At Peabody, I became interested in how learning is often influenced by what happens behind the scenes. For example, at a museum, the best and most-informative exhibits have been designed thoughtfully and thoroughly by a design team. This unseen work shapes the learning of countless visitors. In the same way, I hope that the resources I develop in the Barnes & Noble office will shape the learning of countless students and educators.

Additionally, through the L&D program’s emphasis on qualitative research, I learned that the best way to develop resources for a certain group of learners is to understand their needs and actually spend time with them. I now know that it’s pretty fruitless to create an educational product for a group of people without getting to know that group of people first. I am excited to use the research skills I acquired at Peabody to investigate how modern students and educators are interacting with English literature and leverage that knowledge in my own work.