Meet the Graduate Students

Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, including undergraduate programs in English or other disciplines. While some have recently completed their undergraduate work, many are returning students hoping to energize their craft, switch careers, or pursue their passion for language, literature, and writing.

Some of our students grew up and attended college in the Midwest; others have come from across the country or from overseas to study at K-State.

You can find out more about some of our graduate students below. If you'd like to contact a current master's candidate to hear more about the program from a student's perspective, please email gradeng@ksu.edu

Name: Faezeh Rostami

Hometown: Mashhad, Iran

Academic Concentration: Cultural Studies

Academic Interests: Film, TV, Feminism and Queer Studies

The Best Part of My Experience at K-State

The best part of my experience at K-State has been the people. Everyone has been extremely helpful and kind, especially those in the English department, who made me feel truly welcome. I also love the variety of events and opportunities to connect with people from different backgrounds.

What Makes K-State’s M.A. in English Special?

What makes K-State's M.A. in English so special is that it offers different tracks, so you can try out a few and figure out what you’re really into. The department is smaller, so you get a lot of individual help and feedback, which makes a big difference in grad school. Plus, the chance to become a GTA and get a stipend is pretty awesome and definitely helps with finances.

Master's Project Title (2nd Years Only)

"Dystopia as Human Choice: Reimagining Technological Fear through Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror"

Name: Watson Lee

Hometown: Huntsville, Alabama

Academic Concentration: Creative Writing & Literature with a focus on Fiction.

Academic Interests: Being a southerner, I am primarily interested in southern stories and folklore. The south has a rich history of storytelling, both written and spoken, that is critically undervalued by the arts. My goal is to explore and highlight stories from my birthplace while creating my own.

The Best Part of My Experience at K-State

The best part of my experience at K-State has been teaching some enthusiastic classes while also collaborating with writers and scholars from all over the world.

What Makes K-State’s M.A. in English Special?

The comraderie found at K-State is truly special. People from various heritages and backgrounds all come together and work to further our understanding and appreciation of literature and writing.

Master's Project Title (2nd Years Only)

"Hollywood, Alabama. County Road 33"

Name: Cariana Kut

Hometown: N/A

Academic Concentration: Creative Writing

Academic Interests: Creative Writing, YA & Children’s Lit, Victorian Lit

The Best Part of My Experience at K-State

Using the library resources like ILL to further my research.

What Makes K-State’s M.A. in English Special?

I think the community is one of the things that makes the program special.

Name: Caitlyn Crane

Hometown: Snyder, TX

Academic Concentration: Creative Writing

Academic Interests: Fiction, Poetry, Children’s Literature, Classical and Medieval Literature, Contemporary Literature

The Best Part of My Experience at K-State:

The best part of my experience here has been being able to teach. This is my first time teaching, and this program has really helped prepare me for that. They have really helped me be confident in my teaching, and this experience has helped me decide that I want to continue teaching at the collegiate level in my career.

What Makes K-State’s M.A. in English Special:

The people in the program, both my peers and the faculty, are what make this program special. Everyone is so willing to help you achieve your interests and to see you flourish. I feel like I can write and research what I want to. My peers are supportive, and the faculty help make sure my writing is at the level it needs to be.

Name: Taylor Axtell

Hometown: Montezuma, KS

Academic Concentration: Literature

Academic Interests: I am focusing on how to best promote literacy in middle school education.

The Best Part of My Experience at K-State:

I’ve enjoyed the community and activities that Manhattan offers, including local organizations, downtown shopping, hiking trails on the prairie, on-campus events, and especially the English department at KSU.

What Makes K-State’s M.A. in English Special?:

The K-State English department is especially good at catering to graduate students’ unique academic goals. The English graduate cohort has a wide array of research and study interests, and the faculty here dedicates time and variation to open opportunities for each of them.

Name: Maria Tardiff

Hometown: Willard, Kansas

Academic Concentration: Literature

Academic Interests: Victorian Literature and Culture, Elegiac Poetry, Thomas Hardy.

The Best Part of My Experience at K-State:

Interacting with the most brilliant and supportive professors and colleagues.

What Makes K-State’s M.A. in English Special?:

It’s a small program, so you get to know everyone, and that means you never feel alone. There’s always someone who has done whatever you’re attempting before, and their wise advice gives you the confidence to persevere.

Name: Sydney Kelso

Hometown: Graham, WA

Academic Concentration: Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication

Academic Interests: The gothic, pop culture, and the way those two intersect with rhetoric

The Best Part of My Experience at K-State:

I've loved being a part of the English MA community! It's been great to be with so many people with similar interests as me, both in terms of professional goals and academic interests.

What Makes K-State’s M.A. in English Special?:

The training that we get before we start teaching is so incredibly useful!

Name: Ruth Andem Okon

Hometown: Calabar, Nigeria

Academic Concentration: Cultural Studies

Academic Interests: Feminism, film, pop culture, AI and war technologies in media.

The Best Part of My Experience at K-State:

The best part of my K-State experience is the professional development and volunteering opportunities available to students. s

What Makes K-State’s M.A. in English Special?:

What makes the M.A. in English special is the supportive community fostered by the faculty and students in the program.