English Major Spotlight: Ciara Weber
Year: Senior
Hometown: Crystal Lake, IL
Why did you choose to major in English?
I've always enjoyed reading and am a habitual daydreamer, which has improved my storytelling abilities.
What has been your favorite part of your experience in the department?
In my first year, I attended multiple events that the Fellowship of Undergraduate Students in English (FUSE) held. These events helped me branch out when I knew very few people in the department. In my second year, I became a FUSE officer, proposing and organizing events. After two years as an event specialist, I became president alongside Dina Shukhman. FUSE is such a special group, and it's led me to connect with students across the university. We have events like book swaps, bingo tournaments, craft events, and we are getting together to see A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Guthrie this spring.
Are you pursuing any majors, minors, internships, or interests outside your English major?
I am pursuing creative writing and Italian studies minors, as well as a Certificate in Editing and Publishing. In my first year, I was hired at the University's Digital Library Services, and I have worked there ever since. At DLS, we digitize an array of archival material housed at the University Archives, and I became inspired to pursue further opportunities. I interned at the Medici Archive Project while studying abroad in Florence, Italy. Most recently, I spent the fall semester interning at the Museum of Russian Art here in Minneapolis. My experience at TMORA solidified my interest and confidence in a career in cultural heritage institutions, and I've applied to multiple curatorial/museum studies graduate programs. I am also the art director for this year's edition of The Tower, and I'm looking forward to the publication of some wonderful artwork come spring!
What is a favorite book you read for an UMN English class?
I was lucky enough to be a student in [retired] Professor John Watkin's last course on the end of the world in literature. We read Tony Kushner's Angels in America, and I immensely enjoyed the play and Professor Watkin's emphasis on the total rejection of apocalypse within it!
What English course(s) would you especially recommend?
Screenwriting. Especially if you're interested in writing, as it offers you an entirely different structure for storytelling.
If you studied abroad, what did you take away from the experience?
My experience in Florence last spring allowed me to explore my interests in literature and writing, as well as cultural heritage, all while immersing myself in the language and culture I'd been studying for two years. My internship especially impacted me; I was responsible for frequenting the National Archive of Florence on my own and checking out volumes of the Medici Letters, dated between 1537 and 1743, to photograph. It was overwhelming at first, as the workers and researchers there only spoke Italian, and the volumes themselves were different from anything I'd seen. By the end, however, I'd gained so much confidence in my adaptability and work ethic.
