Student Opportunities
We pride ourselves in offering students a wide range of learning enrichment opportunities outside the classroom.
We also pride ourselves on our students’ achievements, many of which are recognized with our annual department awards, including awards for:
- outstanding first-year essays
- excellent research projects in upper-division courses
- outstanding graduation portfolio
See what’s waiting for you both inside and outside the classroom.
Internships
Learning doesn’t have to stop when class is over.
Hone your craft through an internship and get ready to succeed in your desired field—whether that be publishing, education, business, film production, government, or non-profit organizations.
Learn more about internship experiences in the English Department.
Scholarships
Every year, a variety of English scholarships are available through the WSU Foundation.
You can also earn money for your original creative work through the Winona Prize in Creative Writing, an annual contest that awards a $1,500 prize to one student writer in each genre of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.
Bonus: the three winners are featured in that year’s edition of Satori.
Explore all your options for funding your education in the English Department.
Satori
Satori is the annual University literary arts magazine that features a wide range of artwork, stories, and poems created by our students.
Become a published author before you graduate by submitting your own original work for consideration.
You can also get valuable hands-on editing experience, earn credit, and help craft the final product by enrolling in a projects class offered every Spring term.
Learn more how you can get involved with Satori .
Common Book Program
The Common Book Program brings the community of WSU readers together to discuss a single work.
A new Common Book is chosen each academic year based on the issues it raises and how it connects to that year’s University-wide theme.
The Common Book is studied in WSU courses across campus and featured in campus events like author visits, film screenings, and discussion panels.
Past Common Book selections include Jamil Zaki’s The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World, Mona Hanna-Attisha's What the Eyes Don’t See, and Kao Kalia Yang’s The Latehomecomer.
Great River Reading Series
If you’re eager to meet successful writers, you won’t want to miss out on the John S. Lucas Great River Reading Series.
This program brings nationally known authors to WSU each year.
Poets, fiction writers, and non-fiction writers alike get to visit certain creative writing and advanced literature classes to give public readings of their work.
Some previous visiting writers include Lee Young-Li, Katrina Vandenberg, Kent Meyer, Joyce Sutpin, and Tony Eprille.
Film Series
Calling all moviegoers: mark your calendar for the WSU Film Series to watch films created by your peers.
These movies explore topics related to the University Theme and range from Oscar-winners to comedies, dramas, and documentaries.
Campus Clubs & Organizations
If you consider yourself a Bookworm Warrior—that is, you love to read and write—there’s a handful of campus clubs and organizations that are calling your name.
Arts & Culture
Winona is rich with arts and culture all year round.
In the summer, the Great River Shakespeare Festival performs plays by the Bard and other playwrights.
This festival also features conversations with professional actors, free concerts, and a walk/run race around Lake Winona.
In the winter, be sure to attend the Frozen River Film Festival, which features an impressive lineup of documentaries by directors from across the world.
Some films are full-length while others are just a few minutes long—either way, all will make you see the world a little differently.
