Outstanding Graduate from the Department of English: Jaz Banfield
Jaz is graduating with a degree in English with an emphasis in Rhetoric, Writing, and Digital Media Studies. She is originally from Peoria, Arizona, and graduated from Centennial High School in Peoria.
Jaz had always known English was her strong suit, but she had an identity crisis and studied Biological Sciences up until the spring semester of 2022. She was in English 210 when she rediscovered her love for argumentative research writing. “I feel limitless as I am able to discuss topics that focus on the bigger picture and talk about issues such as sustainability, multiculturalism, ethnicism, and race. More importantly, I found my voice, which has allowed me to grow as a person, student, friend, and so forth,” she says. She feels it’s important to discuss subjects such as these because uncomfortable conversations and disagreements are urgent factors in an ever-changing and more collective society.
Dr. Nancy Guerra Barron has played a major role in Jaz’s efforts as a writer, and Jaz looks up to her as a mentor. Prior to Dr. Barron’s courses, Jaz had no idea the direction she would go after graduation. Dr. Barron told her to look into a gap year to alleviate any anxiety, while simultaneously urging her to pursue her master’s degree. Jaz is deeply thankful for this. Her favorite course, and one that helped her solidify her plans for the future, was English 410C, where she learned about current events surrounding sustainability and the climate crisis.
After graduation, Jaz will continue her education here at NAU by working toward her Master’s in Rhetoric, Writing, and Digital Media Studies. She has accepted a graduate assistantship and will be teaching introductory courses starting this fall. She is both anxious and eager to see what this next step holds for her and is ready for the next part of her academic journey.