Student Highlights
Our students continue to make us proud through their scholarship, leadership, creativity, and professional achievements. This year, students presented their work at conferences, organized and led events, secured admission to M.A. programs, and launched exciting new career opportunities.
Congratulations to the Class of 2026!
At our department graduation ceremony on May 19, 2026, each faculty coordinator shared one word of tribute that captures your achievements and impact on our community. Here is the full list of words: process, diligence, ecology, dynamic, cook, generative, dedicated, action. You can read your faculty’s remarks here. As English degree holders, you know that language is dynamic and ever-evolving. Please do keep in touch and let us know what new meanings you find in those words as you take on new roles in the world as readers, writers, and change agents.
Thank you to our Student Assistants!
This year, the English Department was fortunate to welcome several outstanding students to our office team as student assistants. Representing a strong mix of undergraduate and graduate students from across our English programs, these students played an essential role in keeping the department running smoothly. From staffing the front desk and assisting faculty, staff, and students to helping organize and lead departmental events, their contributions were invaluable.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our student assistants – Jada Staley, Jason Sanchez, and Tadeo Macon, and Louis Miller – for their hard work, professionalism, and dedication throughout the year. And congrats to Jason on his graduation this spring.
English Students Present at PAMLA
We were represented at this year's conference of the Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association, to be held at the InterContinental Hotel in downtown San Francisco, from November 20-23, 2025. Congrats to all of our faculty, alumni, and current students who are presenting their work at PAMLA.
Faculty (current and emeritus): Meg Schoerke, Julie Paulson, Sarita Cannon, Virginia Schwarz, Ellen Peel, Loretta Stec.
Current Graduate Students: Victoria Stevans, Efi Turnip.
Our Graduate Student Alumni: Gurleen Babra, Andrew Brooks, Saramanda Swigert, Zay Dale, Leila Easa, Chris Simpkins. Lisa Ludden Perry, Annette Hulbert, Dylan Kelleher.
ENG 655 Students Present their Final Project Showcase
Congrats to Jim’s ENG 655 students for their final project showcase in Fall 2025!
CURE 2026: Students Share their Work at the Undergraduate Research Showcase
Congratulations to Jim’s English 655 students for the presentations at this year’s Undergraduate Research Showcase! Each grade level curriculum committee created a bulletin board display to accompany their instructional unit/pedagogy project focused on their chosen anchor text, as well as three other texts of various formats/genres (Young Adult, Informational, and Visual).
You can view every group’s members and bulletin boards in this box folder.
English Education Alum Sammy Tran Accepted into UC Berkeley's Principal Leadership Institute
After completing his BA in English Education in 2017 and earning his teaching credential in English Language Arts at San Francisco State University in 2020, Sammy Tran dove straight into teaching at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academic Middle School in San Francisco Unified School District.
Since graduating from the credential program, Sammy has had the honor of serving as a grade level lead, department lead, and union representative at his school. Last year, he received the Warrior's Teacher of the Year Award and hosted his school’s first-ever Asian and Pacific Islander Night.
During the 2024–2025 school year, Sammy also mentored a student teacher in English Language Arts from SFSU—Gators helping Gators! Most recently, he helped organize and support the United Educators of San Francisco strike in February at his school site.
Sammy is excited about his recent acceptance into the Principal Leadership Institute at University of California, Berkeley, where he will further develop his social justice leadership, facilitation, and student-centered vision.
Fall 2025 Dean's List
Over 100 English students across our four undergraduate programs made the Fall 2025 Dean’ list! We've made the full Dean's List available to view through this link. Congratulations!
2025-2026 Scholarship Awardees
Congratulations to all of the recipients of our 2025-2026 academic year scholarships. We’re proud to support you and your academic journey.
Students Host Literary Event, "Vespers for the Lovers"
GLA hosted Vespers for the Lovers, a literary event about the complexities of the erotic and the language of love, at Horsies Market + Saloon in the Mission. It started with an academic talk and rolled into communal poetry/prose reading. A lot of community members read either their favorite poems or something they wrote themselves! The event ended with DIY Valentine making.
English Student Union Host Mixer
The English Student Union held a mixer in HUM 485! English students met with members other department unions to foster connections amongst their peers. Thank you to Japneet Khanuja for organizing this social!
February Student Study Break: Vietnamese Iced Coffee Mixer
At the end of February we hosted the first Student Study Break of the semester, featuring Vietnamese Iced Coffee. Thank you to MA LIT student and English student assistant Tadeo Macon for planning and organizing this event.
March Student Study Break: Matcha Mixer
In March we held our second Student Study Break, a Matcha Mixer featuring matcha drinks and snacks. A huge thank you to Jason Sanchez, a PWR senior and one of our student assistants this Spring, for organizing this.
April Student Study Break: Earth Day Mixer
In April, the English Department hosted its final Student Study Break of the semester, bringing students and faculty together to celebrate Earth Day. Participants used recycled materials to create planters and pot plants, enjoying a relaxing and creative opportunity to connect with one another before the end of the semester.
A special thank-you to student assistant Jada Staley for organizing this event, and to everyone who contributed plant clippings, recycled containers, and planter supplies.
TESOL Students Present at CCSF ESL
Congratulations to TESOL students Rachel Tsutsumi and Ilana Goldberg, who presented at the CCSF ESL Colloquium on Friday, March 13. Their participation showcased the outstanding work and professional engagement of our students within the TESOL community.
From Rachel: "The CCSF Colloquium was great for meeting and learning from faculty in a fun, relaxed environment. I was able to attend two sessions on teaching beginning level students, which were packed with strategies and resources for class activities."
Ilana: "It was great to attend the colloquium and see what issues in-service ESL teachers are currently discussing. I attended sessions about teaching beginners and teaching the UFLI literacy curriculum, both of which have already informed my teaching at the Oakland Public Library."
Jason Sanchez joins Hugg Magazine
We’re thrilled to share that English PWR senior and student assistant Jason Sanchez has started a new position with San Francisco-based magazine Hugg as a Staff Writer! Congratulations to Jason for his new role! Below are Jason’s thoughts on this new venture:
“My name is Jason Sanchez, and I have been working at the English Department front office for the last 6 months. Through this experience, I managed to find a job at a local magazine company called Hugg! Working at Hugg has been an incredibly satisfying experience for me, both creatively and socially. As an expecting graduate for this current semester, I am often anxious about my prospects outside of SF State. However, with this new Job as a Staff Writer, it has helped ease my worries by allowing me a space to express myself and my work with other creatives in the Bay Area. With the new issue releasing this Saturday, April 18th, we are throwing a launch party to help get our names out there in the community, which will be a lot of fun!”
Composition Student Ferdos Heidari Selected as Winner in CSU Student Research Competition!
Congratulations to Ferdos Heidari of our Composition program for being selected as of the ten winners of the campus-level CSU Student Research Competition this February!
English Student Union Student Walkout
English Student Union members organized a walkout on April 30th on the SFSU Quad as a part of their efforts to fight university cuts.
Student Skye Mcmullen and Assoc. Professor Bridget Gelms Co-Present at the Rhetoric Society of America Conference
At the end of May, Bridget Gelms and SF State Scholars student Skye Mcmullen co-presented at the Rhetoric Society of America conference in Portland, OR. Their panel explored the rhetorics of professionalism by discussing how normative definitions of "professionalism" collide with the realities of human experiences, especially those of emerging professionals who are new to workplace cultures. Skye graduated from our department in the PWR program this year, and will graduate with our MA in Composition in Spring 2027. Congratulations, Skye!
Linguistics Students Accepted into MA and PhD Programs
The Linguistics program would like to congratulate three of our wonderful Linguistics students, Babette Wagener, Isabelle C., and Raz Parker, for their graduation this Spring and their acceptance to exciting MA programs! We wish them the best of luck in these new endeavors.
Babette Wagener: “I am so excited to be attending UC Berkeley for a master's in education. I hope to apply everything I learned from the wonderful professors at SFSU in my future work. In particular, I want to thank Dr. Smirnova, who was such a wonderful and patient mentor. Through our research, I have not only gained a lot of skills but also confidence that will help me in my future educational endeavors. Outside of education, I also feel confident to face the world with empathy and critical thought because of the wonderful professors in the English department.”
Isabelle C.: “I am thrilled to share that after graduating with my Bachelor’s in Linguistics at San Francisco State, I will be starting my Masters of Library and Information Science at San Jose State. If you know me, you know how much the library and reading means to me and I am so excited to be a step closer to living my librarian dreams!”
Raz Parker: “I'm delighted to be joining the PhD program in Linguistics at the University of New Mexico in the fall, where I will also be working as a teaching assistant. I've had a circuitous route to linguistics academia – I’m thankful to San Francisco State for being my first step, and I’m forever grateful to Professors Smirnova, Lederer and Pratt for patiently preparing me for this next opportunity. I can't wait to continue my research into iconicity, and strengthen my knowledge of phonology with my advisor at UNM, Professor Stefon Flego.”
Linguistics Alum Wilson Miller Featured in Podcast and Article
Wilson Miller recently discussed his career in language and technology following the completion of his M.A. in Linguistics at San Francisco State University in an interview on The Sounds of Tech podcast. In the episode, Miller reflects on his professional journey and the role of linguistics in the evolving technology landscape. The podcast episode can be accessed here.
Miller was also recently quoted in Tania Strahan's February 23, 2026, article, "Language, Linguistics and LLMs," where he shared insights on the connections between linguistics and large language models.
PWR Alums Share Career Insights
Earlier this semester, the Professional Writing & Rhetoric (PWR) program held a career panel featuring two recent PWR alums: Maddie Lester (SFSU Class of ‘22) and Ethan Tran, MA (also SFSU Class of ‘22).
Maddie, a Marketing Specialist at ZDigital, emphasized how her varied job responsibilities make her work especially engaging and discussed how she has benefitted from ZDigital’s start-up culture.
With a professional path that has taken him in a few directions since leaving SFSU, Ethan, a Content Designer at Salesforce, discussed the importance of trying different things early in your career to figure out what you truly enjoy.
This career panel took place as part of ENG 660: Career Pathways & Applied Projects, a new PWR class offered for the first time this semester. ENG 660 students prepare for the job market by developing job documents (resume, portfolio), exploring different career paths in PWR, and completing an internship.
Follow us on LinkedIn for more!
Want to keep up with our students' accomplishments throughout the year? Follow the English Department on LinkedIn for the latest student highlights, success stories, event updates, and community news.