Kathryn Gardiner graduated from Ball State’s Telecommunications program in 2001, and went on to earn her MFA in Screenwriting and Film Studies from Hollins University in Virginia in 2007. This year, she’s teaching three sections of ENG 310 and one section of ENG 410, our Screenwriting and Advanced Screenwriting classes.
How would you describe yourself as a teacher?
Enthusiastic. I love screenwriting, movies, and storytelling—and I want my students to love them too.
When are your office hours?
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between classes and until 5 p.m., or by appointment. Always glad to come in to meet with a student.
What are you reading?
Currently, “The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass” and “Emma, A Modern Retelling” by Alexander McCall Smith.
What do you think everyone should read?
Everything they can get their hands on. Novels, comic books, fanfiction, non-fiction, poetry, essays, newspapers, the back of cereal boxes… Just read, read, read.
What’s your biggest pet peeve in the classroom/what is a big mistake students tend to make?
“Just getting through.” You get out of a class what you put into it. Doing the minimum is acceptable, even understandable—but really consciously engaging is far more valuable and can shape who you become. Plus, it’s more entertaining.
What are you working on right now?
An epic fantasy comic book series.
What are your other hobbies?
I train in boxing, paint, and travel as far and wide as I possibly can.
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