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Graduate Alumni Interview: Meghan Hutton

Meghan Hutton,
MA in English, literature concentration
Spring 2020

Bio:
Meghan Hutton is a second-year PhD student at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV where she teaches two sections of Composition II as a GTA. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, after finishing her MA at USF, Meghan accepted an offer from WVU with the hopes of broadening her interests in working-class literature by having the opportunity to read Appalachian literature in the heart of Appalachia. Meghan鈥檚 research primarily surrounds intersections of gender, sexuality, and class in American literature. While thinking towards her dissertation after her first year, Meghan plans to focus her research on women鈥檚 labor in the 19th century.

What is your position now?
Graduate Teaching Assistant at West Virginia University

Why did you come to the USF graduate program?
At the time, USF had the most competitive financial package of any of the MA programs that I applied to. I also had the opportunity to visit the campus, meet some graduate students and faculty, and sit in on a course prior to making my decision. Having Dr. Allukian reach out to me about the program was a major incentive to go to USF because I already felt like faculty had an interest in my education before I even got there.

What was a unique opportunity you had at USF?
Through the internship course, I had the opportunity to work with a ghostwriter鈥攁 career path that I knew very little about going in. That course overall helped me experience careers outside of the academy that I found to be very beneficial.

How did USF prepare you for your current position?
Working on the MA portfolio where I had the chance to get more focused with two pieces of writing made a huge difference in both my ability as a researcher and a writer, but also strengthened my PhD application package by having a solid writing sample to showcase my abilities. Also, the opportunity to teach at USF made a huge difference in my confidence in the classroom and helped me that I want to prioritize teaching in my future career goals.

What advice would you give to new graduate students in the program?
My main piece of advice to new graduate students would be to not be afraid to attend your professor鈥檚 office hours. Developing those mentorship relationships as soon as possible makes a huge difference and you can learn just as much outside of the classroom as you do within it.