Fall 2007 Vignette 1
Of Heroines, Sleuths & Education
For Michaela Henry '08, her research work with English Department Chair Dr. Lisa Stepanski has not only allowed her to examine in new ways a story which first captured her imagination as a child, it has also helped to shape and refine her ultimate professional goal - to become a college English professor. Michaela and Dr. Stepanski share a common fervor for heroines and female empowerment in literature, and most specifically, in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. This mutual admiration of Alcott became strikingly apparent when Michaela, a student in Dr. Stepanski's Persuasive Strategies course, first walked into her office and saw a bust of the author. "I knew it was the perfect place for me."
"Growing up, I almost got in trouble for having a copy of Little Women with me all the time - it would fall on people's heads from the top of my locker, I read it during the school day and snuck it into my bed at night," continued Michaela. "I have read it a million times, starting in the third grade. Little Women is one of those books I've gone back to because it's so easy to relate to at any age."
Dr. Stepanski's interest in heroines also started at a young age as she read the Nancy Drew books, Pride and Prejudice and Little Women. When a biography of Louisa May Alcott was published in the 1970s, it re-sparked her interest in the Little Women and Little Men author. She later wrote a dissertation on Alcott and her family as a doctoral student at the University of New Hampshire.
Now, Dr. Stepanski is a frequent lecturer on the Alcotts, most recently during the July 2007 Summer Conversation Series and Teacher Institute at Bronson Alcott's Concord School of Philosophy. Every year the series features some of the foremost experts in the field. Dr. Stepanski is in the process of writing a book on the Alcotts and Michaela has become an integral part of its research, examining articles from the last 10 years about the Alcott family to help update Dr. Stepanski's bibliography. The pair meet frequently to discuss relevant themes and to refine the research process.
"It's great to have another person who is so interested in the subject matter to bounce ideas off of about my manuscript," said Dr. Stepanski. "I have always found that my students really jump start me in terms of thinking about things from a different perspective."
By participating in the faculty-student research program at Emmanuel, Michaela has been able to expand her understanding of an entire genre of writing and to look further into Louisa May Alcott's world.
"This work extends beyond the classroom and really gives me the opportunity to delve into a subject that is very personal to me and to stretch my legs academically," said Michaela.
A focus of Dr. Stepanski's research and writing, which Michaela has learned about and contributed to, is the relationship between female authors and the males in their lives, particularly Louisa May and her father, Bronson.
"When you look at these 19th century women writers' lives, there is evidence that they had a father, brother or husband who took an interest in their education. You don't become a Louisa May Alcott at that time without a father who tells you that it is okay to go out, to have a career and to not get married. He really enjoyed his daughter's success and I find that very interesting for that time period."
Dr. Stepanski has also examined, as presented in the Summer Conversational Series, the influence Abby Alcott had on Louisa May as both a mother and a teacher.
Additionally, Michaela is helping to research articles for a paper Dr. Stepanski is writing on girl sleuths which will focus on Nancy Drew, as well as The Girl Aviators, a series of books from the early 20th century inspired by real-life pioneering female pilots.
The relationship that Michaela and Dr. Stepanski have formed goes well beyond research and enhancing a resume for graduate school. It has created a professional mentoring connection which will be invaluable as Michaela and other research assistants embark on their careers.
"I think that the availability of this program is something that helps to attract and keep high-level students," said Michaela. "Because of the personal relationships we as students have with our professors here at Emmanuel, it makes faculty-student research a success."
Michaela also served as an instructional assistant for Dr. Stepanski's First-Year Seminar class, The Power of the Pen, and also was a writing preceptor for Dr. Stepanski's RISE (Road to Intellectual Success at Emmanuel) program class this summer.
Michaela is preparing to go to graduate school and continue her study of English. She will be writing a thesis and presenting a distinction project during her senior year, and has worked with Assistant Professor of English David Palumbo on a directed study on post-colonial literature and theory.
"As a research assistant, you are able to operate as a professional and to even get credit in a book," said Dr. Stepanski. "If you want to go into academia, as Michaela does, it really helps to have someone to guide you and tell you if it's the right fit."
Michaela Henry could not agree more. "It's validating for a professional in your field to let you know you're heading in the right direction and to keep you on track."