A favorite quote: “There is no greater discovery than seeing God as the author of your destiny.” ― Ravi Zacharias
Your memorable experiences in English: Classes: There is so much I could say for memorable experiences in the English classes I have taken. For the sake of brevity, I will simply mention the class that really shaped my trajectory in English. It was fall of my sophomore year when I took “Documentary Poetry” with Dr. Jacqueline Shelton Green. I vividly recall the writing exercises from Dr. Green’s class; in the first week of class we wrote poetry based on slave documents. In another week, the poems we wrote were inspired by short documentaries about hurricane Katarina. Dr. Green’s writing exercises and the material of the class awakened in me a new understanding of poetry. Not only did I develop as a creative writer, I realized that I love the intersection of history and literature which influenced what courses I took in the department.
Mentor(s): From sophomore year, my professor and advisor Dr. Sussman has been pivotal to my growth at Duke. After taking her class “Doctor’s Stories,” I knew she would be perfect as an academic advisor. Nevertheless, Dr. Sussman has been more; she listened to my concerns, connected me to the right people and encouraged my personal and academic interests. Of the individuals Dr. Sussman connected me to, I will be forever grateful for the connection to my thesis advisor, Dr. Tsitsi Jaji. Over the last year, Dr. Jaji has inspired and challenged me in my thesis work on Narratives of Illness in African literature. I could not have asked for a more amazing mentor to guide me. Thank you so much Dr. Sussman and Dr. Jaji for guiding me towards a better future in literature and medicine.
Insights: As an English major, learning was my number one priority; my experience wasn’t always centered on the grade that I would receive for an essay or for class participation. As a result, I have developed a greater love for learning and exploring ideas outside the classroom context.
Farewell wishes for your classmates: I know our last semester has not been what we imagined it to be as bright-eyed freshman. I know we never asked for our year to be the Covid year; everyone laughing and weeping at our plight. I know we may not have processed all the worries that seem to cloud the future. But more than all this, I know that hope is strong, like sunshine that can pierce through all darkness. So, I pray that we will have hope, and that we will be strong. Finally, let us not forget to congratulate our own selves: “You have done well. I am proud of you.”
Your plans/hopes for the future: Gap year: Certificate and fellowship in Theology and Healthcare at Duke Divinity School oMedical school at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York
Faculty Remarks:
I first met Dorothy in my “Doctors’ Stories” class in her sophomore year, and it has been such a pleasure to be her English major advisor during her time at Duke!A poet herself, Dorothy has tremendous insight into poetic language, and into the ways poetry can shape people’s lives. Our conversations always brightened my day, filled as they were with Dorothy’s thoughtfulness, joy in learning, and desire to give back to the world. We will miss her in the English department, but I’m glad more people will get to know this outstanding young scholar. – Charlotte Sussman
Video remark from Prof. Jaji for Dorothy Adu-Amankwah
