Last week, I had the honour of speaking to a group of American high school guidance counsellors and providing them with a campus tour. The group had flown over to tour Irish Universities for the week, aiming to return to the States better equipped to discuss international opportunities with interested students. I was asked to speak a bit about my time at Maynooth, my decision to move abroad, and my perceptions of social differences between Ireland and America. While I loved discussing my time here so far and my hopes to remain after my course’s conclusion, one of my favourite questions was about my Master’s program. 

I’m currently pursuing a Master of Arts in a course titled “Literatures of Engagement,” which addresses modern political challenges within a variety of critical fields, including “ecology, economy, diversity, gender, sexuality and race relations, borders, citizenship, terrorism, sovereignty, imperialism, migration and refugees.” The program works to provide a comprehensive understanding of the ways that literature, and its discourse, impact our culture, whether it be as a form of resistance or the creation of ideologies. 

I have been so happy with my decision to undertake this course, and I am especially grateful for the small size of the program. The “Literatures of Engagement” Master’s has only eight of us enrolled, which has been an excellent way to foster friendships and community in the classroom, and has allowed each of us to find our niche within the broad range of challenges addressed by the course. 

This semester, our modules include “Writing the Body,” a class dedicated to representations and cultural interpretations of the body within texts, and “Life Narratives and Human Rights,” which aims to better understand the role of (auto)biographies as testimonies, and the politics of life narratives within shifting societies dealing with contemporary political issues. Though it is nearly impossible to summarise these courses, and others, with only a sentence or two, I did my best to express to the group the expanding world view my course has allowed me to develop, and the critical analysis skills I work to develop as I head towards a Master’s thesis. 

I remember being terrified of the complicated course description when I first applied, feeling that I’d never be smart enough to comprehend the intricacies of problems that affect the world on such a large scale. While I may not ever fully understand such nuanced topics, I’ve been so lucky to find in my program supportive classmates and professors who believe in my abilities and foster genuine curiosity in me. 

At the end of the tour, I had the pleasure of stepping into St. Patrick’s college chapel. When I first looked into applying to Maynooth’s postgraduate program, I saw photos of the chapel online, but never expected to be standing inside. Typically closed to the public and available only for special occasions or by appointment, the building began construction in 1875. I learned that the Church is known not only for its beauty, but also for its reputation as the largest choir chapel in the world- inside, 454 choir stalls face each other, rather than the altar, across the aisle.

This final stop was definitely the highlight of my day, and although neither my photos nor the building’s exterior can convey just how stunning this Church is, the seminary’s website provides both gorgeous images and plenty of amazing facts about the construction and restoration of the chapel. The chapel reminded me, much like my own course, of the beauty that can be hidden inside the unknown. This semester at Maynooth has centered around branching out of my comfort zone, and whether that be giving my first ever tour or narrowing down my thesis topic, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the past two months.