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Lindsey Wilson University Students Present Work, Find Inspiration at English Conference

Three faculty members lead 19 Lindsey Wilson students at Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society meeting in New Orleans.

by Duane Bonifer

COLUMBIA, Ky. (04/02/2026) — One of the themes at this year's Sigma Tau Delta convention was resilience.

For the Lindsey Wilson University students who attended the annual meeting of the international English honor society, other themes might have been impressive, extraordinary and amazing.

A total of 19 students attended the four-day conference, which was held March 29-April 1 in New Orleans and funded by a university grant. Seven LWU students presented their research, and the other 12 attended as observers, making the Lindsey Wilson delegation one of the largest to attend the conference, which attracted more than 1,000 undergraduate students from U.S. colleges and universities.

"We always tell our students how extraordinary their work is, but for them to hear from people at other schools how amazing their work is was really great," said English professor Rachel Carr '13, who was one of three Lindsey Wilson faculty to accompany the students. "Faculty sponsors at other schools were always coming up to us and saying, 'This work is incredible.'"

During one moment at the conference, that included a faculty member from another school chasing down Lindsey Wilson student Morgan Bryant '26 in a hallway to tell her how impressed he was with her presentation.

Bryant, who is an English and history double major from Shelbyville, Kentucky, presented her senior thesis, "American Nightmares in Johnson and Ellis," which examined James Weldon Johnson's 1912 novel The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man with the 1991 novel American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis.

"It was very validating to experience that," said Bryant. "Just having a scholar run full-speed to talk to me made me think, 'Maybe I am smart.'"

It was the second year Bryant presented at the Sigma Tau Delta conference, and she said that having the opportunity to attend it again this year "was really nice because I got to get one last hurrah with my English cohort."

"Having this final experience with them at a national conference was really special," she said. "We have such a strong family atmosphere in the English program, which made attending this conference an incredible experience. And where better else to do it than in New Orleans?"

Learning about New Orleans

In addition to attending the Sigma Tau Delta conference, the Lindsey Wilson students and professors explored some of the cultural landmarks of the Crescent City, which included a voodoo tour of the fabled French Quarter. They also heard from novelist Jesmyn Ward, who gave the conference's keynote address. Ward is the only woman and the only African American to win the National Book Award for Fiction twice.

Several of the Lindsey Wilson students are studying Ward and Zora Neale Hurston this semester in Carr's "Major Authors Seminar." They said it was "pretty amazing" to meet an author they have so thoroughly examined this spring.

"Even before the class, Jesmyn Ward has been a major influence on my writing," said Kaleb Humble '26, a communication major and English minor from Monticello, Kentucky. "Being able to hear from her at the convention and tour some of the areas that have influenced her work helped me better understand her writing. It was pretty amazing to hear from her."

It also meant a lot to Carr personally to hear Ward speak because she discovered the author while a Lindsey Wilson undergraduate student, using Ward's 2011 novel, Salvage the Bones, in her senior thesis. Carr said that reading the novel, which won the 2011 National Book Award, was one factor that influenced her decision to become a college professor.

"I think I was as excited as the students to meet her and have her sign one of her books," said Carr.

Inspiring students

Leona Smith '27, who attended her first Sigma Tau Delta conference, said that reading and studying Ward "makes me want to ask more questions about taboo topics that maybe don't need to be taboo topics anymore and bring awareness to other situations."

"Studying her as an author is very inspiring and then trekking along some of the places in New Orleans where she picked up some of her ideas was fun and exciting," said Smith, an English education major from Bardstown, Kentucky.

In addition to listening to presentations, the Lindsey Wilson students were exposed to numerous networking opportunities, where they learned about the multitude of professional opportunities available to someone who studies or majors in English.

"Listening to what people have done with an English degree gave me a broader perspective on what I can do after I graduate," said Humble.

Smith, who was among the 16 Lindsey Wilson students who made their first trip to New Orleans, said attending the Sigma Tau Delta conference as an observer this year encouraged her to try to present work at next year's conference.

"I was very inspired by the conference," she said. "I'm a very shy person, and I have a fear of public speaking. Presenting at this conference would be a really good way for me to overcome that."

Carr said that moments that students such as Smith and Bryant experienced at the conference are among the important intangible benefits of attending it.

"You could see that it started to really click for them what their lives could be, why their work in the classroom matters so much and how Lindsey Wilson is giving them such incredible opportunities," said Carr. "It was so cool that I got to take Lindsey Wilson students to a place that has shaped my personal and professional life. I get to watch them find their voices and tell their own stories. It's why I do this job, and I'm so lucky I get to do it."

The Lindsey Wilson students who presented at the 2026 Sigma Tau Delta Convention were: Bryant, presented critical work: "American Nightmares in Johnson and Ellis;" Cadence Groce '26 of Somerset, Kentucky, critical work: "Unpacking the Feminist Themes in the Golden Girls;" Humble, presented creative writing: "93.1 FM;" Jesse LaGrange '26, creative writing: Tableau: Rungs;" Sarah Sonnabend '27 of Breeding, critical work: "Flowers and Fertility in The Handmaid's Tale;" Chloe Taylor '26 of Russell Springs, Kentucky, critical work: "Big Girl Bark: How Bluey Teaches Self-Advocacy;" and Megan Whitson '26 of East Bernstadt, Kentucky, critical work: "Ain't No Learning: Code-Switching and Appalachia as Raced."

The Lindsey Wilson students who attended as observers were: Sarai Collins '27 of Columbia; Cori Groce '28 of Monticello; Madeline Hardwick '27 of Columbia; Zachariah Lawson '26 of Williamsburg, Kentucky; Taylor Likens '27 of Burkesville, Kentucky; John McLean '28 of Lexington, Kentucky; Kenzie Melton '28 of Lily, Kentucky; Emily Morrow '27 of Monticello; Piper Samples '27 of Irvine, Kentucky; Leona Smith '27 of Coxs Creek, Kentucky; Abigail Vanderheyden '28 of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; and Christian Varga '28 of Shelbyville.

Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 30 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university's 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.

Media Attachments

A total of 19 students and three English professors from Lindsey Wilson University attended the 2026 Sigma Tau Delta Convention in New Orleans. Pictured, alphabetically, are: faculty members Rachel Carr ’13, Kendall Sewell ’13 and Karolyn Steffens; students Morgan Bryant ’26, Sarai Collins ’27, Cadence Groce ’26, Cori Groce ’28, Madeline Hardwick ’27, Kaleb Humble ’26, Jesse LaGrange ’26, Zachariah Lawson ’26, Taylor Likens ’27, John McLean ’28, Kenzie Melton ’28, Emily Morrow ’27, Piper Samples ’27, Sarah Sonnabend ’27, Leona Smith ’27, Chloe Taylor ’26, Abigail Vanderheyden ’28, Christian Varga ’28 and Megan Whitson ’26.

Members of the Lindsey Wilson University delegation to the 2026 Sigma Tau Delta Convention in New Orleans gather in the city’s iconic French Quarter District. A total of 19 Lindsey Wilson students and three English faculty attended the meeting; seven Lindsey Wilson students presented research or original creative work.

Members of the Lindsey Wilson University delegation to the 2026 Sigma Tau Delta Convention in New Orleans gather in front of the fabled Faulkner House Books, which is located in an 1837 French Quarter townhouse where William Faulkner lived and wrote. A total of 19 Lindsey Wilson students and three English faculty attended the meeting; seven Lindsey Wilson students presented research or original creative work.

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