Dayna Verhey

I knew the program was exceptional, given my experience in undergrad, and wanted to further my work with professors who are both dedicated and passionate. I was given the amazing opportunity to work as a graduate assistant, and I jumped at the opportunity to teach a class of my own design. The learning experiences and opportunities presented were impossible to pass up, and I deeply respect and appreciate every professor I worked with both in undergrad and during my graduate program.

Every professor I worked with in the English department helped to shape me, but several stand out above that high bar. Dr. Lara Vetter challenged me consistently and helped me grow and change in so many positive ways. She always took the time to help where she could and support me and every other graduate assistant. Dr. Kirk Melnikoff, as well, helped shape my time in the program. He spent many hours helping me and guiding me through the process of being a graduate assistant and educator, and always offered advice that pushed me forward and helped me achieve more than I thought I could. Finally, Dr. Alan Rauch was a professor I will never forget. His enthusiastic support carried me through countless long days throughout my time there, and he helped time and time again to expand my understanding not just of my
work but the world as a whole. Each professor I mentioned, and really every one I worked with, is a person in my life that left a mark on my education (and truly on my life) that served to brighten and expand it.

I was involved in the graduate assistantship program, which was undoubtedly the best part of my experience in grad school. I had the opportunity to work closely with several professors and received a wealth of knowledge in return. The experience was incredibly valuable, as I discovered my passion for teaching through it, but I also got to connect with my professors in a more meaningful way. I spent more time with them than I ever would have otherwise, as I spent many, many hours in the English department.
They offered me insights that deeply impacted me and helped to shape my outlook on the world. Teaching, too, with the guidance of my mentors was enlightening. Additionally, this experience gave me the chance to pay off my Master’s degree much more quickly, given the stipends and financial support. Overall, the assistantship vastly improved my experience and was, arguably, the most valuable part of my time as a
graduate student.

Connect with your professors. Spend time with them. Learn from them. Laugh with them. The professors are the most valuable resource there, and while the classes they teach are wonderful and valuable, the bonds you build with them are incredibly helpful and rewarding as well. Find the professor who is interested in your field and drop by their office. Ask to get coffee. Talk, and then listen. Do a lot of listening, because
they have so much they’re willing to share and not a single thing is worth missing or forgetting. I had so many conversations with Dr. Rauch about, of all things, birds and cryptids, and I learned that I love crypto zoology! I discovered that Victorian literature and ecocriticism are points of fascination thanks to several conversations with different professors, as well. So, listen, and ask questions. They’re there to help you,
and they do a great job of it.