Meet our Students
Who Are Our Students?
Our program includes students from various academic backgrounds including English, Anthropology, Education, Cultural Studies, Music, Theater, and Art. Program applicants are often recent graduates of undergraduate programs and/or individuals who have worked in secondary school education or government agencies or cultural institutions.
Students complete the program in both part time and full time capacities, depending on their needs.
Faith is currently an MA student in the Folklore Program
Faith Baylor is a museum educator, writer, and student in the MA Folklore program. Their research often focuses on interpretations of and transfusion of folklore in media, such as video games, zines, and movies. They also have a particular interest in the folklore of Northern Virginia and folklore’s use in education.
Mark is currently an MA certificate student in the Folklore Program
A mostly retired professor of American History, Mark is working toward a Master’s Certificate in Folklore. He’s especially interested in the role of ghost stories and seances in shaping American popular culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Olivia is currently an MA student in the Folklore Program
Originally from Michigan, Olivia is a graduate student in the Folklore Program. Olivia's is currently studying the expression of political, social, and economic resistance within Appalachian folk music of the Shenandoah Valley. Other research interests include the folklore of the Appalachian Trail, the folklife and lore of the Shenandoah Valley before the construction of Shenandoah National Park, contemporary country and folk music, labor-lore, the folklife and musical expressions of mining regions in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, folk music of southern Louisiana, and folk music of the Puerto Rican countryside.
James is currently an MA student in the Folklore Program
James is an academic librarian who comes to folklore studies with a background in theology and religious studies. He studied and taught church history and spirituality, focusing on medieval English vernacular literature. He brings a lifelong interest in alternative (folk, eclectic, and esoteric) spiritualities, and a love of learning the narratives and traditions of diverse communities, including queer, Deaf, and Appalachian. In his non-academic time, he has co-developed or written for various roleplaying games and has recently dabbled in writing speculative fiction and begun studying music.
Don is currently an MA student in the Folklore Program
From Oak Park, Illinois, Don’s research focuses on forging bonds between folklore methodologies and scientific and technological principles. Taking cues from the study of variation in traditional narrative, Don envisions a future-looking discipline that bridges oral transmission and algorithmically-mediated textual production. His paper tracing a "quantum future" for Folklore Studies will be presented at this year's American Folklore Society Meeting.
Beana Olivia is currently an MA student in the Folklore Program
Beana Olivia is a Folklore graduate student, focusing her studies on dance both in theory and in practice. Having grown up dancing, she is excited to delve further into her studies and learn more about this worldwide phenomenon.
Heather is currently a MA student in the Folklore Program
Originally from St. John’s, Newfoundland, Heather is interested in the ways vernacular religious practices in America shape narratives about politics and institutional power within everyday community life. Other research interests include Catholic folk traditions, performing arts, and cultural memory in the Irish diaspora.
Jessica is currently an MA student in the Folklore Program
Jess Wheeler is a student in the M.A. Folklore program, where her research focuses on the reclamation of feminist pagan rituals by ex-evangelical women, with particular attention to Queen Medb of Irish folklore as a symbol of sovereignty and female power. In addition to her graduate studies, Jess teaches high school English and mythology.
Jenny is currently a BAM student in the Folklore Program
Jenny is a Folklore BAM student inspired by everyday people and the lives they lead. She is an editor and published writer for The Forge, GMU’s science fiction and fantasy literary magazine. Her interest in Appalachian folklife and craftspeople has her learning how to play the mountain dulcimer. She looks forward to deepening her understanding of how museums and folklore intersect and to exploring the wide range of topics within folklore studies.
Justin is currently an MA student in the Folklore Program
Justin Winters has been teaching high school theater for a really long time. He likes board games, big questions, and Godzilla. He and his awesome partner Meghan and their son Albert just moved to Dumfries and they are very excited to join their new community, the amazing people at Mason, and make storytelling a big part of this new chapter of their lives.
Amanda is currently an MA student in the Folklore Program
Amanda is currently pursing dual MAs in Folklore and History. Her history research interests include patriotism and nationalism, and how ideas about nationality have been built. In folklore, Amanda studies reenactors, focusing on material culture and costume. Outside of school, Amanda enjoys knitting, travel, and reenacting 18th century life.
Jordan is currently an MA student in the Folklore Program
Jordan is a M.A. student in the Folklore program studying Folkloric Pedagogical Methods in the Secondary ELA classroom, focusing on decolonial practices and pedagogies of liberation and justice. She is also interested in folk art and craft, the folklore of gender, global thru-hike stories, and immigrant narratives. She teaches English and Ceramics at the high school level.
