Literature as a Lens to Understand Humanity

During my freshman year of college, my literature teacher created a truly remarkable learning community for our class. She inspired me to read beyond just the syllabus and served as an escape from my science-heavy courses. Through her class I studied women’s literature throughout the centuries and was inspired to continue reading works by women from unique backgrounds. When the pandemic hit during the spring of our freshman year, our class moved online… to email. Since she didn’t have a camera on her computer, our class communicated solely through biweekly emails. The passion for literature that myself and my classmates showed during this time served as a testament to the community she had created. She taught me how to use literature as a lens to understand humanity.