Jake Vincel '20
BA English Honors Program

When Jake Vincel came to Stony Brook University after studying for two years at the Boston Conservatory, he was unsure whether he would find a community on this new and much larger campus. Reflecting on his senior year spent completing his English Honors Program thesis, serving as Assistant Director in the Writing Center and performing with the University Orchestra, it’s evident he did. Jake shares his experience and advice to other Seawolves.

On Stony Brook University: 
I moved to Stony Brook from Ronkonkoma when I was five years old. The University was always a part of my life in some way, more so as a part of my environment than as an academic institution. As a kid, the soccer fields were so close they may as well have been my backyard, and the campus was a popular spot for dog walks and jogs with my friends.

Despite growing up in Stony Brook, I actually transferred to the English program at SBU after spending two years at the Boston Conservatory as a music major. I was initially quite nervous, my alma mater having had a very small student body and no campus at all. But the English faculty members here make a genuine effort to establish individual connections with students, and the school very quickly felt a lot smaller and close-knit, which made me feel a lot more comfortable.

On his major:
My primary interest is in modernist literature, particularly James Joyce, though I generally enjoy a variety of literary genres and styles; most recently I have been exploring biopolitics in contemporary American literature. The relationship that writers have with the language in which they write is something that really interests me. My undergraduate honors thesis examines Joyce’s almost antithetical relationship with language as expressed in Dubliners, his first published collection of short stories.

Advice for future Seawolves:
As I approach graduation, I can’t help but look back and appreciate how much I’ve grown, academically and otherwise. If I could offer one piece of advice to aspiring or upcoming Seawolves, it would be that, while college is undoubtedly a huge change, it is a change for everyone. Your peers—commuters and residents, transfers and traditional students—are feeling it alongside you, and, while the transition may be tough at times, you are never alone in it. 

Plans for post-graduation:
Currently, I intend on pursuing my PhD and teaching literature at a college level. I will be returning to Stony Brook in the fall to begin my MA in English. For as much as I have grown in my undergrad, I am certain that I have a lot more to learn at Stony Brook, and I could not be more excited to continue my study here!