English majors discuss their experiences as Engage 100 Leaders

By Abigail Botsford

As Ella Windlan began her journey as a first-year student at Florida State University, she had older mentors who inspired her to achieve academic success. Since that time, Windlan has wanted to provide the same support to others.

Windlan, now a senior at FSU, has come full circle. She currently serves as an Engage 100 Leader and teaches two sections of First Year Connections and Success (FYCS), one of approximately 35 courses offered by Engage 100, a program in the university’s Center for Leadership & Service.

“I chose to become an Engage100 leader because, as a very involved honors student and Presidential Scholar, I had access to incredible student mentors since the first moment I stepped on campus at FSU,” says Windlan, who is earning dual degrees in English-Editing, Writing, and Media and in international affairs, with a minor in criminology and criminal justice. “These student leaders paved the way for my success, helping me get involved with transformative opportunities early on in college.

“Teaching Engage 100 classes is a way I can pay this gift forward, helping mentor new FSU students to achieve their goals and engage with their interests.”

Windlan is one of at least three English majors who participate in peer mentorship by teaching an Engage 100 course. According to the program’s website, Engage 100 is “an immersive program unique to FSU,” that requires first-year students to enroll in a course of their choosing, such as the one Windlan teaches. The website has the complete list of available Engage 100 courses.

These 0-1 credit hour courses help first-year students at FSU acclimate to college life, connect with peers and their mentors, and find social and academic opportunities. Kaley Hoppenworth is a senior double major in English-Editing, Writing, and Media and in social work. She also teaches the FYCS course.

“I love FSU. It's truly become my home away from home, and I wanted to give that experience to the incoming classes,” Hoppenworth says. “I have also loved working in mentorship positions, so I felt like this role was the perfect combination of my love for FSU and my desire to support other students in their journeys here.”

Senior Hannah Grinbank teaches the Freshman Interest Group (FIG) course for English majors, and she agrees with Hoppenworth’s and Windlan’s sentiments about giving back to the programs that helped them.

“I decided to apply to lead a FIG specifically because I was in a FIG during my freshman year, and it really helped me adjust to life at FSU and become more comfortable here,” says Grinbank, a double major in English-Editing, Writing, and Media and in communication and media studies, with a minor in psychology. “I love that I now have the opportunity to help others have that same experience.”

Students have several opportunities to become an Engage 100 Peer Mentor: Freshman Interest Group Leader; First-Year Connections & Success Leader; Chart Your Course Peer Navigator; and Out-of-State Navigator. The application process is open, and the submission deadline is Sunday, Oct. 19. Go to the website for more information about the positions and the application.

Grinbank, Hoppenworth, and Windlan all agree on how rewarding it is to be Engage 100 Leaders and to help first-year students navigate their transition to college. They offered more detail about themselves and their experiences as mentors.

What do you enjoy most about serving as an Engage100 leader?

Grinbank: I love interacting with my students, watching them learn new things, and especially watching them find themselves while they are here. Every time they come into class with a story about a new experience that they have had, it feels like such a victory.

Hoppenworth: I enjoy connecting with the first-year students on a peer-to-peer level. Most students assume I am in graduate school or, even crazier, an actual professor. Usually, by the second to third week, they catch on and realize I am only a few years older than them. I really try to infuse my personal experience with FSU into my lesson plans. It always brings me joy to see their faces light up when I mention niche FSU-specific experiences like struggling through the football ticket lottery or forgetting my health insurance information at an appointment at University Health Services.

Windlan: I most enjoy connecting with students during our one-on-one meetings. Each semester, I meet individually with each of my students to learn more about their interests, backgrounds, and goals. Getting to know my students and helping them answer their questions is very rewarding. I incorporate what we discuss into my lessons, tailoring each class to my students.

What are you learning from this experience that applies to your studies in English and your career goals?

Grinbank: Because I teach the English FIG, all my students are also English majors, which means that they have a lot of questions about our program. I feel like I have learned so much about the English department just from doing research to answer their questions, which then helps me too. In terms of career goals, this job has 100 percent solidified my skills in public speaking, leadership, and problem-solving.

Hoppenworth: The biggest skill I have gained through this experience is learning how to facilitate large group discussions. Communication may seem like an innate skill, but it takes a certain level of fine-tuning and adaptability to keep a conversation flowing between 15 first-year students.

Windlan: Learning how to communicate with students and engage a wide range of personality types is a skill I have harnessed through teaching and have used throughout my professional and study activities. As an English major, I study rhetoric, literature, and media technologies, all disciplines grounded in communication. In my English classes, I learn theories of effective communication and audience engagement. In my teaching, I put this knowledge to use.

Abigail Botsford is a major in English-Editing, Writing, and Media, with a minor in communication.

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