First and foremost, I believe that de-stigmatizing mental health struggles is essential to helping people who suffer from them. The more vocal we can be about mental health and its effects on day-to-day living, the more it will penetrate people's minds that it is a topic worth discussing. I know from personal experience that therapy and proper medication can improve one's quality of life by leaps and bounds, but for those that maybe don't have such experience, it can be taboo or scary. Growing up with anxiety and depression made it difficult to function normally, and after being prescribed an anti-depressant, I struggled with feeling shame for having to take medicine to be "normal". It took a long time to break that mental block, and I believe that if mental health were treated seriously in our society, there may not have been a mental block to break in the first place. A practical solution for mental health awareness would be discussing mental health in our own social circles, popular culture, and social media without making it cringe-worthy or shoe-horned into the conversation. One of the biggest repellants to people who aren't open-minded is a concept being shoved down their throat. It may seem counterintuitive, but subtlety can make a more significant difference than a squeaky wheel when done correctly. Another repellant can be those of the elite classes pushing their opinions about mental health, because it is hard for the every day person to relate to them. We need more people talking about mental health in face-to-face conversations--mentioning if they are having a down day, talking about if they are feeling hyperactive and needing to lose some steam, expressing if they are dissociated and need some time to come back to themselves. This is absolutely within our realm of ability.

Despite working a full-time job in higher education, I actively play my oboe in multiple ensembles. I play with the Tulsa Winds regularly, play with a local church every week, and am hired periodically to play for groups such as the Tulsa Signature Symphony, Bartlesville Symphony, Bartlesville Choral Society, and the University of Tulsa Orchestra. I also play the piano and have for 20 years. My undergraduate degrees were in Music and English, and I utilize them every day even though I am a college admission counselor by trade. These creative outlets bring me fulfillment because they bring me joy. I am lucky enough to have both a job and hobbies that do so. In addition to my musical endeavors, I also have a passion for creative writing. Particularly since the pandemic started, I have used Google Arts & Culture to find paintings that strike some form of inspiration, and write short stories about them. My intention is to compound a book of short stories to publish at some point.

Historical fiction can be an academic genre regardless of a narrative’s accuracy because, for those who study history in depth, a work with “artistic liberties” can still create a sense of intrigue or perhaps amusement at the contrasts to the written record. A studied reader also could be entertained and rediscover their own hidden knowledge on a topic when faced with inaccuracies. Those who know little to nothing of the subject might find themselves curious to learn more and prompt them to further study the field. I am applying to pursue an MA in English because I am drawn by intellectual curiosity into historical fiction. I often question what defines “literature” and how it has developed over time. I hope to couple my passion for reading with stronger analytical reading skills. During my undergraduate studies, I recall being in a classroom reading about literary criticism and theory and being absolutely floored by the concepts. Oftentimes I am overwhelmed by all that I do not know, but I consider a life well-lived when one intentionally puts effort into understanding new ideas. My experience as an undergraduate has shaped my expectations for higher education. I know that the best environment for learning is one with small class sizes and ample opportunities to engage with faculty. These attributes are even more crucial at the graduate level, and I intend to take full advantage of the resources at my disposal. My literary interests are varied, but I am especially drawing to pre-twentieth century British literature. I am eager to take this opportunity within higher education to turn my interests into an intellectual specialization. A particular subject that I would love to explore is the intersection of artistic media. Having majored in English and Music, I have learned to appreciate a work not only for what it presents at face-value, but also the context in which it was created. In my undergraduate senior project, I learned an unaccompanied oboe piece, Six Metamorphoses after Ovid, by Benjamin Britten, researching the six myths he incorporated. Thereafter I presented how the music correlates to the myths in the form of a lecture-recital. I worked cyclically by projecting a famous painting of the myth, reading an excerpt from the myth, explaining how the music expresses the written words, and then performing the corresponding movement of the piece. With the opportunity to study more works of literature and music in this capacity, I hope to contribute to the still burgeoning conversation of this intertextual field of study. My interest in scholarly studies is driven in part by a love of “art for art’s sake.” I enjoy gaining knowledge that enhances my appreciation and understanding of literature. What brings me a deeper level of gratification, however, is the analysis of such works. At the root, my interest lies in discourse and scholarship. I want to be actively challenged by new theoretical and analytical methodologies that will enhance my consideration of the cultural and political relevance of music in the literary arts.