I am a first-year master's student pursuing a degree in Narrative Studies with a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Management at ASU, and I am also in my fourth year playing violin with the ASU Philharmonia Orchestra.

As a master’s student in Narrative Studies, I was first drawn to the name of the class - “Narratives of School Shootings”. I was interested in learning about how narratives and storytelling could be used to highlight and address heavy, controversial topics like school shootings. 

My favorite aspect of the Lab was collaborating with my peers and professors to create projects that have a beneficial, tangible impact on the community. I also enjoyed learning about different perspectives of school shootings from my peers who came from different academic disciplines. 

My group and I created a “Choose Your Own Path” booklet that includes fictional stories, research, and colorful visuals. This booklet immerses readers in the life of a fictional high school student who faces multiple scenarios and makes decisions before a school shooting occurs.

Prior to this class, I was admittedly nervous to delve into a controversial topic like school shootings and engage in conversations with people whose perspectives were different from my own. Throughout this class, I realized that it is possible to have civil, respectful conversations about school shootings, and that different perspectives actually help me to expand my own. I also discovered that heavy topics can be tackled with creative, innovative solutions like storytelling, poetry, and art. 

I highly recommend that any student from any discipline join at least one Humanities Lab during their time at ASU. There are so many incredible opportunities to engage with the community and create unique solutions to some of the largest wicked problems. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that Narratives of School Shootings became one of my favorite classes ever!