Writing and Rhetoric graduate flourishes after finding her unique voice

Spend a few minutes talking to 奥克兰 senior Mena Hannakachl and you’ll likely walk away impressed with what she’s been able to accomplish during her time at OU and what she hopes to accomplish in the future.

Hannakachl was recently awarded the 文理学院 Meritorious Achievement Award and will speak at commencement.

这是Hannakachl的最新成就, who won the 2023 韦德体育app官网 Keeper of the Dream scholarship and published her memoir “迦勒底女孩是什么?.”

But there was a time when Hannakachl wasn’t sure how she would fare in college, 当她到达奥克兰时, she was placed in a basic writing course based on her standardized test score.

事实证明，塞翁失马焉知非福. Hannakachl在基础写作课上遇到了她的导师, 更重要的是，她找到了自信和自己的声音.

“我想我慢慢意识到自己声音的力量，”汉纳卡克尔说. “I think when you find your voice, you realize you have the power to accomplish so many things. I realized that if I put myself out there and submitted this thing or pitched this idea, 这有可能发生. You don't do things for recognition, but sometimes the aftermath is being recognized or being seen. I think I've been really fortunate and grateful that my community has done that and recognized me.”

Hannakachl非常感谢她遇到了她的导师Cathy Rorai, 谁是写作与修辞系的特聘讲师, 在基础写作课程中. Hannakachl称赞罗莱帮助她建立了信心.

“她让我意识到我有一个故事要分享，”Hannakachl说. “I asked her if I could do more writing like we did in class and she introduced me to the Writing and Rhetoric program. I also found out I could mentor other students and I went on to work for the department for the last three years.”

Hannakachl出生在伊拉克. She moved to the United Arab Emirates when she was four to flee the war in Iraq. Her family moved to the United States eight years ago in hopes Hannakachl and her siblings would have more opportunities.

我在阿拉伯联合酋长国长大, Hannakachl学会了三种语言:阿拉伯语, 迦勒底语和英语. 所以，虽然她的英语很好, it wasn’t necessarily her primary language when she moved to the United States.

Hannakachl used her life experiences for her first writing assignment in Rorai’s class. The writing assignment was eventually repurposed and expanded on to create Hannakachl’s memoir essay, “迦勒底女孩是什么?.”

“作为一个有移民背景的非传统学生, Mena had come to believe that she needed to totally immerse herself in American culture,罗莱说. 她相信谈论或写作她的文化, journey and personal story were not appropriate topics in a college classroom. The turning point came when she discovered that she could use her authentic and very powerful voice not only to tell her story, but to advocate for students struggling with the same self-doubt that she had.”

Hannakachl became an embedded writing specialist for the basic writing course so she could help others who were struggling with confidence like she was when she first arrived at 奥克兰. 她以前是班里的学生，这也增加了她的可信度.

“I think I was able to kind of validate and affirm their experiences,Hannakachl说. “A lot of students who are placed in basic writing think that they are not good writers because of their language and because of their background, and they don't have to be multilingual or immigrants to necessarily feel that. I’ve worked with students who are adult learners or who have a learning disability. 我的很多工作都是建立信心.”

Rorai said Hannakachl was a huge asset to the basic writing course and nearly everywhere she went.

“What is most admirable about Mena is the way that she has lifted other students in every classroom or campus experience she’s engaged with,罗莱说. “She encourages everyone to do what she has learned: tell your story, 为你的文化和历史感到自豪，因为你的故事是有价值的. 一旦学生感到被倾听和被关注, 他们的信心在增长, 他们开始认为自己是有能力的.

“Every accomplishment and award that she’s earned was the result of her wanting to share what she’s learned about her own success with others. 梅纳以最基础的水平进入韦德体育app官网, yet she proactively took advantage of every opportunity to grow and give back to the campus community as a scholar, 公民和领袖.”

除了是嵌入式写作专家, Hannakachl also worked as a peer mentor at the Center for Multicultural Initiatives and as an undergraduate admissions ambassador.

“如果学生们从我这里带走一样东西, it’s to be involved and put yourself out there and establish your presence on campus,Hannakachl谈到她作为招生大使的工作时说. “Our community enables students and gives them the opportunity to share their voice. All students have to do is seek out those opportunities and pursue them.”

Hannakachl is now co-authoring a book chapter with Felicita Arzu-Carmichael, 谁是韦德体育app官网一年级写作的副主任. 这一章是关于种族微侵犯的.

“She analyzes exclusionary educational practices that put early-career faculty and undergraduate students at risk,梅根·舍恩说, associate professor and chair of the Department of Writing and Rhetoric. “取材于她自己作为有色人种学生的经历, she aims to shed light on the possibilities for social justice leadership, 写作课堂中的工作场所激进主义和学生赋权.”

Hannakachl的家人搬到了美国.S. 希望能找到更多的机会. She was able to find those opportunities at 奥克兰, something her family is thrilled to see.

“I have a joke that I say my family might not always understand everything that I do, 但是他们支持我,Hannakachl说. “我所做的，任何人都可以做到. 我想参与其中，建立联系，任何人都可以这样做. 如果你找到了自己的声音，你可以做任何事情.”