Nanette Pawelek

Nanette Pawelek ‘04 from Springville, Utah has seen success around every corner since graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English and Literature at UVSC. Pawelek was accepted into several master programs around the country and with a background speaking German, Pawelek chose to attend the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, where she began work in the master's of cultural analysis program. Cultural analysis is an interdisciplinary field encompassing, literature, theory, film and philosophy.
 
“UVSC gave me a solid foundation in theory and literature that was extremely helpful in beginning my research in Amsterdam,” Pawelek said. “Professors at UVSC made time for me. I can't even begin to count the amount of time I spent asking questions and reviewing paper ideas with professors during office hours, quick chats in the hall and in class,” Pawelek said. “I fully appreciate the dedication UVSC faculty has towards putting the student first and giving them the proper education and academic tools to succeed.”

While studying in Amsterdam, Pawelek traveled Europe to help further her research. While traveling through Nuremberg, Germany, Pawelek found the former Nazi party rally ground, 11 square km. used to unite Nazi followers. Today, along with museums and parks the grounds are used for modern rock concerts. Pawelek based much of her master’s thesis from the former Nazi Party Rally grounds, the Zeppelin Field and Congress Hall located in Germany. Her thesis consists of an analysis of media and memory function within selected 'bodies' of memory such as the setting of a museum, a spatial ground or piece of literature.

In between studies and traveling, Pawelek also found time to write, script, co-direct, produce and edit her own 13-minute short film, “Falling Up,” which was featured at the Crea café in downtown Amsterdam along with other student productions.

After graduating from Amsterdam in August 2006, Pawelek was accepted into five different Ph.D. programs at prominent universities, four of which were completely funded.

Today Pawelek is attending the University of California, Santa Barbara, working toward her Ph.D. in comparative literature with an emphasis in 20th century German and American literature and film. In addition to instructing for German courses at UC Santa Barbara, Pawelek is producing an independent documentary titled, “Frosted Storm,” a film that embodies issues of deployment on war and home front concerning the current war in Iraq.