College of Liberal Arts
Writer, journalist and future educator Colin Warren believes literature helps people understand the world and imagine what it could become. Through the Department of English, he strengthened his writing, discovered a love of teaching and found mentors whose enthusiasm for literature inspired his own. In the Q&A below, Warren reflects on writing, learning and preparing to teach across ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ.
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Colin Warren, and I am a double major in English and secondary education. I am also a working journalist. I'm the editor of the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Sun Star.
In your own words, why study the liberal arts?
We're in a time when the liberal arts are under attack, and universities across the country are being turned into businesses. So it's more important than ever to support, really, the essence of the studies that make up what we experience in life. Other fields focus on mechanics, money and science. It's all stuff that you discover, but the liberal arts are what we create and what mirrors our own existence. So there's nothing richer than the liberal arts.
What has your experience in the Department of English been like, and what makes it special?
I've found nothing but passion in the Department of English, especially from the younger professors, Jericho Williams and Sara Botz. They're two new professors who have really inspired me with their passion for their own work, especially because I really detest both of their areas of focus, which are 18th- and 19th-century literature. I couldn't think of anything more boring, but they have such passion for it that it's really drawn me in and shown me the light for literature of yore.
How has your time at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ changed you, either academically, personally, or professionally?
I can say confidently that I'm a much better writer now than when I started at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ, and I think that's just from the amount of practice I've gotten here. It's really shown in the way I choose diction and paint imagery. I would say my time here has dutifully increased my abilities in the writing department. I guess that's what means most to me, writing, so it's extra important.
I've also broadened my scope of reading quite a bit and learned a lot of pedagogy. I come from a family of teachers, so I always knew what I was getting into. However, I didn't quite know that I'd love teaching as much as I do, and I'm really thankful for that. Thinking about the way people learn, I think, can teach us a lot about ideas themselves and how they're created and transmitted in the world. Learning those ways of thinking has really improved my life in a lot of ways.
Was there a professor, mentor, or community that made a big impact on your journey? How?
So many options, really.
I'd say Professor Terry Reilly had a particularly big impact on me. He's a Shakespeare expert, and the way he was able to synthesize his own passion into the real world... He always brought the real world into his classroom, even though it was essentially based on writings from a few hundred years ago.
I think that meant a lot to me, to be able to see that you can get as esoteric as you'd like and still be able to bring the world in in an interesting way. It led to great conversations, and I think Professor Reilly is one of the true gems of the university.
He taught Shakespeare at Oxford for years. He's an incredibly talented professor.
What are you excited about next, and how has ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ prepared you for it?
Professionally, like I said in the previous question, I can't wait to teach kids all over ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ. I'm truly, truly thrilled to think about helping kids learn about literature, words and the liberal arts in general. I'm ready to go do that across ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ. I'm really thrilled for it.
Congratulations to Colin Warren on being named the Department of English's 2026 Outstanding Student of the Year. Learn more about the Department of English and explore more Outstanding Student spotlights from across the College of Liberal Arts.
