Senior Spotlight: Delma Mbulaiteye

Delma Mbulaiteye is getting a dual degree in Biological Sciences and English.

Why did you decide to become an English major?

I had always loved English before college, but took the typical pre-med route and majored in Biology. Once I took ENGL101, I realized how much I missed consistently writing and discussion-based classes, so I took an English elective to confirm that I liked it enough to add a major. Spoiler alert: I did. From then, I was exposed to the diversity of classes available within the English department, and it felt like I could finally explore the books I wanted to read beyond the "typical" English canon. I largely took classes on POC authors and that went outside of my usual reading medium, like a class on graphic novels.

What clubs, campus groups, internships, outside of class projects have you been involved with?

I'm President of the African DIaspora Reading Group and Managing Editor for the Paper Shell Review on campus. I chose to be on PSR to try my hand at journal editing and get a chance to see what work students were doing around the country. I did Terp Thon all four years to raise money for Children's National in D.C because it was a great community of people coming together to support a united cause.

What is something you read during class that impacted your worldview? 

I took Graphic Novels by People of Color with Dr. B, and not only did it introduce me to a variety of graphic novel styles, but it showed me how the reading experience could be heightened with the added visual aids. We read The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui and it was an emotional story of her family's immigration to the United States. The visual aid added to the reading experience and helped you deeply empathize with her parents and family's multiple transitions within Vietnam and then to the U.S in California. It made me see how graphic novels could shape how people tell tales of immigration and pull you more deeply into important scenes.

What skills (professional, creative or other) do you think you’ve gotten from the major?

Being an English major helped me to become comfortable engaging with my peers and discussing our ideas and interpretations of novels. It has taught me to think about both the details and global impact of choices whether that be novels, films, etc. Being able to consistently write over 4 years has helped me to effectively express myself to multiple audiences and within multiple disciplines. Finally, it gave me time to read authors who are canonically famous in a new lens and discover new authors who also have amazing bodies of work.

What is your dream job or career?

I want to be a medical humanities scholar who creates scholarship with the goal of improving Black maternal health. I'd also like to do community work with Black women and mothers to use their expertise to envision new medical practices. I'd also like to teach in some capacity because of the growth that can happen from coming together and having a discussion.

What are you passionate about (or even curious about)?

I'm passionate about medical care being made more equitable and culturally competent.