Student Bios

Sean Karlen graduated from Temple University in 2025 with a B.A. in English and minor in Art History. While there he developed an interest in post-colonial studies, ultimately writing his capstone in literary criticism focusing on similar themes of race and identity found in John Okada’s No-No Boy and Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. Also an independent writer, Sean has written and published two novels and is working on a third. Hoping to teach in a university setting one day, he volunteers some of his time as a teaching assistant at Uniwersytet Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej W Lublinie in Lublin, Poland. At Villanova, Sean hopes to build on his knowledge of post-colonial studies, incorporating what he learns into his writing. In his spare time, he runs a small business based out of Philadelphia, often traveling all over Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. When home, he enjoys writing, painting, caring for his numerous plants, and annoying his dog, Chewy.

Guadalupe graduated from City University of New York (CUNY), Queens College, with a BA in English and minors in Spanish and History. Her thesis examined retellings of La Llorona, a Mexican folklore, in contemporary young adult literature and explored how these narratives connect to Gloria Anzaldúa’s theory of conocimiento . Building on this foundation, she hopes to continue her studies of Latinx Literature, Indigenous studies, and literary translation at Villanova. After graduation, Guadalupe worked as a grant writer for a New York City nonprofit, helping secure funding for after-school programs, winter sports initiatives, supportive housing in Brooklyn and Bronx communities. In her free, she enjoys hiking, swimming, reading, and attending Broadway shows.

Ava graduated cum laude from the University of Delaware in 2025 with a B.A. in English. She began her studies in English Education, hoping to become a high school teacher, but shifted her focus in her second year to explore alternative career paths and pursue a growing interest in critical theory. From here, Ava developed a love for speculative fiction, particularly Russian sci-fi and feminist dystopias. For her capstone thesis, she examined the role of anthropocentrism and patriarchal capitalism in the degradation of both women and the environment, using Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake as a case study. At Villanova, she hopes to deepen her study of speculative literature and as always, bring a feminist and intersectional perspective. In her senior year, Ava worked as a Content Writing Intern for the English department, where she helped promote new internship opportunities within the program and organize events related to professional development. She can’t wait to harness these skil...

Maggie Murtha graduated magna cum laude from Immaculata University with a B.A. in English and a secondary education teaching certificate. While at Immaculata, she found and developed an interest in Irish literature, particularly in 20th century Irish drama and its exploration of national identity and character. At Villanova, she hopes to continue her study of Irish literature, as well as to put her minor in Women’s Studies to good use in exploring issues of gender throughout various literature.   She currently works as an English teacher for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, teaching everything from classics like Macbeth and the Odyssey to rhetorical analysis through modern movies. In her free time, Maggie enjoys writing, playing video games, and is an avid musical theater fan.

Allison graduated from Purdue University in 2023 with a BA in English and minors in psychology and sociology. As an undergraduate, she was a member of the English honor society Sigma Tau Delta and a teaching assistant at the Purdue On-Campus/Online Writing Lab (OWL). She wrote her capstone thesis on the influences of capitalism and modern warfare on Kurt Vonnegut’s satirical short works. Post-graduation, Allison worked as a technical writer and focused on the accessibility of language. At Villanova, she’s excited to further her research on postmodern literature and the depictions of humanity and morality within it. In her free time, she enjoys trying new crafts, visiting state parks, and watching documentaries about history.

Ashley Lee graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2021 with a Bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature, and a minor in Legal Studies. Ashley’s academic journey, marked by honors and a Dean’s Scholarship, reflects a deep commitment to exploring the nuances of English literature, particularly 18th and 19th-century British works.  Having gained diverse professional experience in finance, real estate, and education, Ashley has honed critical thinking, research, and communication skills, which they now wish to further develop through Villanova University's English Master's program. With a particular interest in Enlightenment and Romanticism, Ashley aims to contribute to scholarly discourse while engaging with Villanova's esteemed faculty and the program's rich academic opportunities. In her free time, Ashley enjoys writing creatively, often exploring different genres and themes, and loves watching classic Korean movies. She also cherishes spending q...

Sophie Hargrove graduated from Kenyon College in 2020 with her BA in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing. Her thesis was a collection of her own poetry, mostly exploring issues of addiction and family relationships. In college, Sophie’s literary studies focused heavily on modern and postmodern literature, African American literature, and Irish literature. After (virtual) graduation, Sophie spent a year teaching K-8 students at Princeton Montessori school and tutoring students privately in History and Literacy. Subsequently, she worked as an administrative assistant in the Princeton area and in local government in Montgomery Township. In her free time, Sophie enjoys running, writing, collaging, baking, singing, pestering her beloved cat, Juno, and reading overdue library books at her local dive bar. Sophie’s literary interests these days trend heavily toward contemporary autofictive novels and short stories. At Villanova, Sophie hopes to continue exploring instances of non-trad...

Julia graduated from Reed College with a BA in German Literature in 2012. After graduating, she spent a year studying Weimar era political fairy tales in Frankfurt and Berlin, Germany on a Fulbright research grant. She also holds an MA in German from UC Berkeley, where she focused on German Romanticism and realism, and a teaching credential in English from the University of San Francisco. She has spent the last five years working as a high school teacher in San Francisco Public Schools, where she taught everything from YA and graphic novels to Shakespeare and the Odyssey.  Her current research interests include 19th and 20th century novels and the intersections of literature, politics, and class. She also reads widely across contemporary fiction, creative nonfiction, history, and theory, with the occasional German novel thrown in as well. Beyond reading, she likes to spend time going to the movies, going to shows, visiting friends, and hopefully getting back into bike touring.

Maggie Jones graduated from Ball State University in 2024 as a member of the Honors College with a BS in History and a BS in Anthropology, as well as a minor in Ancient Studies. Heavily involved with the student-run organization Museum Club since her freshman year, Maggie served as vice president of the club for two years, as well as president her senior year. Also in her senior year, Maggie supported Dr. Emily Johnson in her oral history project collecting interviews and stories of the local LGBTQ+ community as a transcriber.  Her senior thesis, under the guidance of Dr. Abel Alves, explored the history of emotions in regard to 17th-Century Restoration England. Examining the mysterious “Princes in the Tower” urn within Westminster Abbey, she analyzed possible connections and symbols related to Restoration propaganda intentionally utilized by Charles II, connecting his reign to dynasties past.  Her research has focused primarily on English royal history and queenship displays ...

Katy Kessler graduated summa cum laude from West Virginia University in December of 2023 with a BA in English and a BA in philosophy. Throughout her undergraduate studies, she developed an interest in postmodern fiction. This led her to write her English capstone thesis about Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves , through which she developed a hopeful take on the postmodern life so often viewed as a plague on contemporary times. Her goal in graduate school is to study further the postmodern view on identity formation, combining both English and philosophy while continuing to illuminate the hope that can be found in contemporary literature.  After graduating from WVU, Katy worked as an intern at a public library in New Castle, PA, where she helped with renovations that ultimately made the library a more suitable place for children and people with disabilities. She recently accepted a new remote internship where she will be managing the library’s social media pages. When she isn’t w...