Here to Learn

In December of 2019, English major Madison Hunter plans to graduate with a concentration in Creative Writing. Her minor is in Communication. She loves the versatility of her major, noting that “there are so many paths I can venture down …. The only way I can be boxed in as an English major is if I allow myself to be boxed in."

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Hunter went to Booker T. Washington High School in Montgomery. She chose to attend USA because her father really liked the campus and the people he met the day he and Hunter came for a tour of the campus.

Hunter is very active in campus organizations. She is a member of Women of Excellence and served as its Public Relations Chairperson from 2017-2018. She served as the Black Awareness Chairperson on the Black Student Union executive board from 2017-2018. She is also involved in USA’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and VDay Warriors. She is also a recent inductee of Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity, and she is a member-in-training for the Zeta Gamma chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity. Outside of campus, she takes pride in being a new inductee of Powerlines Poetry, a group of spoken word artists in Mobile.

After she graduates, Hunter plans to take a semester off and then pursue a Master’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, with a focus on poetry and African American Studies. Prior to graduate school, Hunter says she will work on two projects: writing “a children’s book called ‘Honeybunch’s Hive’” which is inspired by her paternal grandmother, and writing a book of poetry that she plans to title “DictionKanari.”

Favorite professors of Hunter’s include three English professors: Dr. Kern Jackson, Dr. John Halbrooks, and Dr. Chris Raczkowski. She lauds Jackson, the Director of African American Studies, for his encouragement of her academic and personal success. Likewise, she praises Halbrooks and Raczkowski for helping her engage with challenging courses such as Literary Criticism to 1900 and Modernism.

When asked to offer advice for freshman students, Hunter says “YOU ARE HERE TO LEARN. Be open-minded but also be firm in the things that you believe in. You will be tested, questioned, and distracted but you must remember what your ultimate goal is while you are on campus: THE DEGREE.” With respect to getting involved in campus organizations, Hunter offers the following advice: “Before you decide to join an organization(s) or even become an officer on an executive board, be sure to understand what you are giving your time to and what is expected of you. Consider what you can bring to an organization and what exactly are you gaining by being a part of that entity. Be aware of the commitment you are making and determine if you can maintain diligence.”

When not engaged with her classes and her extra-curricular commitments, Hunter enjoys participating in open mic opportunities in Mobile, where she can share her spoken word poetry. During the summers and holiday breaks, Hunter says she returns to Montgomery, where she volunteers “with the Feeding Hands Backpack Program and the True Divine Senior Center under True Divine Community Development.” She also enjoys opportunities to travel, particularly when she can visit Detroit. Her drive for academic success and for community engagement makes Hunter a role model for Arts & Sciences majors.