Our new graduate students come from across Kansas, the Midwest, and the world. We’re so glad they’re here.
Name: Ellie Donohoe
Hometown: Tipton, Iowa
Alma mater: Wartburg College
Please tell us something interesting/unique about you: I am a high school English teacher at a rural school in Iowa.
If you could transform briefly into a literary character, who would you want to become and why? Enola Holmes. We share a lot of personality traits, and I would love to solve mysteries in Victorian-era England.
What has been your best source of joy this summer? The small things, like taking my dog for walks or grabbing coffee with my friends!
Name: Emmanuella Osei
Hometown: Kumasi, Ghana
Alma mater: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Area of Study: Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication.
Please tell us something interesting/unique about you: I’m interested in technical communication, emerging technologies, and digital humanities. I’m also passionate about Model United Nations Conferences, and I enjoy connecting and networking with people from diverse backgrounds. I consider myself a decisive person who values meaningful relationships.
If you could transform briefly into a literary character, who would you want to become and why? Jo March because of her creativity, courage, and determination to follow her dreams. I admire the way she values her independence and refuses to allow society’s expectations to limit her ambitions.
What has been your best source of joy this summer? Moving to America to pursue my graduate studies has been a great source of joy. I have always desired the opportunity to gain international exposure and to experience life in a different part of the world. Although Kansas is far from home, I have found a strong sense of belonging here, making it a place I can proudly call home as well.
Name: Emma Harris
Hometown: Fresno, California
Alma mater: Utah State University
Area of study: Children’s Literature
Please tell us something interesting/unique about you: While lost on a bike path in northern Italy, I discovered I have a very rational fear of being mauled by a wild boar. In my case, it turned out to be someone’s pet pig, but a person near the train station the same day wasn’t quite as lucky.
If you could transform briefly into a literary character, who would you want to become and why? Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables. I could wear fun historical clothing and go on whimsical adventures, and her world is not likely to kill me.
What has been your best source of joy this summer? I finally won over the anxiously attached Velcro baby at my family’s day care! I am usually a piped piper of children and am not used to having to work so hard for a smile.
Name: Alaina Motes
Hometown: Salina, Kansas
Alma Mater: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame
Area of Study: Creative Writing
Please tell us something interesting/unique about you: I nerded out at the British Museum when I saw Selene’s horse and the Caryatid. (I am an ancient Greece enthusiast.)
If you could transform briefly into a literary character, who would you want to become and why? Becoming Juliette Ferrars from Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi would be an honor. Her perseverance inspired me while growing up, and her love of literature is a big reason that I am here. My favorite quote from her is “I spent my life folded between the pages of books,” and that is how I have tried to live my life.
What has been your best source of joy this summer? Being able to sleep however late I wanted, to write when it pleased me, and to see my dogs.
Name: Katie Shepard
Hometown: Buffalo, MO
Alma mater: Mizzou, Northwest Missouri State
Areas of study: Literature and Creative Writing
Please tell us something interesting/unique about you: I’m a single mom to three kiddos, and this will be my third degree since 2024.
If you could transform briefly into a literary character, who would you want to become and why? Nora Seed from The Midnight Library. She starts looking at all the different versions of herself she could have been. She wonders whether she made the right choices, whether she should have chosen differently, and whether there’s still time to create a life that feels more like her.
What has been your best source of joy this summer? Spending time with my kids at the Niangua River.
Name: Saviour Dekonor
Hometown: Mafi Tsakpo, Ghana
Alma mater: University of Education, Winneba
Areas of study at K-State: Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication
Please tell us something interesting/unique about you: I am a family man, and family is very important to me. I have also been teaching English for close to a decade, and teaching has become part of who I am. I enjoy helping students find the words to express their thoughts and ideas. One of my favorite things about teaching is seeing a student who was once unsure of themself become more confident in speaking and writing. I believe that the way up is the way down. The higher I go, the more I want to remember where I started, the people who have supported me, and the lessons that brought me here.
If you could transform briefly into a literary character, who would you want to become and why? Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. I admire his calmness, honesty, and courage to stand up for what he believes is right.
What has been your best source of joy this summer? Starting this new chapter at Kansas State University. Meeting new people, getting used to a new environment, and beginning my graduate journey have made this summer special for me.
Name: Lee Ellwood
Hometown: Little River, Kansas
Alma mater: Kansas State University
Area of study at K-State: Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication
Please tell us something interesting/unique about you: I play three instruments.
If you could transform briefly into a literary character, who would you want to become and why? Will Solace from the Percy Jackson books. He goes through (marginally) less trauma than his peers but still has cool powers and connections to the other characters.
What has been your best source of joy this summer? The fantasy books I have read (and listened to).
Name: Michelle Padilla
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Alma mater: Kansas State University
Areas of study: Literature and Cultural Studies
Please tell us something interesting/unique about you: I was an active-duty soldier in the Army, and I worked as a combat medic.
If you could transform briefly into a literary character, who would you want to become and why? I can’t pick a character—even though I love so many, I am happy with who I am.
What was your best source of joy this summer? Going on adventures with my husband and son.
Name: Hannah Stubenhofer-May
Hometown: Marion, Kansas
Alma mater: Emporia State University
Area of study: Children’s Literature
Please tell us something interesting/unique about you: I have raised a bunch of kittens by bottle feeding, and I currently have three cats! While I was in high school, I ran a book review blog and still did not think I would major in English for undergrad until my second semester at ESU.
If you could transform briefly into a literary character, who would you want to become and why? I would love to be a part of The Wild Robot universe. The world is cozy, but there is mystery, and the post-apocalyptic vegetation makes the world fantastical.
What has been your best source of joy this summer? Spending time with my family and pets more than I get to during the school year.
Name: Hope Trampski
Hometown: Lafayette, Indiana
Alma mater: Purdue University
Area of study: English Literature
Please tell us something interesting/unique about you: Although I consider Lafayette, my hometown, I was born in D.C and spent the first eight years of my life there.
If you could transform briefly into a literary character, who would you want to become and why? Richard Papen from The Secret History. While the events of the book might be a little shaky, I think it would be an enjoyable setting and a hell of a time.
What has been your best source of joy this summer? I got engaged in Ireland! It was easily one of the best moments of my life!
Name: Haley Bell
Hometown: Charlotte, Michigan
Alma mater: Siena Heights University and Lansing Community College
Area of study: Cultural Studies
Please tell us something interesting/unique about you: I was a student athlete in undergrad. I ran cross country and track, and I continue to run marathons and half marathons in my spare time (hopefully ultra marathons as well).
If you could transform briefly into a literary character, who would you want to become and why? Ailen Galythinius from the Throne of Glass book series. Honestly, I would be happy with any of the heroines from a Sarah J Maas book. They are total bosses and stay graceful and optimistic in a world that doesn’t always uplift them. Not to mention they have magical powers.
What has been your best source of joy this summer? Traveling! I went to the Smoky Mountains with a couple of my friends and took some mini camping trips.
K-State English 