Curricular Experiences
OMSAR Scholars Seminar, Fall 2023
This course was a space for my cohort of fellow Appalachian, Templeton, Urban, and Rankin Scholars to gather and discuss weekly. Led by Dr. Micah McCarey, our group focused on appreciative inquiry. The guidance and community provided by this course allowed me to reconcile with the intersectionalities of my identity as a queer, rural-Appalachia artist.
Intro to OHIO Honors, Fall 2023
This course introduced me to the OHIO Honors pathways of Community Engagement, Research & Creative Activity, and Leadership. Through class discussions and guest speaker events, I learned about the nuances of Research & Creative activity. I found myself interested in the pathway as a studio art major, and I recognized potential in adopting a more academic, research-based approach to my studio practice rather than a hobbyist approach.
HC Course: Family Matters, Fall 2024
This HC Course was one of my earliest introductions to an Athens-based community organization. Through the coursework, my class collaborated with New Leaf Justice Enterprises, a survivor support & advocacy program. My group was assigned the task of researching how to support survivors dealing with emotions of grief. As a group, we found that gentle monitoring and continuous comfort were methods of support.
Independent Study: Intro to Appalachian Culture & Literature, Spring 2025
This experience with Dr. Tiffany Arnold was my introduction to reflecting further on my own Appalachian identity & experiences as a southern Ohio native. Thanks to Dr. Arnold’s individualized approach and extensive library, she provided me with material providing historical context (Uneven Ground: Appalachia Since 1945, Ron D. Eller) and anthologies of contemporary voices (Walk Til the Dogs Get Mean, Ohio University Press). This experience equipped me with the content and inquiry to create more culturally informed work in my creative practice. I was also accepted into my first publication, Hindman Settlement School’s Untelling Literary Magazine: Issue 2.
HC Course: Backyard Conservation, Fall 2025
This HC course was led by Athens Land Conservancy board member Chris O’Bara, who provided historical context about national parks, land trusts, and public land. I really enjoyed the fieldwork attached to this course, as we visited the Lindy Roosenburg Preserve near Chauncey, OH. Instead of reseraching community engagement methodolgies, our class felt like a community engaging with natural resources.
HC Course: Above Ground & Below at Mammoth Cave, Spring Break 2026
My first ever OHIO study away experience, this course led by Dr. Geoff Buckley & Dr. Michelle O’Malley prioritized ecology, culture, and place-based learning. Prior to this course, I felt exhausted by the emotional labor required by my senior thesis work. This course gave me the opportunity to observe and reflect on Appalachian cultural practice as an outsider of a community rather than having the responsibility of representing it.
C Course: Community Engagement in Appalachian Health, Spring 2026
My second course with Dr. Tiffany Arnold, this experience gave me direct insight into community service and Appalachian foodways. Our class partnered with Community Food Initiaves, an Athens non-profit organization addressing food insecurity and providing locally-sourced food to those in need. This course greatly refined my Appalachian cultural competency, despite being relatively-local. I was also able to volunteer my creative skills to design for CFI’s annual Harvest Potato Giveway.
