BA in English

Haley Bryn Adams, 2026

Degree: BA in English Literature

Hometown: Warrenton, Virginia

Future plans: Upon graduation, Haley plans to teach high school English while working toward her master of arts in English literature. She then hopes to pursue a doctoral degree and teach literature at the college level in the field of women and gender studies. 

Haley transferred to George Mason from a community college, where her favorite professor, Professor Donohue (a George Mason graduate student), taught. She admired her and credits her classes in world literature and women's literature as the reasons she decided to pursue her degree in English literature.  

“She made literature interesting and accessible, teaching the value, depth, and nuance without the pompousness that made it intimidating. I figured if she enjoyed George Mason, I would too, and I was right."

Favorite George Mason memories: As a commuter student, she didn’t spend much time on campus but recalls enjoying watching George Mason students have fun in the snow, building snowmen and structurally impressive igloos. Most of her favorite memories, however, are from her classes.

“If a text was especially good and everyone was excited to talk about it, then we would have these moments of clarity come from discussions which were organic, comfortable, and full of laughter and enthusiasm."

Most impactful course: "Choosing which class impacted me most feels like choosing the most important piece of a puzzle. Seeing how each of my classes built off of the others was gratifying and inspiring. If I am asked to choose just one, it would be my Literature of the American Renaissance class with Professor David Kaufman. It was only my second semester at George Mason, and I was still pretty unsure of myself. In the classroom, he would call you out and really question your reasoning, which was scary at first but ultimately made me think more critically about my arguments and built up my confidence to speak up in other classes. His teaching style was unconventional, and so was his way of looking at a text. I find myself jumping back to ideas from his classes the most while reading, questioning the relation of the plot to the characters, the author to the work, and perhaps thinking a little too much about genre. I learned not only how to read better, but to write better in his classes because he pushed how I approach a work fundamentally.” 

Advice for future Patriots:  “Be brave! It can be very intimidating at first to speak up and participate in discussions or reach out to professors for advice or encouragement, but if you do, it will make your experience not only more rewarding, but more enjoyable. I was a transfer student from a small community college, so my first few classes were overwhelming, and I remember feeling inadequate compared to the other students. Once I realized comparing myself was only hindering my experience, I began participating more and more. Almost immediately, I found myself feeling excited for my classes, and more importantly, having a deeper understanding of what I was learning.”