English Department Student Advisory Council 2019-20

Students on the Advisory Council serve as consultants for the English department and as advisors for new and prospective majors. This fall they will also be involved in the planning and organizing of a variety of special events aimed at promoting the major and building community. We have found the committee to be an invaluable departmental resource and would welcome your contribution to it. Please contact Dr. Joseph Drury (joseph.drury@villanova.edu) if you are interested in joining.

Pictured (from left to right): Nick Toth, Tim Warren, Jane Crager, Audrey Gibson, Reagan Wish, Hayley Jellison, Amanda Atkinson, and Dominic McDermott.
Members not pictured: Kelly Faenza, Amanda Gerstenfeld, and Valentina Lopez.

Amanda Atkinson (aatkins3@villanova.edu)

I am a junior English and Classical Studies double major currently planning on attending law school after my undergraduate education. I love to read all kinds of plays, from ancient Greek to Shakespeare to contemporary. Other than the English major, I’m involved in a variety of clubs on campus, including Villanova Student Musical Theatre, a capella (let’s go Havs!), NOVAdance, Pastorals, and Voices. If you have any questions about English at Villanova, feel free to contact me.

Jane Crager (jcrager@villanova.edu)

I am a senior English major. I am a self-proclaimed Swiss Army knife – resourceful, multifaceted, and sharp! I am interested in graphic design, animation, and web development. I am super approachable and so feel fee to email to say hi.

Kelly Faenza (kfaenza@villanova.edu)

I’m a senior English major passionate about the power of communication and its importance to the college experience. Some other things you should know about me are that I’m minoring in Business through the VSB academic year program, I’m on the Villanova Western Equestrian team, and I love spending my free time in the outdoors.

Amanda Gerstenfeld (agersten@villanova.edu)

I am an English major and History minor. I work at the Villanova Writing Center and am an editor for the Polis Literary Magazine on campus. I also studied abroad two summers ago in Ireland. I enjoy reading British literature in particular. My future plans involve a career in publishing or any type of editorial work, especially after interning at Sterling Publishing this past summer in New York City.

Audrey Gibson (agibson5@villanova.edu)

I am a senior English major with a minor in Political Science. This summer I interned at the Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia, and my goal is to attend law school after graduation. I am from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and I love spending time outdoors.

Hayley Jellison (hjelliso@villanova.edu)

I am a senior English major with a Spanish minor. My English major has inspired a love of modern fiction authors like Virginia Woolf. My junior year I studied abroad in Spain and took classes in Spanish and an English class about Ernest Hemingway. I work at the Writing Center and worked as a journalist intern over the summer.

Valentina Lopez (vlopez1@villanova.edu)

I am a junior English and Spanish double major. My goal is to attend law school after I graduate from Villanova and I am very confident that the analytical and critical thinking skills I have developed and continue to fine-tune here as an English major will help me get there. I am involved with the Pre-Law Society Society on campus as well as Nova Dance, Special Olympics, and the Hispanic National Honors Society, Sigma Delta Pi. I am currently interning with Villanova’s Charles Widger School of Law as a community interpreter and I plan on studying abroad in the spring semester.

Dominic McDermott (dmcder03@villanova.edu)

I am a senior English major from Philadelphia. I didn’t actually declare as an English major until halfway through my senior year, because I struggled at Villanova to find a perfect balance between a focus on the arts and practicality. After declaring, I knew I had found it. The courses, faculty, and students I encountered were in the English community were beyond exciting, and although I am still figuring out my plan for after graduation, I feel secure in my prospects for the future. I am proud to be a member of this community!

Nick Toth (ntoth@villanova.edu)

I am a senior English major with a secondary major in Cultural Studies. I plan on working in the publishing industry after graduation. My literary interests are primarily contained in 20th-century American literature. During the semester I volunteer at a non-profit that serves the Latinx community. I also serve as an editor for Polis Literary Magazine and Kickbox.

Tim Warren (twarren3@villanova.edu)

I’m a senior English, Honors, and Humanities major with minors in Creative Writing and History. I’ve studied abroad in Galway, Ireland and Belfast, Northern Ireland, in which I took creative writing and film classes. On campus I’m involved in intramural sports and Phi Sigma Pi. Ultimately, I plan on pursuing law school or an MFA.

Reagan Wish (rwish@villanova.edu)

I’m a senior English major. This will be my last year in the English department, which is bittersweet, but super exciting – this year I am writing my thesis on Harry Potter! I love to read, write, and travel . . . I actually got to visit Belfast with my creative writing class last year. If you want any advice on the English program (or just someone to geek out with over musicals/poetry etc.) shoot me an email!