Tiffany A. Christian ‘99
When I transferred to Pacific in 1997, I had one goal: complete
my BA in English literature. It didn’t take long for me to realize, though,
that I could do more.
I took on a second major in creative writing as well as
two minors in history and music. I never thought that I was reaching in so many
directions because I wasn’t satisfied with the idea of thinking about life, the
universe, and everything from only one angle. I just loved too many subjects.
After Pacific, I decided to tackle grad school, and here’s
where things get funky. I applied to New
York University’s
creative writing program, and I was roundly, wonderfully rejected. So it goes.
However, an interdisciplinary program at New York University invited me to join their ranks.
This was my first taste of anything beyond English as a focus, so I jumped at
the opportunity.
My experience at NYU opened my eyes to a whole world of
possibilities that didn’t include
studying literature. I think that scared me, so I switched to an MFA in
creative writing at Chapman
University, which I
completed in 2005. Then I started teaching, figuring I was finished with my
academic pursuits.
That’s just funny.
I felt like I was falling down the rabbit hole, so for three
years I tried to wangle my way into PhD programs in English. Three years of
being rejected makes a girl think about things, and I wondered whether I was
headed in the right direction. On a whim, I decided to take a cultural
anthropology class. And that, as they say, is that.
Skip ahead to 2008, and I found myself entering yet another
master’s program, this time in folklore. I wondered, why on earth would I go
for another master’s instead of continuing the pursuit of the PhD? But during my
three years at the University
of Oregon, I discovered
the art of film making. Don’t get me wrong, I love writing. I’m a bit of a nerd
like that. But film making fulfills something in me that I didn’t even know I
was lacking. And I might not have discovered my love of the art had I not
decided I needed to make a move sideways instead of trying to push myself
forward.
Thirteen years after getting my BA in literature, I find
myself doing crazy things such as attending anthropology conferences as a
folklorist filmmaker. It just goes to show that the journey doesn’t have to end
with the BA. Really, it’s just the beginning.
Christian '99 graduated with a degree in creative writing from Pacific. She continued her education and received an MFA in creative writing from
Chapman University in 2005. She also earned a master's degree in folklore from
the University of Oregon in 2011. Currently, she has been admitted to the Ph.D.
program in American Studies at Washington State University.
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