An Interview with Dr. Waggoner

Dr. Kassia Waggoner, assistant professor of composition at Friends University, is the first interviewee for the English Club's social media campaign #peopleoffriends. Thank you, Dr. Waggoner!

Describe yourself in 100 words or fewer.

Teacher, writer, reader, scholar, traveler, board game enthusiast, movie buff, singer, foodie

What do you like the most about Friends University?

My students

What brought you to Friends University?

"I wanted to teach in an environment where students were more than a number, a place where I could become the type of mentor that my professors were to me. Having received my B.A. and M.A. from a small, faith-based university myself, Friends felt, in many ways, like a return to my roots."

What is your greatest contribution to Friends University?

I've only been here for a year, but I hope I am planting seeds with the creation of new courses and the application of new student research, service and internship opportunities that will enhance the English program and the university.

How do you give back to the Wichita community, the campus community, and/or the world?

Wichita Community: I volunteer for Safe Haven & Salvation Army Drive.

Campus Community: I sponsor Friends' English Club, Sigma Tau Delta, and The Mews, and I serve on several faculty committees aimed at fostering interdisciplinary learning at Friends.

The World: I hope I am making a difference in my students' lives that will have a ripple effect in the world as they go out and share their talents, gifts, and knowledge with the next generation.

What is one thing you want to tell the people of Friends University, Wichita, and/or the world?

“Things won are done, joy's soul lies in the doing.” –Troilus and Cressida