Major: English
Minor: Education
Faculty Shout-out by Professor Zarena Aslami:
“Matthew is a tenacious and delightfully honest thinker. As a participant in class discussion, he consistently made unique and original contributions, offering philosophical and often ethically-motivated observations on our literary and critical texts and asking pointed questions that drew the whole class’s attention. I think Matthew will be a fantastic teacher and excel at anything he decides to do. He is curious about literature and ideas and a wonderful communicator!”
Faculty Shout-out by Professor Steve Rachman:
” Matthew Alexander took two classes with me. First my IAH class on Food, Culture, and Identity and then he enrolled in Literature and Medicine class. In both classes, Matthew was an excellent student and a wonderful participant, always prepared and ready with an insightful comment or a probing question. In the food class which was large, his intelligent comments and questions struck me with considerable force. In class on medicine and literature, I could see even more clearly how imaginative a thinker he is. My favorite paper that he wrote was one entitled “From Tuberculosis to Steroids: An Evolution of “’Beauty’ Standards,” in which he traced concepts of disease and body image from the nineteenth century to our present steroid-enhanced aesthetics, using works by Susan Sontag and many others to describe the arc of this phenomenon. I genuinely appreciate how Matthew had combined ideas from our food course with the ones from the course on literature and medicine and he did so in a highly creative and synthetic way. The originality, energy and sheer interest in this paper was exemplary. It is my hope that Matthew will continue to use and develop his synthetic powers as he goes on in his career and intellectual journey. I wish him success.”
How would you describe your time as an English or Film Studies major at MSU?
My time as an English major has been one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. The English department at MSU is full of incredibly talented professors who challenged me to think more critically, expose me to new and unique media, as well as act as mentors to me. Not only have all these classes been educational, but my professors have been particularly adept at choosing material to create premier educational experiences.
Which classes, instructors, or experiences particularly stand out for you and why? How did they prepare you for the next phase of your life?
There are three professors that stand out to me during my time here (in no particular order): Dr. Zarena Aslami, Dr. Stephen Rachman, and Dr. Kristi Stuart. The three of them are unbelievably knowledgeable about their chosen subjects, and never fail to make their lectures entertaining. Most notably, they exert concerted efforts to elevate students as people and learners. I hope that they know the impact they have on students, and that they strive to continually improve is greatly appreciated.
What advice would you give future English or Film Studies majors, based on your experiences in the department?
I would advise future students to take classes that they may not expect to like. Oftentimes you may be surprised by how professors make classes interesting, and the what you may learn in the meantime. I had quite a few classes that were forced into my schedule, that I dreaded, and ended up loving.
What coursework-related projects were/are you working on this year, and what interests or excites you about them? (capstone courses, honors thesis, independent studies, etc.)
This year I have largely taken to my time to complete my student teaching, which has been a world of fun. Interacting with my students and helping them get to those “ah-ha” moments is a feeling unlike any other. In addition to this, I created a video about my and my grandfather’s relationship, which has been particularly important to me. This video is also another example of my love of English, though in a different format.
What are your hopes and aspirations, post-graduation?
After Graduation I plan to teach at the secondary level for 5-7 years in English. After this, I would like to pursue a PHD in an English related field, and become a professor.