Ashley Halm (right), with Dr. Christina Jarvis next to the plants that students enrolled in English 399 Sustainability Living Laboratory grew for the campus garden.
Senior Theatre Arts and English double major Ashley Halm has been chosen as the recipient of the April Honors Student of the Month Award. Department of English Professor Christina Jarvis nominated Halm for this award.
In her nomination, Dr. Jarvis wrote, “Ashley is simply one of the most talented, thoughtful, creative and passionate students I've encountered in my 23 years teaching at SUNY Fredonia. As Ashley’s professor for four different English courses and the advisor to Fred Grows, I can attest to Ashley's consistent academic excellence, inspiring commitment to literary and performing arts, and campus leadership in sustainability.
“Their engagement work on the campus garden and in Senior Seminar this semester has been especially inspiring. Whether helping to create stunning ‘Lit Bomb’ installations in Reed Library, drafting mini grant proposals to support the physical infrastructure and long-term sustainability of the campus garden or planning for the garden gala opening, Ashley has done outstanding work. These projects will bring together numerous students, campus and community groups to celebrate local food networks, sustainability, music and literature. Ashley has contributed to the long-term sustainability and greater good of the campus.”
“The students used the play as an opportunity to educate viewers via a timeline outside the theatre about the cultural and political factors in the 1980s contributing to these behaviors. That play was just one of many examples where Ashley contributed not only to an excellent interdisciplinary event, but also added thoughtful analysis, engagement and insight.” - Dr. Christina Jarvis
A creative writing minor, Halm has also been extensively involved with the student literary organization Writers’ Ring as well as with numerous theatre groups and productions. Halm is currently the company manager of PAC (Performing Arts Company) and this past spring served as stage manager for a production of "This is Our Youth" – a play that tackled a range of sensitive issues, including domestic violence, drug addiction, sexism and racism.
As Jarvis writes, “The students used the play as an opportunity to educate viewers via a timeline outside the theatre about the cultural and political factors in the 1980s contributing to these behaviors. That play was just one of many examples where Ashley contributed not only to an excellent interdisciplinary event, but also added thoughtful analysis, engagement and insight,” Jarvis said.
Halm has redefined being a valuable and inspiring peer to fellow students, Jarvis noted. “I was delighted to have Ashley as a student this past fall in my Environmental Literature class, where they regularly helped their Environmental Science and Education peers appreciate the literary dimensions and rhetorical strategies of our readings through their always insightful comments and questions.”
Halm has enjoyed time at Fredonia, citing Fredonia’s opportunities “to learn in and engage with nature and the local environment,” as well as the Fredonia Honors Program’s commitment to “fostering community with other Honors students” and a favorite Honors class: The Genius of Hamilton. Halm’s advice for fellow Honors students is “Take time to take care of yourself and enjoy being a college student.”
Originally from Corning, where they attended Corning-Painted Post High School, Halm plans to pursue an M.F.A. in fiction and become a published writer. First, though, Halm plans to take a gap year to work on rewilding and sustainability projects in rural Appalachia.
Looking back on an incredibly successful career at Fredonia, Halm extends thanks to the faculty in the English and Theatre departments, especially Michael Sheehan, Rebecca Cuthbert, Daniel Lendzian and Jarvis.
