professors laid the groundwork for my understanding how to integrate Christian faith and academic learning through their professional but personal approach to teaching.