Meet Shelbi Simmons, graduate student in English
After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from SIUE, Shelbi Simmons immediately applied to the Teaching of Writing program in the English Department. The psychology, literature, and rhetoric classes on campus inspired her to learn how to teach different writing processes at the college level. She had initially started college at Southwestern Illinois College and, after graduating with her Master’s, hopes to return to community colleges as an instructor.
As a graduate student and teaching assistant, Shelbi has been able to teach English 101 & 102 courses, collaborate as a lab instructor, and assist in Summer Bridge Program pilot for incoming freshmen. This experience, with the support of her courses and the English Department faculty, has solidified her future career goal of being a college instructor. Currently, she’s working with a group of TAs and faculty to design a Media Literacy Unit for First-Year-Writing courses and working on her exit projects. She hopes to graduate in the Summer of 2020 and continue teaching.
Know a deserving student or alum that we should highlight in Cougar Pride? Contact us at graduateschool@siue.edu to let us know!