For Melanie Seitzer, a lecturer in the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s (UNO) Department of English and the associate director of the university’s Writing Center, the path into academia was one that revealed itself gradually—through curiosity, experience and the guidance of remarkable mentors.
Despite being a lifelong reader, Seitzer said she hadn’t always wanted to be an English educator. “Although I’ve always loved reading, I actually wasn’t that fond of English in high school,” she said. “My best friend—who also went on to become an English major—and I used to email each other about how we dreaded the assignments. It’s hilarious to look back on now.”
After earning her bachelor’s degree from Creighton University, Seitzer stepped away from academia to work in restaurants and bookstores—taking time to be sure graduate school was the right fit. Eventually, her interest in education led her to UNO’s English MA program, where a TA position allowed her to teach while continuing her studies.
“It seemed like a perfect fit,” she said. “Getting the MA at UNO really jump-started a new career path for me.”
Seitzer began in the TA program in 2014, teaching Composition I and then II and working at the Writing Center while pursuing her degree.
She completed her comprehensive exams in American Literature and took courses across subfields, as well as internships with the Omaha Public Library and Metropolitan Community College (MCC). After graduating, she taught as an adjunct at both MCC and UNO while working toward a TESOL certificate.
In 2020, she transitioned into a full-time position, which she said, “felt like a dream come true—not to be too sappy!” In 2024, she was promoted to lecturer.
“[It was a] long road,” she said, “but it was nice to look back at the projects and curriculum-building I’ve been a part of since becoming full-time.
“Mostly, being promoted to lecturer made me feel grateful for the supportive colleagues I have around me. I’m very lucky to have become close friends with several of them—and they keep me going during hard periods.”
As a lecturer, Seitzer said she was excited to “continue contributing” to the English department, especially as it navigates the growing influence of artificial intelligence in education.
Teaching composition, as Seitzer has done throughout her time at UNO, is a labor-intensive process. But it’s made easier, she said, when one takes the long view—looking beyond the trials of the day-to-day.
“Our work as First-Year Writing instructors can be very labor-intensive and fatiguing,” the lecturer admitted. “In order to combat that, I try and remind myself that this is important work. Helping students become careful readers and thoughtful writers is something they will take with them for the rest of their lives.”
She defined her approach, as one centered on empathy and positive thinking. “I’m a big fan of the idea of positive bias, especially in regard to my students,” she said. “I assume that most students want to learn.
“I also think being a freshman or sophomore in college is such a huge life transition. It was a tough period of life for me, and so I’m glad to be a part of my students’ lives during this time.”
Much of that philosophy has been shaped by her own mentors—particularly former First-Year Writing Director Dr. Maggie Christensen and former Writing Center Associate Director Kathy Radosta. “They both mentored me throughout my MA and as an adjunct,” she said. “I owe a lot to these two amazing educators.”
Now in Radosta’s former role, Seitzer is looking to “pay forward” the mentorship she received by guiding a new generation of student consultants.
“I worked in the Writing Center when I was a TA, and then again while I was an adjunct. So to be back there now as an Associate Director and be able to honor the work of the staff feels like a really cool full circle moment,” she said.
This past spring, the Writing Center staff earned UNO’s Maverick Student Employment Award for Student Employee Team of the Year—an achievement that made Seitzer especially proud.
“Travis Adams (director of the WC) is deeply enthusiastic about providing professional development opportunities for WC staff members,” she noted.
The lecturer said she would be continuing to do “some writing center administrative work over the summer semester, but would mostly be using these few, slower months to “focus on my kids”—aged five and two.
“It’s a big balancing act with family and work—one that I’m still trying to get the hang of,” she noted. “I’m blessed to have colleague-friends who are in similar boats. We cheer each other on, laugh about the wild stories and offer a listening ear when the balancing act gets tough.”
Her husband, whom she married in 2013, has also been a constant source of encouragement. “My husband has been around for my full journey from BA, to work life, to my MA, and then finally to full-time,” she noted. “When I was applying for the full-time position, he did practice interviews with me and helped me prep. He was my biggest cheerleader during that period.”
As she looks ahead, Seitzer is eager to keep growing with her colleagues in First-Year Writing. “These are some of the best teachers I’ve ever known,” she said. “I always appreciate the chance to hear about what they’re doing in their classrooms and try some of it myself.”
