Cultural Studies Concentration

Rafaella Silva, 2024

How did you choose your specific area of study?
I love English, and I love learning about cultures and subcultures that differ from my own. Seeing that Mason was one of the only programs with an MA in cultural studies through an English department perspective made it my automatic first choice when looking at graduate schools. 

How did your academic experiences in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences impact you?
I always say that my bachelor’s degree gave me the tools I needed to understand the literary world, and my master’s degree gave me the theory as to why I needed those tools in the first place, which tremendously expanded my literary knowledge. My master’s made me fall in love with English all over again but in a new, deeper way. 

Of which accomplishment(s) during your time at Mason are you most proud?
Academically: Writing an academic paper about the Britney Spears conservatorship through the lens of fan culture and social media, mental health, feminism and race, and bodily autonomy. This is why I love cultural studies!

Professionally: Being hired as the Graduate Admissions Outreach Manager for the English Department in December 2022.

Are there faculty or staff members who made a difference during your Mason career?
Am I allowed to say everyone?

The English Department staff are some of the kindest, most helpful people I've ever met. I look forward to seeing them every week. (Extra special thank you to Jay Patel, the English Department Graduate Coordinator, for answering my consistent "what if" advising questions.)

Dr. Eric Anderson is a fellow horror lover like myself who is always ready to talk about what vampires, werewolves, and final girls mean for horror literature. He also gives in-depth feedback on all work and is dedicated to positively impacting your studies. I appreciate him greatly.

What advice would you give to an incoming cohort of graduate students?
Leave impostor syndrome at the door!

What are your current career plans following graduation? What are your long-term career goals?
Staying at Mason!!! Since I am the Graduate Admissions Outreach Manager for the English Department, my time at Mason isn’t over! Come say hi if you have English grad school questions!