Jordan Hales spent her senior year at Chugiak High School navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. While exploring college options, one of her teachers recommended she investigate Alaska Pacific University. And here she has remained for her undergraduate degree in Liberal Studies.

I love to write.

When Jordan first arrived at APU, she was undeclared, though she had always loved writing and often imagined a future as either a journalist or a teacher. By her second semester, she knew that writing would somehow need to be in her future.

During her Writing 201 course in the Spring of 2022, Jordan found a new interest in speech language pathology. Her aunt, a kindergarten teacher, suggested that Jordan chat with the speech language pathologist at her school, noting how much the woman loved her job. Jordan became immediately interested in how creative writing could be used within speech language pathology.

This ultimately turned into Jordan’s research paper for Writing 201 and eventually her senior project. For her senior project, Jordan produced a Creative Writing Therapy Workbook for People with Aphasia.

Turnagain Currents

For three years, Jordan reached out to students about submitting their writing to APU’s self-published literary journal. She also spent countless hours writing content for the publication and editing the work of her peers for publication. She said that her role in Turnagain Currents was a lot of fun, and a lot of stapling!

Graduate School

Jordan will begin the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Speech-Language Pathology at University of Alaska Anchorage in the Fall.

Liberal Studies

Although Jordan is passionate about writing, she makes it clear that she deeply enjoyed all of her Liberal Studies courses at APU. Her favorite was Introduction to Humanities, with Rosanne Pagano. She said that the energy in the room was so fun and she just loved talking about topics in humanities with her peers. She especially appreciated APU’s small class sizes and the seminar-style format common in Liberal Studies classes.

Jordan’s recommendation to all future APU students, regardless of major, is to take at least one Liberal Studies course. “It’s so important to learn how to have meaningful conversations, develop empathy, and learn from one another,” she says.