Three More Senior Salutes: Ray Alkire, Carly Heitland, and Ginger Johnson!

Sharayah (Ray) Alkire

I’m an English Education Major

* I chose ECU because I heard they had one of the best teaching programs in the state!

* I have so many great memories at ECU it’s hard to choose. But one time during Dr. Grasso’s class he threw a piece of chalk behind his back and it perfectly landed on the chalkboard. Everyone in the class went crazy lol. 

* One of the most memorable texts I read at ECU has to be The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas, I read this in Dr. Dorsey’s class. It resonated with me deeply and gave life to many of my current philosophies.

* I worked on a couple of huge assignments while at ECU but my favorite was a paper from Dr. Nicholson-Weirs class that I turned into an honors essay titled Black Queens Making Moves. I worked so hard on this and I’m still extremely passionate about it.

* I became a member of Sigma Tau Delta

* I’m proud of the multiple honors projects and presentations I’ve done. I’m also proud to have gotten not one, but TWO works published in the time I have attended ECU.

* I hope to become a middle school teacher soon, then eventually go back for a Doctorates in African American Literature where I can write and teach at a university.

* My advice for incoming freshman would be to keep pushing on no matter how tough things get. Your goals wouldn’t feel as good when you achieve them if there were no obstacles in your way.

Carly Heitland 
Major: English (Teacher Certification)/ Minor: Political Science

* I read so many memorable texts during the last four years! Perhaps the one that sticks with me the most is Albert Camus's The Stranger. I think I was struck by how the story could be so simple and so complex simultaneously. Still, with that text as with all of the texts I read in college, the class discussions were what reall made the text memorable.

* I am definitely most proud of my thesis. Completing a year-long project was a completely different process than any other paper or project I had worked on before. I was extremely grateful to have the faculty support that I did during the process (thanks, Dr. Dorsey)! 

* I participated in a lot of extracurriculars. My favorite was the Honors Student Association. I can not speak highly enough of the program!

* I was very honored to be selected as a George Nigh finalist this semester. I have known and looked up to many of the Nigh finalists from past years, so I was proud to be in their company. Next year, I will be teaching high school English, and I could not be more excited!

* I would advise incoming freshmen to focus on what is important to them. There are so many options available in college, it can be difficult to know what to choose (and even more difficult to try and do them all)! If you keep your personal goals in mind, everything will fall into place eventually. 

Ginger Johnson

- Major / Minor

Double Major Math and English

- I chose ECU among many colleges due to the low class size, involved Honors program, and scholarships.

- As a freshman, I went to the Great Plains Honors Conference with some other students in Honors.  Two of them are now my closest friends.  If it wasn't for a night spent quoting John Mulaney bits, we might not have become as close!  My boyfriend also danced with me on the stage in Wintersmith Park one random night to "The Pina Colada Song."

- Quicksand by Nella Larsen stands out as one of my favorites.  The writing was so engaging that I forgot it was for class and would read ahead.  It resonated with me in many areas, especially for mental health issues, and I think it's a book most should read.

-I'm proud of completing my Honors Thesis over representation of young adult women from book to screen. It took a lot of work, and there were times that no end was in sight, but it was very rewarding.  I'm also proud of a creative writing realistic fiction piece I wrote for the English capstone over impostor's syndrome.

- I was in the Honors Program, Sigma Tau Delta, Alpha Chi, Pi Mu Epsilon, Mock Trial, and ECU Screens.

- I'm proud that I'm on track to finish with a 4.0 and honors.  For English specifically, I am proud to be featured in Originals and other school creative journals.  Creative writing was one of the main reasons I became an English major, and I think I've improved greatly.

- I'm going to pursue a Computer Science PhD at University of Tulsa.  My interests are in cyber and information security. Beyond that is unclear, but I will figure it out along the way.  I also plan to keep writing and, hopefully, publish a novel (even if it's just self published).

- What I wish I had known coming in was to not stretch yourself thin.  You should be involved, but you don't have to say yes to everything to please others.  It's okay to make your mental well being a priority.