Interview is edited for length and clarity.
Why did you choose to study at Simmons?
“I am originally from New England, but went to high school in the South. That experience led me to seek out a place that was vastly different from Louisiana. I wanted a place with people who aligned more with me socially and politically.
I was also invited to the Simmons Scholars overnight, which is what really sold me. I met some awesome people, and ultimately I think I just wanted to feel like one of those cool, smart women.”
Why did you study Literature?
“I have wanted to be a teacher since I was a little girl. Math was always my best subject in school. However, I distinctly remember having a teacher in high school who taught us English by having us discuss and write about it, which I really loved. It felt like that's how English should be taught. It’s thinking, not memorization.
When I got to college, I knew I would pursue an English degree [which by the time I graduated was renamed to a literature degree].”
What made the English Department at Simmons special?
“The thing that I thought was cool my first year was that the English Department, as it was at that point, was really close. Professor Pamela Bromberg used to throw a Christmas party every year. I remember showing up to that and seeing all these students just conversing with their professors about books and personal lives and all these cool things. And I remember thinking, ‘This is what I always expected.’”
What impact did attending a women’s-centered university have on you?
“It changes your perspective of the world. It just felt safe to me, and overall very supportive. It was cool to just see women all of the time, and hear their thoughts amplified.”
What is something you would tell your first-year self?
“Wake up earlier, care more, and spend more time doing your classwork. Do more of everything.”
What piece of advice would you give Ifill students?
“You should go after your dreams. You're very young, and you will be young for a while. You’re not old. It’s your first experience of feeling like something’s done and gone. But there’s so much more time ahead of you to try things out and make mistakes.
You don’t have to find your forever job or career now. You should try to go after the things that sound exciting, because yes, they’ll always be there, but you might not have a chance like you do now. Your commitments are less, your life needs are less, so do something fun, something interesting.”