Mary Harris, President, Sigma Tau Delta, English Honor Society and Editor, Understory

“In the past few years that I have known her, I’ve witnessed her help students gain confidence, articulate ideas, acquire strategies, and learn the skills to effectively navigate their own writing process. Ms. Oh has the ability to offer insightful feedback without forcing her opinions about how a student should develop a piece. This gift is a reflection of her philosophy as writer and a writing teacher: the ultimate control of a piece belongs to the author, and the best education occurs when a student is fully engaged in their own process. Her ability to engage her students in critical thinking makes her invaluable as an educator. Ms. Oh’s availability to her students promotes ideal student work. An essay I work shopped for her class, “Good Neighbors,” was selected for presentation and publication in UAA’s Student Showcase Program, where I was the sole award recipient of the English students. While I was working on this piece, Ms. Oh offered detailed feedback on multiple drafts that encouraged me to work hard at perfecting and elevating my language; she asked the kind of perceptive questions that led me to my own conclusions about what best serves my work."