BA in English

Ryn Elizabeth Shoemaker, 2023

Do you have a particular standout course or professor from your time as an undergraduate student?

My absolute favorite class was Professor Vivek's Poetry Writing course. His energy and passion is so contagious and made our class feel like a family. Professor Hurley also had a huge impact on my time at Mason. She is such a caring and encouraging individual, and so scarily smart. Among many other professors, I will never forget these two and cherish every moment in class I had with them.

What activities were you involved in during your time at Mason that impacted you the most? 

 I took ASL as my language and loved every second of learning the language. Both professors I had, Professor Pillai and Professor Taylor, were wonderful to learn from and have caused me to want to continue learning ASL and attending deaf events outside of Mason. If I had planned to stay another semester, I would have gotten a minor in ASL.  Being in the Honors College opened me to so many focalized and fascinating classes. I was able to explore so many interesting theories, concepts, and cultural productions through these classes that I value greatly. I have learned so many things at Mason and I'm extremely grateful for the multiple professors I can thank for that.

Share a memorable "Mason moment."

I have several very memorable moments from Mason, but if I had to pick one it would be finding out I got my poem published in GMU's Literary and Art's Journal, Volition, in Spring 2023. During Professor Vivek's Poetry Writing class I wrote a poem I instantly fell in love with titled "I hope you have this memory too." During our class, one or two students would share the poem they had written for the week and after submitting that poem I knew I wanted to present mine next class. Professor Vivek gave me a look when it was time for students to raise their hand if they wanted to share, and it's as if we both knew this poem was special. I shared my poem and my class, who are or more less a family to me, gave the best and most unexpected reaction. I have always been scared of sharing my work, yet Professor Vivek knows exactly how to encourage his students, and after that moment in class I had enough courage to submit that poem to Volition. After anxiously waiting a month for the response email, I lost my breath reading the email saying the poem had been accepted. It was such a monumental, celebratory moment for me. I had never submitted anything I've written to any journal or contest, let alone had it published in a journal - words cannot describe the feelings I felt. I had so many family and friends who were excited for me and I was stunned at the fact I would be a published poet before I graduated. It is a moment I still look on extremely fondly, and it encouraged me to submit to Volition again. I'm proud to say I have had a second poem published in Volition, and now as I'm graduating I will be a two-time published poet. Vivek and the students in that class are so special to me and have impacted me in ways they do not know. I am immensely grateful I was able to meet them at Mason.

Reflecting on your time at Mason, what is one piece of advice you would give a student who is just starting off on their Mason journey?

Coming from an introvert, don't be afraid to talk in class. Share your ideas and your questions and whatever connections you can possibly make to the material! You'll learn something new or maybe make a friend from what you said, even if what you say isn't revolutionary. As scary as it can be, sometimes it's best to share what's on your mind and you never know what good can come from it.

What is your next step?

I'm currently job hunting and have no present plans to continue my education. I am the proud co-owner of a small business making artisanal soaps and we have plans to continue expanding our business in the coming year. I also have been exploring the idea of securing an online writing job, then buying a van to travel across the US. While I have no concrete plans for the future, I'm extremely excited to keep learning new things every day and see where life brings me next.