Aviv Snowberry

Aviv Snowberry, majoring in English and minoring in History and Ancient, Medieval, and Early Modern Studies, has built a vibrant academic journey at UAF. Through favorite classes, independent research, and deep classroom conversations, Aviv found a space where personal passions and collaborative learning could truly thrive. Read on for Aviv’s reflections and insights.

 

Which UAF English or Writing class did you enjoy the most? Why?

I enjoyed my American Short Story class with Dr. Eric Heyne. I had never engaged that much with early American literature, and his class introduced me to sentimental fiction in the American context and sparked that love and interest in that sub-genre of American literature.

What was your most valuable experience as an English major student at UAF?

My most valuable experience as an English major student was learning how to bring in my own personal interests into the work I’m doing. I have an interest in studying religion and its interplay in the media and art we create and I’ve been able to work that into various research papers and that taught me how to do research and think deeply about the ways I engage with material.

What do you think makes the learning experience special at the UAF English Department?

We have some of the best teachers at UAF, and truly the most caring teachers, too. I think also our smaller class sizes mean that there’s a lot of time to engage with classmates and professors and actually really get to talk in depth about what we learn and work in more collaborative ways. I got to hear so many perspectives and meet so many interesting people who have perspectives I lacked or just simply cannot have and that made my learning experience incredibly special.