Alexandra Nicole Saunders

Proudest Moment: My proudest moment during my time at UW was when I got the email telling me I had been accepted into the Honors English program. I always knew I wanted to study English, so to complete my degree with a small, dedicated cohort was a total dream.

I'm a 26-year-old transfer student who completed the first two years of my undergrad at North Seattle College. The day I received my acceptance email from UW, I had just finished a shift at the coffee shop where I had been working for four years. I immediately sat down on the floor of my teeny, tiny apartment to bask in the fact that I had been accepted. It feels surreal to finally be graduating (especially right now) but I couldn't be more proud, grateful, or pleased.

I owe my success at UW to the unconditional love and support of my boyfriend, Taylor, my mother, and my brother. I am deeply indebted to my thesis advisor, Professor Kimberlee Gillis-Bridges, for her valuable insights and continual encouragement. Thanks also to Nancy Sisko for holding my hand during each registration session and reminding me of my wins. Finally, I would like to thank Professor Alys Weinbaum for pushing me to develop and flourish as an undergraduate scholar -- and for believing that I can do great things.

To my English Honors cohort: we did it! Thank you for listening to me rant about Dune and making this year special. I'll never forget you or this time in our lives -- I'll keep my eyes peeled to see who's the first one to get tenure or make the New York Times Bestseller list.