Sierra Billingslea

Ask Sierra Billingslea why she loves studying English and philosophy at Towson University and you’ll get a well-reasoned argument.

The faculty.

“The professors are incredible,” says the senior, who left high school to enroll at a community college at age fifteen. “They look at you as an individual, meet you at your level and work to improve you.”

Inspired by the attention and tailored instruction she gets in and outside the classroom, Billingslea gives the students she tutors in the Writing Center similar treatment, focusing on developing their skills rather than offering quick fixes for failing papers.

“My goal is to improve them as writers,” she says. “We work on structure and clarity and how to construct a good argument. It’s very rewarding.”

“ The professors are incredible. They look at you as an individual, meet you at your level and work to improve you. ”

It’s also good practice for what’s to come — probably law or graduate school. As are TU’s demanding upper-level English and philosophy courses, in which small class sizes engender deep discussions.

“Towson is extraordinarily rigorous,” says the member of the Honors College and International English Honor Society. “The high expectations and challenging workload are preparing me for the road ahead.”

Whether she winds up crafting persuasive arguments for courtrooms or scholarly journals (or both), Billingslea credits the TU faculty with providing an environment that enables her to grow and flourish, citing her professors’ availability, willingness to help and involvement in extracurricular activities.

“A lot of interesting stuff is going on in the English department,” says Billingslea, “and the professors are at the heart of it.”