English Department Ambassadors

Literature exists without boundaries. Recognizing the limitlessness of language, the English Department Ambassadors are dedicated to showing Duke students the powerful manner in which studying English grants us access to a heightened understanding of our own selves and timeless truths of the human psyche. The English Department Ambassadors serve as liaisons for the greater Duke student body and the English Department, hosting campus outreach events to facilitate dialogue between current students, welcome new majors, and encourage prospective Duke students to explore the humanities.

Alexis Ashley

alexis.ashley@duke.edu

Alexis Ashley is a senior from Ocala, Florida majoring in Public Policy with minors in English and Theater Studies. She enjoys exploring the connections between writing, literature, history, and politics, and knows that minoring in English will allow her to continue to do so. Alexis believes that reading, understanding, and analyzing the lived experiences of other people, especially those in marginalized communities, can create the empathy necessary to move society towards greater equality. For this reason, she highly recommends that every student, regardless of their major, take an English course while at Duke. Alexis has loved all the English classes she’s taken here but particularly enjoyed Crime Literature taught by Professor Michael D’Alessando. One of Alexis’ goals in life is to read all of Jane Austen’s novels. On campus, you can find her listening to the piano while studying in the Wellness Center, working with the Duke Presidential Ambassadors, or reading on Main Quad when it’s sunny.

Olivia Foster

olivia.foster@duke.edu

Olivia Foster is a sophomore from London, England and is exploring the path towards an English major. She loves that studying English has allowed her to engage with nuanced literary meaning whilst enriching her study of other humanities, including Philosophy and Art History.

She is captivated by visual poetry, particularly that of E.E Cummings, as the reader is compelled to interact with written language as they would an artistic image. The intersection of literature and art is something she is interested to consider further, specifically when thinking about the depiction of female beauty. She has recently delved into this topic by reading Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, in which an enigmatic, androgynous beauty is created by the author.

Olivia hopes to study many more English courses in the future but is currently enjoying her ‘Dystopian Fiction’ writing course. She also volunteers for Ballet & Books, an organisation that promotes storytelling through both reading and dance. Over the next 4 years at Duke, she is looking forward to reading and writing creatively, while also inspiring others through shared literary passions.

Daniella Freedman

daniella.freedman@duke.edu

Daniella Freedman is a junior from North Salem, NY, planning to major in English and minor in Journalism. Her favorite part of studying English has been the way in which it challenges her to adopt multiple perspectives, and to see the world in a new way every day. She believes wholeheartedly in the immense power of words, and that what we say and write can change the world. Daniella’s favorite English class thus far (though it sadly didn’t count for the major) has been “Poetry and Magic,” during which she learned how to read Tarot cards.

On any given morning, you can find Daniella sleeping as late as humanly possible, but by the afternoon and evening she’ll have made it to the Sarah Duke Gardens to study, or to write for one of the magazines that she’s a part of. She’s happy to answer questions about the best English classes to take, how to get involved with writing on campus, or what to order at Cafe.

Natalia Harnisch

natalia.harnisch@duke.edu

Natalia Harnisch is a senior suburb of Chicago called River Forest and is planning on double majoring in English and International Comparative Studies. Her favorite short story is Edgar Allen Poe’s “Fall of the House of Usher”, and she enjoys writing poetry, as she sees it as a beautiful way to express oneself. She is loving her Spanish Global Humanities course taught by Professor Mulligan, in which she has been able to explore the complex philosophical, metaphorical, and symbolistic writing of such authors as Silvina Ocampo, Julio Cortázar, and Jorge Luis Borges.

Natalia sees English, in terms of writing and literature, as one of the most valuable art forms, and is excited for the English courses that await her at Duke. She has a love of all art forms, as she also does photography, music, dance, and painting. She is of Hispanic heritage and hopes to combine her love of literature and writing in both Spanish and English to become an immigration lawyer and help minorities fight for their rights.

Madison Mikayelyan

madison.mikayelyan@duke.edu

Madison Mikayelyan is a junior from New York City planning to major in English and minor in Japanese. She loves studying English because it encourages her to slow down and pay closer attention to details and to the relationship between content and structure. She is a firm believer in the importance of literature, since language and critical thinking are invaluable in any field you may pursue. She is especially interested in memoir as a genre and hopes to continue exploring not only how we define genre, but also the space between them. Most importantly, she values literature’s ability to connect people across both time and place and hopes it continues to inspire students to engage with new perspectives. At Duke, her favorite creative writing class has been Introduction to the Writing of Creative Nonfiction: Creating Reality with Dr. Shuman, and her favorite literature class has been Single American Author: Emily Dickinson with Dr. Donahue.

On any given day, you can find Madison filming on BC for Duke Student Broadcasting, listening to the same five songs on repeat, or picking up a new hobby that probably requires far too many niche supplies. She’s always happy to answer questions about the English department or classes in general and is more than open to new book recommendations!

Kit Shauf

kit.shauf@duke.edu

Kit is a senior from Shelby, NC double majoring in English and biology. Their favorite English class so far has been Dr. Vadde's Fictionality and Virtuality course as part of their Virtual Realities FOCUS group. They enjoy exploring the intersections between STEM and literature both thematically and in methods of analyzing the world. They view English as not just the study of literature, but the study of humanity's various perspectives on the greater universe.

Kit's favorite novel genre is science fiction, from the haunting tales of Kazuo Ishiguro to the whimsical adventures of Douglas Adams. Since they were seven, their biggest dream has been to publish their own works of fiction and poetry. Kit is always happy to help with any questions regarding English, creative writing, and literature. They are particularly passionate about assisting anyone who is considering a degree in English but remains uncertain how it could fit into their future.

Halle Vazquez

halle.vazquez@duke.edu

Halle is a senior from Hendersonville, NC majoring in English and minoring in Journalism and Media Studies and Spanish. She loves studying English because she enjoys writing as a medium for creativity and advocacy, and Duke’s English Department community has offered her a space to improve her craft, challenge her own ideas, and thrive among other writers. She is particularly interested in the intersections of democracy and art, and the ways in which writing can uplift the cultures and experiences of marginalized communities. Because of this, she hopes to use her experience as an English major to pursue a career in journalism. She has enjoyed a variety of English classes at Duke, but her particular favorites are Cathy Shuman’s “Intro to Creative Non-fiction” class and Dr. Sarah Beckwith’s “Shakespeare on Love” class. Her favorite novels are Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.

Outside of the English Department, you can find Halle reporting for The 9th Street Journal, writing poetry, or weightlifting, and she loves coffee, baking, and anything to do with autumn. She’s happy to answer any questions about the English Department and journalism over a Bella Union coffee or a Duke Gardens stroll!

See Past English Department Ambassadors