Truman Sends 25 to NCTE Convention

Truman’s English MAE program sponsored 25 graduate students’ attendance at the National Council Teachers of English annual convention in St. Louis, Mo., Nov. 16-20.

The convention’s theme this year was “The First Chapter,” and centered on refocusing the organization and its members toward refreshed sense of identity and mission. Attendees were able to hear from current classroom teachers as well as theorists and authors. Notable in this year’s speaker list was Angie Thomas, author of “The Hate You Give,” and Jason Reynolds, author of “Ghost” and “The Long Way Down,” his recent novel in verse.

Truman student representatives were: Katie Ashman, Christina Belt, Grace Bodman, Kyle Burre, Sarah Chabot, Madalene Davis, Rachel Davis, Denise de la Cruz, Stephanie Fox, Brighid Heffernan, Kristina Kohl, Autumn Lavezzi, Katie Lucarz, Kelly Mahaffy, Claire Miller, Emmy Nixon, Zoie Pearson, Rowan Rugh, Sujash Purna, Destiny Reed, Sarah Slane, Emily Stobbe, Arielle Sutton, Van Tegtmeier and Sarah Wappelhorst. Student registrations were paid through the English and Linguistic Department’s graduate student travel fund and a generous donation from an anonymous faculty member.  

Accompanying the students were professors Summer Pennell and Rebecca Dierking. Many Truman English MAE alumni were also in attendance.