Faces of W&L: Rose Hein ’22 "W&L’s small classes and dedicated professors made sure I never missed an opportunity to dive deeper into something that interests me."
Rose Hein ’22Rose Hein ’22
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina
Major: English
Q: Why did you choose to come to W&L?
I came to W&L because I was looking for a school that would allow me to really learn. W&L’s small classes and dedicated professors made sure I never missed an opportunity to dive deeper into something that interests me.
Q: What are you most looking forward to during your time at W&L?
I’m graduating in May, but before then I get to go on my first (and only) Spring Term Abroad course! I’m glad I get to take advantage of W&L’s unique term setup, and I’m glad I will get to practice my French a little!
Q: What has been your greatest accomplishment since arriving at W&L?
I think that accomplishment can be measured in a lot of ways, but I’m most proud of how my own digital skills have developed while at W&L. I was never very technologically literate, but for the past four years I’ve been attached to a project that provides digital access to information and documents about W&L’s history with desegregation and integration. I’m even doing an independent project on digital ways to analyze Civil War literature this term. I’d say I know my way around a computer now and know some unique ways to use technology in the humanities.
Q: Who at W&L has been most inspiring to you so far?
I had the privilege to be a student of the late Professor Ted DeLaney. In addition to his inspiring life story, he always pushed me and encouraged me to do better. He’s the reason I’ve been involved with so much archival research, and the reason I hope to go to graduate school in the future!
Q: What inspires you?
The archival research I do lets me see how a lot of ordinary people in the past responded to moral crises. Even when surrounded by people who argued otherwise, some people were able to stay strong and advocate for the right thing. I’m really inspired by those people—especially the people of W&L’s history who fought for integration and coeducation.
Q: What are your hobbies/interests?
I have tried my hand at a lot of hobbies! I play a few instruments, sew and embroider clothing, restore antique furniture, and love to cook and bake new foods, including desserts.
Q: What book has made the most significant impact on your life?
As an English major, I’ve read so many books it’s hard to choose just one. I think, like many people, I’d have to choose Toni Morrison’s “Beloved.” It changed how I view literary ghosts, and my new perspective became the basis for my capstone work this year.
Q: What is your favorite movie?
The movie I go to when I’m feeling down or I’m laid up in bed with a cold is “The Princess Bride.” It’s such a charming and fun movie! There’s no question how it became a cult classic.
Q: If you could have a conversation with anyone, who would it be and why?
I would love to have met Zora Neale Hurston. She was a brilliant author (most famous for “Their Eyes Were Watching God”), but a lesser-known part of her career is the work she did as a folklorist and anthropologist. Hurston’s cultural history is the basis for much of what we know about Black life, especially Black storytelling, in the American South post-emancipation.
Q: Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
I love diners! I’ve eaten at diners in at least 12 different states and have very strong opinions about what makes a restaurant a diner. I think they’re an interesting cultural phenomenon!
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