Student Bios

Lauren Deaton graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in English Literature, a BA in Media and Professional Communications, an Honors Degree, a minor in Film and Media Studies, and Certificates in Children's Literature and Public and Professional Writing. Her multi-media senior thesis, “The Life of Jean Grey”, which was supported by the Pitt Humanities Center, worked with monster theory to examine the depiction of the X-Men hero Jean Grey as monstrous in the Phoenix and Dark Phoenix Sagas. Her work has previously appeared in “Forbes and Fifth”, and the student run magazine “Studio 412”. At Villanova, Lauren hopes to continue her studies of women as monsters, building on her foundation of monster, horror, and feminist theory. She also wishes to continue to develop her analytical and creative nonfiction writing skills. In her free time, Lauren enjoys reading, watching movies, crafting, thrifting, and trying new coffee shops.

Leland Calistri graduated from Bucknell University with a B.A. in English and Classics. He credits a formative seminar on Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man for shifting his scholarly focus towards issues of culture and identity within American literature. This culminated in his senior thesis titled “In The Country,” where he analyzed the effects of the American pastoral on Appalachia through The Devil All The Time by Donald Ray Pollock. At Villanova, Leland hopes to continue investigating how certain American authors contributed to the formation of what he calls the “pastoral project.” He also wishes to gain insights from other literary periods and schools of critical thought. Specific areas of interest include Early American literature, Irish literature, and 19th-century American literature. In his free time, Leland enjoys fishing, hiking, writing poetry, and listening to music.

Javier Correoso is a Cuban-American graduate student born in Santiago de Cuba and residing in New Jersey. He graduated in 2025 from Rutgers University-New Brunswick with a B.A. in English and Political Science. Under the supervision of Professors Alfredo Franco and Adam Dalva, he presented his honors thesis in creative writing, titled "The End of the Carnival," which earned Highest Honors and the Henry Rutgers Scholar Award. The thesis was a book-length short-story collection that covered life in present-day Cuba and the Cuban-American diasporic identity. It blended techniques of literary fiction and surrealism with themes of nostalgia, politics, and culture. At Rutgers, Javier attended English courses focused on classic and contemporary American literature, classics, and the short story medium. He also tutored writing for the English Department.  At Villanova, he intends to deepen his knowledge of the literature of the Americas, the works of the Latin American Boom, and Engl...

Nikola Stojcic graduated from UCLA in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Science in Physiological Science. Initially pre-med, Nikola eventually came to her senses and immersed herself in English courses, where she developed a love for medieval literature. Her final paper for her capstone seminar explored the depiction of religious portents across classical and early medieval works. At Villanova, she hopes to deepen her knowledge of medieval literature, with a particular interest in examining chivalric romance from a queer perspective. At the opposite end of the literary spectrum, she is interested in post-modern writers like David Foster Wallace, George Saunders, and Jennifer Egan whose works investigate loneliness and alienation in modern life. Nikola has also received an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in 2023. She hopes to continue writing creatively while pursuing her academic interests at Villanova. In her free time, Nikola enjoys wa...

Christopher Supplee graduated magnum cum laude from Fordham University with a bachelor's in English with a concentration in creative writing. With a minor in theology, he conducted interdisciplinary research between the relation of religion, trauma, and literature. His undergraduate senior thesis was a case study on a self-curated list of fantasy novels, comparing canonical texts written by white authors with novels written by black authors that contained similar themes and images. The conclusion of his thesis was that Afro-fantasy engages with fantasy theory through the lens of liberation rather than merely escapism. The thesis built upon an earlier research project on the African spirituality's preservation and adaptation in the colonial world. Christopher intends to continue his research into African diasporic literature at Villanova, all the while working as a graduate assistant at the writing center. In his free time Christopher is either working on his fantasy novel, draw...

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.