Category: Senior Series

Gloria Galicia

Good morning everyone! I hope you all are enjoying your Friday! Today marks the sixth installment of our Senior Series and today our graduating senior is Gloria Galicia! Gloria is originally from Chicago, Illinois and Wausau, Wisconsin and has a major in English with a Creative Writing emphasis and a minor in Women and Gender Studies. Here is a little more about Gloria!

 

What was your favorite course?

Novel Writing Workshop and all the Women and Gender Study courses offered.

 

What will you miss most about UW-Green Bay?

The beautiful campus and the dedicated professors I had for all my courses.

 

Any advice for future graduates?

Never be afraid to share your opinion or life experiences.

 

From all of us here at Widows and Orphans, congratulations Gloria!

Eliot Klutz

Happy Thursday everyone! Today is the fifth installment of our Senior Series and our graduating senior is Eliot Klutz! Eliot is originally from Manchester, England and has a double major in both English with a Creative Writing emphasis and Philosophy. Here is a little more about Eliot!

What was one thing you learned during your time at UW-Green Bay that really stuck with you?
That sharing what I’m writing with others, getting to read what they’re writing, and having conversations about what we’re writing really amplifies the enjoyment of the whole writing process.
What was your favorite course?
I don’t have a favorite. I enjoyed all of them in different ways. But if I were to just say an English class that comes to mind straight away that I liked a lot, it would be English 304, Creative Nonfiction Writing. That was a good one.
How are you feeling about the timing of the pandemic?
It’s happened when it’s happened and now we still have choices. I think that what happens and when it happens is infinitely less important than what we choose to make of it.
What will you miss most about UW-Green Bay?
I value every single interaction I’ve had with every single person I’ve come into contact with at UW-GB, so whenever I think back on my experience at GB, I will be glad for all of it. To sum that up: the community here is something I will remember very fondly whenever I think of it.
What was most memorable about your senior year outside of the pandemic?
Just having really great conversations with both my classmates and my teachers, both within classes and also after classes when people still had more thoughts to give voice to.
Any advice for future graduates?
I don’t think anyone needs my advice, because I think everyone has access to their own answers.
From all of us here at Widows and Orphans, congratulations Eliot!

Zach Schneider

Good afternoon! I hope everyone is enjoying their Wednesday! Today brings us the fourth installment of the Senior Series and our graduating senior is Zach Schneider. Zach is originally from West Bend, WI and has pursued three majors during his time at UW-Green Bay. They include English with an emphasis in both Literature and Creative Writing, Humanities with an emphasis in Digital and Public Humanities, and the BFA (Writing and Applied Arts). Along with his majors, Zach also has a minor in Education and is currently the Editor in Chief for Sheepshead Review. Here is a little bit more about Zach!

What was one thing you learned that really stuck with you during your time at UW-Green Bay?

College isn’t meant to teach you all you’ll need to know, it teaches you how to think critically and how to dedicate yourself to achieve success however you define it.

What was your favorite course(s)?

Ethnic Literature: Race and Sex with Dr Schuetze, Sheepshead Review with Dr Meacham, and World Building and Writing Science Fiction with Dr Rybak.

How are you feeling about the timing of the pandemic?

I’m horribly disappointed at the timing of the pandemic. I’ve been with many of my peers for years now, struggling along side each other, and now when I’m feeling closes to both them and my professors, the physical relationship has been ripped away. I’ll never get back the end of my senior year, but all we can do is move forward and adapt. At least commencement has been rescheduled.

What will you miss most about UW-Green Bay?

I will miss the community. Similar to as I mentioned above, I feel really close to my peers, and we share passions within English. I will miss the intellectual community that offers amazing conversations and insights or critique to my own thoughts and writing.

What was most memorable about your senior year outside of the pandemic? 

The most memorable thing from my senior year has been the friendships that have been set in stone and will hopefully last a lifetime.

Any advice for future graduates?

My advice is to do things. You’ve got amazing opportunities and you should take advantage. Don’t worry about falling short in any measure, you’re in college for the experiences.

 

From all of us here at Widows and Orphans, congratulations Zach!

Erin Penzel

Good morning everyone, I hope you’re Tuesday started off well. Today marks the third installment for our Senior Series and our graduating senior is Erin Penzel! Erin is originally from Burlington, Wisconsin and has been pursuing an English Literature major, along with a Education minor. Here is a little bit more about Erin!

During your time at UW-Green Bay, what was one thing that you learned that really stuck with you? 

I really learned how to participate in the classroom and know that my opinions are valid and important. This is something that I carry with me, and it allows me to be more vocal in my daily life.

What was your favorite course? 

My independent study with Professor Schuetze on Teaching LGBTQ+ Literature.

How are you feeling about the timing of the pandemic? 

I found the timing really unfortunate, because there were so many things I was looking forward to. However, I am grateful that we could continue our education online and wishing everyone the best health.

What was most memorable about your senior year outside of the pandemic? 

I worked as a TA for the GPS Program in an Introduction to Humanities Course. I loved mentoring the first-year students, as well as getting to work with some amazing Professors.

What will you miss most about UW-GB?

I will miss my wonderful friends and awesome Professors that have made my time at UWGB so meaningful.

Any advice for future graduates?

Get to know at least one Professor well; it will open up opportunities for you and strengthen your college experience as a whole.

 

On behalf of all of us here at Widows and Orphans, congratulations Erin!

Hannah Majewski

Happy Monday everyone! We are back with the second installment of the Senior Series and today, our graduating senior is Hannah Majewski! Hannah grew up in Door county and has two majors, English Literature and Ancient and Medieval Humanities. Here is a little bit more about Hannah.

What was most memorable about your senior year outside of the pandemic?

I’m not sure if it counts, but the August before my senior year I traveled to Oxford with a UWGB faculty-led course and it was one of the most life-changing experiences I have ever had. Absolutely formative to experience one of the world’s centers of academia and the home of writers like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

What was your favorite course?

My favorite course was definitely Dr. Hall’s class on J.R.R. Tolkien, followed  very closely by his History of the English Language course.

How are you feeling about the timing of the pandemic?

I’m 29, so my graduation ceremony has been a decade in the making and I honestly hate that I may not get to walk across the stage displaying all of my achievements to receive my diploma. Even if commencement is rescheduled for August I will already have moved out-of-state for my graduate program and may not be able to get back for it. So, in short, it sucks.

What will you miss most about UW-Green Bay?

I will miss my professors the most, the people who have truly invested in my education and future, and my peers that have come to be so important to me.

Any advice for future graduates?

Savor it. I will not get to say goodbye to most of my classmates or my favorite professors before I leave UWGB and I wish I had the chance to tell those people how influential they were to me during my time here. So savor your goofy professors and group discussions that go sideways, because you may not get experiences like that again.

From all of us here at Widows and Orphans, congratulations Hannah!

Emily Gerlikovski

Happy Thursday everyone! Today is the start of the Senior Series, where we will be showcasing the graduating seniors in the English Department. Our first senior in the Senior Series is Emily Gerlikovski. She is originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin and has been pursuing majors in both English Literature and Communication here at UW-Green Bay. She has also obtained an LGBTQ+ Studies Certificate. Here’s a little bit about Emily!

Over your time at UW-Green Bay, what is one thing that really stuck with you?

Something I learned specifically in the English department is to be more confident in my opinions. I’ve always been the type of person who wants to agree with others and have people agree with me, but sometimes the best discussions and learning moments in English come when people disagree on something.

What was your favorite course?

Great Works: Tolkien with Prof. Hall.

How are you feeling with the timing of the pandemic?

I’m not happy with it haha! It’s messing up my last semester and graduation, as well as my planning for graduate school. But my family is healthy, so I am very happy about that.

What was most memorable about your senior year outside of the pandemic?

I was recently awarded a Chancellor’s Leadership Medallion; that has been pretty memorable!

What will you miss most about UW-Green Bay?

I will miss the campus environment and the connections I have made here. I will also miss taking English courses, as I will be going to grad school for Communication instead.

Any advice for future graduates?

Definitely plan out your semesters and don’t overload your last couple. You’ll want more time to apply for jobs/graduate school your senior year, and doing that with 18 credits, jobs & extracurricular activities is not a lot of fun. So if possible, plan ahead so your last semesters won’t be overwhelming.

 

On behalf of us here at Widows and Orphans, congratulations Emily!