Graduate Student Biographies

Current MA Students

Aron Abellera

Hello, all! I am Aron. I am from San Diego and have spent the majority of my life here. What had taken me away from sunny San Diego was my time enlisted in the United States Army after graduating high school. My service as a combat medic in the Army led to me being stationed in places such as Texas, the Kentucky/Tennessee border, and Africa. These experiences quickly shaped and shifted the youthfulness I was accustomed to at home. After completing my service time, I decided to move back to SD.

After various endeavors of struggle, I graduated with my BA in English and Comparative Literature in Spring 2026. I landed here in the English MA program with the dream of becoming a professor one day. Though, I know the journey of academia is long so I will take my time. I am a profound fan of Mexican food, which is kind of given being from SD. When I'm not out and about with friends, I love watching sports, reading self-help and most fictional novels, and at times, being overly pensive about my place in the world. Tying together my time in the Army and hope of becoming a professor, I believe in serving others, leaving places and people in a better place than originally found.

 

Emily Baumgartner

Hello!! My name is Emily Baumgartner, and I am so stoked to be joining the English MA program this Fall 2026! I was born and raised in Gilroy, CA and moved to San Diego four years ago for my undergraduate degree. I received a B.A. in Literature from Point Loma Nazarene University this past Spring where I graduated with an Honors Scholar recognition. I originally began my college adventure as a Health and Human Development major but switched to the Literature program during my first semester in order to pursue my passion of becoming a high school English teacher!

During my time at PLNU, I was the president of our student book club, Point Poets Society, for two years and also was a writing tutor in our Writing Center. I also ventured outside the English building as a member of Concert Choir and a section leader for Chamber Orchestra.

When I’m not reading books, I enjoy going swimming at the beach, hanging out with my friends, and wandering the streets of Ocean Beach. I’m extremely excited to get to know everyone in the cohort and to explore new areas of literature!

 

Nicholas Fiumara

Hello everyone, my name is Nicholas Fiumara but most call me Nick! My interests include reading theory and fiction, working on various creative writing projects, listening to or making music, playing video games, and watching sports–mostly basketball, but others as well. I also love cats, Legos, and any dish involving potatoes. I am from the Palm Springs area and decided to pursue graduate study after completing my BA in English at the University of California, Irvine in 2024. My academic journey has been far from traditional, but I wouldn’t have it any other way; it has been deeply rewarding in so many ways! 

My research focuses on our ongoing negotiations with prevailing systems of power under capitalism. My central considerations are how ideology is reproduced through cultural forms, as well as how systems of power persist through everyday, often imperceptible practices that organize our cultural memory and social imagination. I often emphasize participation in and acceptance of prevailing logics that seek to abstract us from material relations and forms of collectivity, as well as the structural conditions that produce these logics as natural; my ultimate goal is to identify cultural forms and practices that resist attitudes of inevitability and open possibilities for alternative futures and forms of relation.

 

Zoe Goldstein

Hey there! My name’s Zoe and I’m so excited to explore the world of English and Comparative Literature at SDSU, after graduating from Cal Poly SLO with my Bachelor’s in English. I’m originally from San Diego, so I’m glad to be back surfing in warmer waters, enjoying real Mexican food, searching through rummage sales and thrift stores, and, of course, studying in local coffee shops! While in the program, I look forward to studying how different genres of writing, such as poetry and children’s literature, can act as methods of expression, self-discovery, and advocacy to achieve a larger sense of understanding and belonging within marginalized communities. Writing is a powerful tool for change, and while my interests began locally, hopefully my work will have an impact at a larger scale.

 

Mackenzie Groty

Hello everyone, my name is Mackenzie Groty! I have enjoyed my time so far at SDSU in the graduate program and I look forward to this upcoming year. I grew up in Southern California and attended the University of California, Santa Barbara for my BA, where I was also on the Dance Team and Captain my senior year. My interests outside of academia include reading, dancing, and going to the beach. 

My research focuses on digital humanities and environmental humanities. As we enter new technological advancements, I find it interesting to think and study about how it affects our reliability of the technologies around us, as well as our creativity and perceptions of the world. Going into the program, I was unsure of where my research would lead me, but thanks to the guidance from the faculty in the ECL department, I have been able to find my footing in my research interests. 

 

Avery Kaplan

Welcome, friend! My name is Avery Kaplan (she/her). I am a queer woman, a Scorpio, and a writer who is originally from the Bay Area. After spending about a decade in Colorado from middle school through undergrad (Go Buffs!), I relocated to Southern California and earned my Juris Doctor from Chapman University.

After graduating from law school, I became an entertainment journalist and critic with a focus on comics, prose, and science fiction. I am the Eisner Award-winning Features Editor at Comics Beat and you can find my bylines across the internet, including at StarTrek.com, Scarleteen, The Comics Journal, Popverse, and the dearly defunct Geek Girl Authority. I contributed myriad times to PanelxPanel, and my work has been featured in print periodicals like Final Gravity and The Comics Courier. I was honored to serve as a judge for the Prism Awards in 2021 and for the Cartoonist Studio Prize Award from 2021 through 2024. With my husband and frequent writing collaborator Ollie Kaplan (he/they), I am the author of Double Challenge: Being LGBTQ+ and a Minority, a middle school textbook on intersectionality, which was described as a “respectful, insightful, and thought-provoking resource” by Michael Cart of Booklist.

Ollie and I live in Julian — a beautiful, rural, and possibly haunted “pie town” in the mountains of San Diego County — under a pile of cats and an even bigger pile of books and comics. In my spare (non-reading) time I enjoy cooking, gardening, Nintendo, visiting cemeteries and the drive-in, and feeding a noisy flock of local corvids. I like to say that my religion is Star Trek, which started as a joke and has steadily become less and less of a joke as the years pass by.

I am honored to be given the opportunity to earn my Master of Arts in English at San Diego State University, and the chance to return to higher education as my true self is fulfilling in a way that cannot be effectively communicated through the medium of a brief personal biography. Hopefully it will suffice to say that I am over the moon to be learning so much from the wonderful professors and peers I have had the pleasure of meeting in this program!

 

Sam Leyva

Hi! I’m Sam Leyva, and I’ll be pursuing my Master of Arts in English starting Fall 2026. I am from Cardiff by the Sea, California, so just about thirty minutes north of SDSU. I grew up in Cardiff, then ventured to UC Davis for my Bachelor’s degree. While I began my Davis career as a neuroscience major, I switched to English at the beginning of my sophomore year after taking a low-level writing requirement class that was insightful enough to reignite my passion for writing.

I always have been (and always will be) a reader. I was the kid at the dinner table with my nose in a book, much to my parents’ chagrin. So when I took that class at Davis, I knew this was my true calling. I graduated in June 2025 with my Bachelor of Arts in English, with a dual emphasis in literature, criticism, and theory; and creative writing. I also achieved a minor in Film Studies with my degree. There happened to be multiple classes offered at Davis about the history of German cinema during my time in the minor, so my knowledge exists mostly in the realms of German cinematic trends, including Weimar Cinema (think the original Nosferatu) and New German cinema (Werner Herzog!). 

I was one of fifteen English honors students in my graduating class. Within this program, we were tasked with researching and writing a 35-page thesis on a topic of our choosing over the course of our fourth year. I chose to write on four of Raymond Chandler’s books, inspecting the relationship between depicting the femme fatale figure within the era of hard-boiled detective fiction in connection with World War II and the rising feminist movements later in the 60s. My general area of interest includes feminist literature and film.

As for my personal interests: I enjoy weightlifting, photography, thrifting, reading anything and everything, going for walks along the beach, and working at Helen Woodward Animal Center in my free time with the adoptable animals! I look forward to my time in this Master’s program!

 

Piliki Lopez-Martin

Hello everyone. My name is Piliki Lopez-Martin (like Pee-LEE-Kee). I am a first-generation college student and was born and raised in Oceanside, California. I am a Pell and Cal Grant recipient, and I got my Associate’s from MiraCosta Community College and then transferred to UC Santa Cruz. At Santa Cruz, my interest in Literature blossomed as I learned the possibilities of what Literary studies meant. I have an incredible and overwhelming love for the world, and it is through literary study that I believe I can explore, protect, and nurture that love.

My interests lie, generally, in the environmental humanities. I am interested in the intersection and lack of boundaries between humans and the more-than-human world. That being said, my more specific interests are in the fields of queer ecology, trans ecology, and the blue humanities. Some books that have shaped me into the reader and scholar that I am today, and I am ever evolving and transforming so this list will change someday too-include Pilgrim At Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard, The Spell of the Sensuous by David Abram, and Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer.

I have always had an interest in the environment and I am incredibly blessed to be able to study that which inspires and drives me outside of school. I love Literature and Literary studies because I feel like it helps me connect with my neighbors, near and far, and encourages me that a better tomorrow is possible. I hope to pursue my PhD after my Master’s and continue my studies in literature and hopefully one day become a professor myself. When I’m not in class, I enjoy spending time with my beautiful and bright friends, who I also find strength and draw inspiration from every day. I enjoy going on hikes, meditating by the ocean, and exploring the California coast.

 

Britt Moncada

Hi there! I am Britt Moncada. I have a passion for the arts, from dabbling in musicianship to visual artistry to language arts. I am a 2020 Covid Graduate from high school, so my academic journey has been very wild ever since! I love studying Chicanx Literature, but I also have a passion for the digital humanities. I have been an SDSU alumna since then and felt very honored to further my studies into the MA aspect. My goal is to earn my PhD, since I love researching and learning more about my passions and interests.

I also am an active mariachi performer, as a singer and violinist, so I get to share what elements of what makes my heritage so beautiful with all kinds of people and even amongst the musicians I share this love with. I also have been involved in archival research, so my interests spread out into so many different branches, and I am very open to many experiences and opportunities. I also have worked with my academic community in the Imperial Valley campus to create a club called Lit Day to encourage others to read and learn from Chicanx authors about the journey of being scholars and involved in the community.

I look forward to being part of the MA community, and I can't wait to see where my journey takes me!

 

Alex Montgomery

Hello there! My name is Alex Montgomery, and I am thrilled to join SDSU’s English and Comparative Literature MA program! I received my Bachelor’s in English (single subject teaching option) with Honors and a minor in Theatre from Cal State LA in 2020. Propelled by increasingly urgent opinions on everything from the evergreen importance of local libraries to the merchandised novelizations of blockbuster movies, I proudly apply my intersectional perspective to media analysis.

As a multiracial writer, performer, and lifelong student of literature in all its forms, I look forward to gaining a deeper understanding of genre conventions and how socially conscious writers utilize them. My main areas of academic interest are comparative literature and rhetoric; what particularly intrigues me is how systems of institutional control manifest themselves through modes of popular media. The focus of my research, in both my undergraduate and current studies, has largely centered on how writers in every field must reconcile competing interests in service of a greater goal.

I am also interested in taking a journalistic/ethnographic perspective when it comes to writing about art, the people who make it, and the alchemic decolonization which occurs through sharing oneself honestly with the world. Outside of academic pursuits, some of my hobbies include cooking, camping, and playing music.

 

Beatrice Pang

Hello! My name is Beatrice Pang and I am excited to be joining the SDSU Master's in English program in the fall! After graduating from Southern Adventist University with degrees in English and music (violin concentration) in 2024, I worked for one year as a middle school teacher in Torrance, California. I find working with students to be extremely fulfilling and I really loved my position, so it was extremely bittersweet to leave my job in order to pursue the opportunity to study Korean at the Yonsei Korean Language Institute in Seoul, South Korea.

In Korea, I was able to better explore my roots, make meaningful friendships, travel extensively (my favorite trip was to Jejudo, my grandmother’s hometown!), and eat my weight in strawberry bingsu. I love how the process of reading, traveling, and learning broadens and transforms perspective. My aim is to become an extremely well-rounded scholar and teacher who uplifts and leaves a lasting impact on her students. I am looking forward to this next chapter at San Diego State University and am (hopefully) ready to take on this next adventure of graduate school! 

 

Sarah Rivière

My name is Sarah Rivière and I am an MA student in English at San Diego State University and a Fulbright Scholar from La Réunion, France. It is a small French island located in the Indian Ocean and is home to a mix of cultures, which gave me beautiful values that I am very proud and thankful to have grown up with!

Back in 2023, I was completing a BA in English at Université de La Réunion and I left my Island for the very first time in my life for an exchange semester at San Diego State University. I fell in love with San Diego and all it had to offer and I knew I had to come back for my master's. 

I worked really hard for about a year and a half on many applications for different scholarships and was able to get the Fulbright grant, the George Lurcy fellowship, as well as the PEO international scholarship. Having my project funded by three different scholarships is very rewarding and validating. It made me gain a lot more confidence in my work and see how valuable my experience and personal background truly are.

My research interests include postcolonial studies, Black Atlantic literature, race and identity, and the afterlives of slavery in contemporary fiction. My current work explores how literature represents memory, haunting, and intergenerational trauma through comparative approaches to Black diasporic texts.
Alongside my academic work, I am interested in teaching, cultural exchange, and literary analysis across different historical and social contexts.

 

Avery Simone

Hello! My name is Avery Simone. I was born and raised in Orange County, California, but have lived in San Diego since coming to SDSU in 2023. I graduated summa cum laude in 2025 with my Bachelor’s of Arts and Science in English and Comparative Literature and certification in Creative Editing and Publishing. I’m thrilled that I have been able to continue my education at SDSU to earn my Master’s in English. 

As an undergraduate, I founded Femininomenon Magazine, San Diego State University’s first women-run magazine and the only active women-run magazine in the California State University system, where I served as Editor-In-Chief. What started as a vision to create a space for women’s voices at my university grew into my personal passion and research interest in women’s issues, feminist scholarship, and materiality studies. I aspire to work in the editorial and publication field to continue contributing to meaningful people-centered stories and advocacy of underrepresented voices.

Outside of my professional goals, I hope to travel, experience cultures, and continue learning others’ stories. In my free time, I love going to San Diego’s beautiful beaches, reading romantic thrillers, watching reality TV shows like Big Brother and Survivor, trying new food spots, and spending time with my loved ones and dogs.

 

 

MA Student Alums

Destiny Cortez

Hello, my name is Destiny Cortez, and I am a writer, educator, and proud advocate for my community. I come from the Imperial Valley, but my family and roots are from Mexicali, Baja California. I was born in a migrant camp, and those experiences shaped the way I see the world, community, and education. Growing up I was always kept much of my thoughts to myself, but through writing I discovered how much I truly had to say and how powerful storytelling can be.

I currently work at my local community college, where I actively support first-generation students as they navigate higher education and pursue opportunities that may have once felt out of reach. Supporting students from backgrounds similar to my own has become one of the most meaningful parts of my life. I deeply love my community and believe in giving back to the people and places that helped shape me. In 2026, I was honored to receive a Women of Distinction award from my district in recognition of my service and advocacy.

I earned my Master’s degree in English and Comparative Literature from San Diego State University. My academic journey strengthened my passion for literature, writing, and creating spaces where students feel seen and heard. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, making coffee and floral arrangements through my small business @cafeconleche.iv on IG and finding new ways to connect creativity with community. Everything I do is rooted in love for my family, my culture, and the belief that our stories deserve to be told.