Natoya Raymond is a senior in the English Department here at WIU. She is an international student, raised in the beautiful Caribbean before moving to Macomb, IL to attend Western. Raymond is involved all over campus, as a student, worker, and volunteer. Within the English Department, she works passionately as a writer and editor for multiple publications, like The Mirror & the Lamp and Elements. Raymond is an earnest patron of our campus library, Malpass, and looks forward to a future career in the library sciences.

M&L: What is your weekday routine like as an English major/minor?

My weekdays are pretty busy. I typically start the morning at work—I’m a cleaner for the WIU Residence Hall, Lincoln-Washington—then either I go to my classes or I go back home to attempt some assignments. On Thursdays, things get really busy as I volunteer at the WIU Food Pantry as its scheduler and volunteer coordinator. After a class, I go straight there. Then, I’m still not done as I head to the weekly chapter meeting of the sorority I am involved with.

M&L: What book are all your English peers reading that lies beyond assigned texts for class?

Honestly, I do not have a clue. I’m hardly in Simpkins (the English building) enough to socialize and find out.

M&L: What are your weekends like?

I rot in bed. I play Genshin Impact or catch up on Anime, read Manhwa/Manga or watch YouTube videos, and if I break free from that I will go to visit one or two of my friends. So, if there is no event or prior arrangement that is mandatory you will not catch me out and about.

M&L: What book has changed your life as an undergraduate?

There isn’t any book in particular that changed my life. Not yet at least.

M&L: Where do you hang out on campus?

I won’t call it hanging out, as I am often too busy for that, but if I have a break between classes or waiting for the bus, I’d usually be in the cafeteria of the Union, or in The Mirror & the Lamp office.

M&L: Where do you hang out off campus?

 My room. Another friend’s room. I’m inside a lot. 

M&L: What has been or will be your biggest adventure as an undergraduate English major/minor?

I think that holding the position of Managing Editor for both The Mirror & the Lamp and Elements last spring semester was my biggest adventure. It was tough and taught me the limits of what I could handle. However, I don’t regret my choices and I plan to learn from my setbacks, the hurdles I had to leap, and hold on to the wisdom of these lessons.