With the financial help of Sigma Tau Delta, Clara Wodny (‘25) is living her study abroad dream: studying at the University of Nottingham in England.
Wodny is studying at the University of Nottingham as part of Luther’s Nottingham Year study abroad program. She is currently double majoring in English and Visual Communication. The Study Abroad Scholarship that Wodny won on October 20 is valued at $2,000 and is only offered biannually by Sigma Tau Delta, an honor society for English majors at colleges and universities in the United States and beyond. Wodny joined Luther’s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta during the spring semester of her first year; she’s unique in that regard, as most English students are typically eligible to join during their sophomore year.
To win the scholarship, Wodny submitted an essay on Alice Walker’s 1982 novel “The Color Purple.” Wodny, along with several other Luther students, also presented two essays at the 2023 Sigma Tau Delta annual convention in Denver, Colorado. She agreed to answer a few questions about her experiences in Sigma Tau Delta and studying abroad in Nottingham so far.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Q: How did you first find out about Sigma Tau Delta?
Clara Wodny: The first time I heard about Sigma Tau Delta was just through an email that Marie Drews sent to all English majors who had the necessary requirements to join. I looked into it a little bit, and was especially intrigued by the scholarship opportunities they offer, and figured it would be nice to be involved in an English-related group on campus, so I was inducted that year. Typically you have to be a rising junior to be inducted, but I was able to join as a rising sophomore thanks to some previous college credit and courses that I transferred into Luther.
Q: What was your experience like traveling and presenting at the Sigma Tau Delta conference this past March in Denver?
A: I am so glad I went to the conference in Denver — for one thing, it was just great to have a nearly fully paid-for trip to a very cool place that I had never been to! But the conference itself was awesome — it was so cool to get to hear the papers and creative work of other students around the country, and Sigma Tau Delta does a really good job of setting up other programming during the weekend. Whether it’s keynotes or socials or something else, [you’re kept] busy and engaged, and [you have] a great time. It was a wonderful experience overall. I was able to present two papers, which was really fun. The Q&A part can be a little nerve wracking because you have no idea what people will ask and there can be a bit of pressure to respond, but for the most part it was really chill and friendly.
Q: What would you say to any English majors who are considering becoming a member of Sigma Tau Delta?
A: Do it! It really doesn’t come with any obligation or necessary commitment, so you really have nothing to lose by signing up. Once you’re in, you have access to wonderful opportunities such as the conference, internships, or scholarships. I know it can be easy to think that your chances of actually getting selected for something aren’t very high- I know I certainly did- but here I am having presented at the conference and being awarded a very helpful scholarship, so it definitely is possible and very worth it!
Q: What led you to want to study abroad, and what made Luther’s Nottingham program specifically your study abroad program of choice?
A: The first time I studied abroad was earlier this year, when I went on the [Paideia] 450 English Theatre J-term to London, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and York with [Associate Professor of Theatre] Dr. Bobby and [Adjunct Faculty Instructor in English] Christy Vrtis. I had such a wonderful time and immediately fell in love with England, theater, and just being in a new place and getting to have new experiences. I had signed up for that course somewhat on a whim, thinking I’d love to travel out of the country — what better way to do it than also completing my Paideia 450 requirement in the absolute best way possible, by going to see a bunch of plays and talking about them (I’m an English major, what can I say, I genuinely can’t think of anything better).
Before this trip, I had heard of the Nottingham program but had never really considered it because I didn’t expect that I would want to be away from campus, mainly away from the swim team, for that long. But that trip changed things for me, and during our last week in London I started thinking about applying for the Nottingham year and seeing what happened. I eventually started discussing it with Christy, who encouraged me to apply, one thing led to another and now here we are. I wasn’t exactly searching for a study abroad program, it was more just like a spur of the moment, ‘how can I spend more time in England?’ The Nottingham program was the obvious choice.
Q: What is something you are enjoying so far about your year in Nottingham?
A: I honestly just love being in a new place! It has been very fun for me to explore the city (because it is an actual city, which seems a bit of a foreign concept to us Luther students!) and start to learn British culture and get connected in the community. I also really love the house trips we get to take- so far we took a trip to Plymouth, Salisbury, Stonehenge and Bath, one to Wales, and a recent one to London. I also took a solo trip with one of my housemates, back to Stratford-upon-Avon where I visited in January, which was a really nice reset and break.
