Megan Richardson, a senior from Midlothian, Virginia, majoring in creative writing and professional and technical writing, is doing the Words & Pictures field study in the Department of English this semester and assisting with communications. We connected with Megan to ask her some questions about her time at Virginia Tech as she anticipates graduation this December. Get to know a little about Megan and her experience as a Hokie through the questions below.

Q: What brought you to the Virginia Tech Department of English?

A: I’ve always loved reading and storytelling, and I realized it was something that I wanted to focus on beyond school. Initially I came to Virginia Tech with a different major, but I wasn’t in love with it. When I discovered the creative writing program, which is what I initially changed to; I added professional and technical writing afterward. I made the switch realizing that writing is my passion and a skill I wanted to grow, and I have felt much better in this major overall.

Q: What is your favorite class you have taken at Virginia Tech that you would recommend to other students?

A: One of my favorite classes that I’ve taken here has been Intro to Detective Fiction with Alice Kinder. I discovered my love for detective fiction as a genre, and it was just a really fun class overall. I would highly recommend this class because it grew my appreciation and knowledge about this genre as a whole.

Q: Where is your favorite study spot on campus?

A: My favorite place to study on campus is Squires. I like to either study in the eating area where I can get some food (and coffee) as well as focus on my work or find a nice chair or couch on one of the upper levels, put my headphones in, and get working.

Q: What is your favorite memory from your time at Virginia Tech so far?

A: One of my favorite memories from my time at Virginia Tech was when we had a big snow at the beginning of the spring semester of my junior year; once there was a lot of snow on the ground, some friends and I set up spikeball outside our apartment and played in the snow. It was definitely a different experience than normal in the game, but tons of fun.

Q: What is your favorite spot in or around Blacksburg to grab a bite or spend time outside?

A: This isn’t technically Blacksburg, but there’s this really great cupcake place in Christiansburg called Gigi’s Cupcakes that I found last year and loved! All of the cupcakes I’ve tried have been really good.

Q: What is a hobby you like to pursue in your free time?

A: Not surprisingly, I really enjoy reading, particularly fantasy and detective fiction, mainly Agatha Christie, but I also enjoy baking and painting. I’m trying to learn watercolor right now. Additionally, I’m a big fan of playing games on my Switch (especially MarioKart and Hades).

Interview by Hannah Ballowe, a graduate student in the Master of Arts in English Program