Between being nominated for Undergraduate Student Employee of the Year, curating a presentation for The Art of Storytelling Conference in St. Paul, and balancing an English major with more minors and concentrations than one could count, life for undergrad Izzy Martin is busy, to say the least.
This is Martin’s third year as an English major, with concentrations in British, Irish, and Anglophone Literature and History, along with minors in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Ancient Mediterranean Studies, and Art History. Her coursework prompted the paper “Immoral Art,” which she plans to present at the Undergraduate Communication Studies and English Conference. Based on Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, she hopes to “examine the intersections of gender liminality and Pre-Raphaelite artwork in the novel.”
Having recently studied abroad, Martin sought inspiration from Pre-Raphaelite works across England and France, admitting she subsequently fell in love with them as they informed her studies. “I realized that my interest in both the artwork and the novel worked together very well.” She added, “It has been incredibly valuable to put my interest in 19th-century literature and art history into practice!”
Outside of academia, Martin spends her days as a resident advisor on campus and working in the Writing Center, both of which earned her award nominations. She credits these positions and the UNO faculty for developing her skills in and out of the workplace. “It is such an honor to be recognized for the work I do on campus. I am particularly proud of the Writing Center staff nomination, because I see how diligently my peers work every day!”
As for the future, Martin intends to keep busy, shifting her focus to applying for graduate programs, researching literature, and workshopping a new project — this time on the Iliad. Though balancing all of this may seem impossible, she makes it look like a cakewalk, flourishing with every opportunity she gets.
