Meredith Heist
Ph.D. American Studies

My path to graduate school began with the completion of my Bachelor of Arts in English at Truman State University. As a Truman Leadership Scholar recipient, I was expected to take charge of my education and learn to motivate others as a leader. Upon finishing, I chose to stay at Truman to work towards a Master of Arts degree in English. As a Graduate Teaching Assistant, I gained experience in teaching at a college level and was challenged to push myself further as both a student and leader. With this increased motivation, I chose to pursue further graduate studies after receiving my M.A. from Truman in 2008.

The move to St. Louis University is one I am extremely excited about. I decided to pursue my Ph.D. in American Studies at the university not only because of its outstanding reputation but because of the diversity offered by the community and school. The larger academic atmosphere and urban location are very different than my previous experiences and are helpful in understanding the variety of communities in academia and society. Another large part of my decision to attend St. Louis University is the school’s focus on social outreach and responsibility.

As I enter my first year at St. Louis University as a graduate fellow, I am unsure of exactly where the field of American Studies will lead me. However I am looking forward to working with a community of scholars equally as motivated as I am. Currently, I am interested in learning more about madness narratives, memoirs about mental illnesses, and how mental health is viewed and portrayed in the American culture. Other areas of interest include food studies, and the power of storytelling. I want to advocate programs such as the StoryCorps project and promote active learning with personal stories between children and adults in the St. Louis area.