Cass Tech x WSU English hosts "English Day" field trip at WSU
Students from Cass Technical High School visited Wayne State University for “English Day,” an event designed to foster college readiness and highlight pathways in English studies. The visit was supported by a Presidential College-to-Career Pilot Award.
English Day was an extension of a year-long collaboration between Cass Tech English teachers Anita Crouch and Erin Ewing and Wayne State Assistant Professor of English Adrienne Jankens, whose fall 2024 ENG 1020 students partnered with Cass Tech tenth and eleventh graders to exchange writing feedback.
During the event, students gathered in Bernath Auditorium at the Undergraduate Library for a morning of presentations and discussion. Wayne State English alumni Ravyn Lockridge (class of 2022) and Esme Roda (class of 2024) shared how their academic experiences helped shape their professional paths. Serena Vaquilar from the university libraries and LaCharmine Jefferson from the Schiff Medical Library—also a Cass Tech graduate—led a session on college research resources.
Wayne State English faculty, including Dr. Jaime Goodrich, Professor Donovan Hohn, Dr. Amy Latawiec, Dr. Christopher Susak and Dr. Nicole Guinot Varty, offered sessions exploring creative writing, literature and career options for English majors and minors. Several current ENG 1020 students volunteered throughout the morning to welcome Cass Tech students and assist them around campus.
Following lunch at the Towers cafeteria, participants gathered in Old Main for an interactive writing workshop led by Dr. Jankens’s Winter 2025 ENG 1020 students. Cass Tech and Wayne State students worked together to develop and perform dialogues focused on constructing counterarguments.
Support for the afternoon workshop came from Dr. Jule Thomas, graduate students Carly Braxton, Teesha Lieber, Josh Napier, Sinjini Ray and Grace Williams, along with undergraduate student Natalia Fanning.
Now in its fourth year, the Cass Tech–Wayne State English partnership was originally developed by Dr. Goodrich and continues to foster collaborative learning opportunities between high school and college students.