TWU English honours major Stephanie Redekop earned a prestigious de Jager prize from Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford for “exceptional academic performance” this past spring. Redekop, who spent the 2013-14 academic year at Oxford as part of the BestSemester program, credited her TWU professors for effectively preparing her for the challenge. “The academic rigour of my TWU English courses also helped me to develop the necessary skills to succeed in my Oxford tutorials,” she said.
Redekop spent two academic terms—known as “Michaelmas” (fall) and Hilary (spring)—at Oxford, where she studied Victorian Literature, William Blake, Modern Literature and C.S. Lewis. “Studying at Oxford was a thoroughly transformative experience,” she said. “It offered a uniquely intellectual environment both within and beyond its formal learning spaces, and undoubtedly represents one of the most challenging and rewarding seasons of my life.”
Through Oxford University’s vast resources—including the Bodleian Libraries, the intensive tutorial system, experienced tutors, and highly-qualified peers—Redekop says her passion for scholarship was reinvigorated. “My time at Oxford instilled in me the confidence that I can meaningfully contribute to my academic field,” she said.
The Surrey resident first considered TWU on the recommendation of her alumnus father, Ken (’86). But it was the BestSemester program—and the opportunity to realize a lifelong dream to study at the University of Oxford—that sealed the deal. “My experience at Oxford has not only confirmed my interest in continuing toward postgraduate education,” said Redekop, “but has also impelled me to continually strive towards deeper engagement with the pursuit of truth in all areas of life.”
Redekop earned the de Jager prize for her essay, “How do Allen Ginsberg’s conception of and interest in ‘madness’ affect the representation of spirituality in ‘Howl’ (1955)?” “It was an honour to receive this prize,” she said. “It has encouraged me in my abilities to produce scholarship that can succeed at a high level and further confirmed for me my interest in pursuing an academic vocation.”
After she graduates from TWU, Redekop plans to attend graduate school, focusing her studies on spiritual expression in American literary counterculture. “Ultimately, I hope to become a professor and researcher in this field,” she said.