English Alumni Spotlight: Kelly (Taylor) Strobel

On a daily basis, I still find myself reflecting on the many lessons I have learned from the AU English professors. When building rapport with my students, I think back to the personal touch Dr. Lehman brought to class in sharing his stories about South Africa. When instructing my students to cite details from a text, I recall the arduous task of analyzing a single word in Dr. Weaver’s classes. When teaching students about the message of tolerance and the value of human life in reading The Diary of Anne Frank or how to understand the humorous dialogue in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I remember the insightful discourse from Dr. Saslaw’s Jewish Literature and Shakespeare classes. When leading a discussion, I recall the questioning techniques of Dr. Waterman. When calling on hesitant students to participate, I think back to nervously reading my non-fiction in Dr. Mackall’s class; ultimately, going outside my comfort zone made me a better writer. When planning engaging activities, I remember how much I enjoyed watching Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and analyzing its title from the line in “Eloisa to Abelard” in Dr. Donatini’s class. Read more at Englishatashland.blogspot.com