Meet the Student Representatives (SRs) and Associate Student Representatives (ASRs)
Eastern Region
Email: sigmatd.e@gmail.com
Sean Cullen - Student Representative (SR)
Alvernia University
Reading, PA
Sean Cullen is currently working towards his M.A. in Liberal Studies at Alvernia University located in Reading, PA, where he is also a Teaching Assistant. Sean splits much of his time between Reading and where he grew up in Northern New Jersey. He has a broad range of interests that include theatre, films, reading, writing, music, lacrosse, technology, witty banter, culturally enriching tidbits, recycling (particularly when it is convenient), and cooking. Sean's favorite band is Wilco, and he has a dog whose name is Steve. He hopes to continue his education to pursue a Ph.D. in English, Communication, or Leadership. Sean has leadership experience, management skills, and several ideas that he feels will benefit Sigma Tau Delta. He idolizes the late Steve Prefontaine who said, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."
Marta Paczkowska - Associate Student Representative (ASR)
The College of New Jersey
Trenton, NJ
Marta Paczkowska was born in Olsztyn, Poland, and has always had an affinity for languages. She is an English major, with minors in Spanish and Marketing, and will be graduating from The College of New Jersey in May 2011. Marta's future plans change on a regular basis, but at the moment she is determined to enter the field of book publishing. While exploring her own options, Marta hopes to help her fellow English majors discover opportunities for future careers by organizing networking events/career fairs for the Eastern Region.
In regards to her literary interests, Marta has always been drawn to contemporary novels that fuse mainstream American culture with ethnic backgrounds, such as the works of Junot Diaz, and any exploration of different cultures. She is a collector of new information, an ardent tea drinker, and the fastest walker you will ever meet, but otherwise likes to take her time.
Far Western Region
Email: sigmatd.fw@gmail.com
Derek Schweitzer - Student Representative (SR)
Dixie State College
St. George, UT
Derek Schweitzer is in the end stages of his English degree at Dixie State College of Utah and has been accepted into the Secondary Education Teaching Program at Dixie State College. His focus is on English education and he wants to teach high school English after he completes the teaching program. Derek is currently the Treasurer for Dixie State's Alpha Pi Epsilon Chapter and will continue working closely with his chapter next year. He has recently left the restaurant business after 18 years to pursue what he believes to be his true calling--English.
Derek currently lives in St. George, Utah (where he hopes to teach someday soon) with his wife and high school sweetheart of 16 years. He has five children, two dogs, three cats, a turtle, and a Utopian society of fish.
Linda Wells (ASR) - Associate Student Representative (ASR)
University of Idaho
Moscow, ID
Linda Wells is nearing the final stages of her education at the University of Idaho. While pursuing a B.A. in English Literature and Education, she serves as the Co-President of the Eta Chi Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta. She hopes to teach secondary English and, perhaps in the future, serve as a Peace Corps volunteer. She has taken up leadership roles to be more involved and make a direct and positive impact in organizations and in her community. Linda takes delight in the works of J.D. Salinger and Allen Ginsberg, each of which offers insights into the English language as well as life.
In her spare time, Linda likes to stay involved with her sorority, Kappa Delta, and travel when the opportunity arises. Even when she doesn't know where the future will take her, she lives by the words of her grandmother Emma: "Never stop learning. What would life be if there was never anything new?"
High Plains Region
Email: sigmatd.hp@gmail.com
Michelle Webb - Student Representative (SR)
Fort Hays State University
Hays, KS
Michelle Webb is a senior at Fort Hays State University. She admittedly loves grammar and the "nerdom" that goes along with it. She plans to finish her B.A. in English Education with a minor in mathematics by spring 2011, and she will enroll for the master's program shortly thereafter. Her long-term goal is to earn her Ph.D. in English and to teach at a university much like Fort Hays. When she takes off her pocket protector, she thrives in the music world. She lives for the older groups--Fleetwood Mac (her absolute favorite), Elton John (whose autograph she possesses), Billy Joel, etc. She is an avid concert goer and loves hitting up as many as she possibly can.
Michelle decided to serve as a student leader because she has taken on several leadership roles at FHSU and wants to extend that leadership to a broader level. One of her main goals as a leader is to bring literature into the community, and she hopes to achieve this through her role as a Student Representative.
Janine Brooks - Associate Student Representative (ASR)
University of Omaha
Omaha, NE
Janine Brooks is a graduate student at the University of Omaha working on a master's degree in English, Early British Literature and an Advanced Writing Certificate. She hopes to continue on at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, to earn her Ph.D. in Women's Studies. Although teaching is a consideration, Janine is primarily interested in research as she wants to rebuild the lives of women who have been lost in the old texts; oh, and she desires to write epic fantasies. A nontraditional student, Janine graduated from the College of St. Mary in 2008, summa cum laude, and as one of its distinguished scholars. When not focused on school or her work, Janine advocates for change in the state of Nebraska when it comes to the care of children with profound mental illness; she also soap-boxes for adults-with-autism to receive services that would allow for them to live independently in the state. Presently, she serves as the secretary to Alphabet Soup Kids, Inc. (ASK), and also is the webmaster to the organization's website. She also teaches a forensic science lab, on occasion, at the College of St. Mary and works as the UNO Chemistry Department's staff assistant. Janine says, "As ASR, I want to encourage better communication between the chapters so we may readily support each other on a regional level."
Midwestern Region
Email: sigmatd.mw@gmail.com
Emily Spunaugle - Student Representative
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, IL
Emily Spunaugle, a native Kansan, is currently a sophomore at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois, where she is studying English, political science, and the art of abbreviated sleep. She works as a teaching assistant in the English Department, but also loves her job in the library where she is surrounded by bound, dusty friends. After her undergraduate servitude, Emily plans on continuing her education to become a college professor. A music enthusiast, connoisseur of fine teas, and avid ink pen collector, Emily looks forward to serving Sigma Tau Delta's Midwestern Region.
Shea Hartmann Hodges - Associate Student Representative (ASR)
Morningside College
Sioux City, IA
Shea Hartmann Hodges is currently a student at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. She is double majoring in Art: Studio Design and English: Creative Writing and expects to graduate with her B.A. in 2011. She is currently the President of Morningside's Gamma Beta Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta.
Shea is a non-traditional student; she graduated high school in 1999, got married in 2000, and started her family. She has three boys, who are eight, six, and three years old, and they keep her busy. She decided to go college in 2007 to pursue a degree in Art and English because she loves to paint and write. Her goal is to write a children's book series, and because her oldest son and she both have dyslexia, it is important to her to depict a main character who has a learning disability. She wants the world to know that they are just as smart and talented as any other student.
She is very proud and honored to be part of Sigma Tau Delta. Shea's college experience has shown her that in spite of her learning disability, she can be an active part of an honor society. Being President of her chapter is a challenge, but they have been able to make their presence known on campus in positive ways. She is excited to be more involved with Sigma Tau Delta as the ASR for the Midwestern Region.
Southern Region
Email: sigmatd.s@gmail.com
Atinuke Sode - Student Representative (SR)
Barry University
Miami Shores, FL
Atinuke (Tina) Sode will graduate in May 2010 from Barry University with a B.A. in English Literature and a minor in Africana Studies. As a first generation Nigerian-American whose parents are both native Nigerians, she was taught to speak and understand both Yoruba and English when she was a child. Her first trip to Nigeria in 2001 was a life-changing experience that prompted her to minor in Africana Studies, and her studies have had a "deeply profound" affect on the development of her identity and character. She thoroughly enjoys the creative process of writing and the critical inquiry and discovery that it provokes. In her limited free time, Tina volunteers as a Guardian Ad Litem for Miami-Dade County, advocating on behalf of the needs of minor children who are in harmful and abusive situations.
Sarah Fredericks - Associate Student Representative (ASR)
Auburn University, Montgomery
Montomery, AL
Sarah Fredericks is in the MLA program at Auburn University Montgomery (AUM) and plans on pursuing her Ph.D. after she completes her master's thesis. As a Graduate Assistant she is currently partnering with several faculty members on literary as well as pedagogical projects, focusing on, for example, the constructivist use of technology in the classroom to teach literature or compiling research about Kate Chopin into manuscript form. Originally from Texas, Sarah has lived for the last four years in Alabama, where she received her B.A. in English in 2009 from AUM. After two years of slinging coffee for Starbucks, she presently works as a writing tutor at AUM's Learning Center. She is also the President of Omicron Psi, AUM's Sigma Tau Delta chapter. Sarah is excited about the opportunity to help promote excellence in English language studies throughout the Southern Region and across the nation by fostering inter-chapter relationships and regional chapter partnerships.
Southwestern Region
Email: sigmatd.sw@gmail.com
Jarrod Russell - Student Representative (SR)
Southern Arkansas University
Magnolia, AR
Jarrod Russell is currently attending Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Arkansas, and is on track to graduate in spring 2012 with a B.A. in English. With his major in English and his minor in Political Science, he battles between wanting to go to law school and wanting to go to graduate school for English. He could always do both.
Jarrod didn't travel far to go to college. He was raised in Ashdown, Arkansas, about an hour and a half from Southern Arkansas University. St. Louis was Jarrod's first convention and he can't wait to travel to Pittsburgh for the 2011 convention. As the 2010-2011 Student Representative for the Southwestern Region, he looks forward to working with members on a regional level. Jarrod would love to hear from you all, with concerns, suggestions, and to simply just talk.
Ellie Douglass - Assistant Student Representative (ASR)
St. Edward's University
Austin, TX
Ellie Douglass is studying English Literature with a focus in Creative Writing at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. Along with being an Associate Student Representative for the 2010-2011 academic year, she is also the head editor of a new Literary Arts Journal for the Southwestern Region, Open Ear of the Universe. Her current goals are to continue to write and to be an active part of her writing community. After undergraduate school, Ellie would like to study in an M.F.A. program, work in publishing, or maybe teach in underprivileged communities. Ellie feels the goals and interests of Sigma Tau Delta match well with her own, and she looks forward to serving as a student leader to better participate and to help members of the Southwestern Region benefit from their Sigma Tau Delta experience.