Education

B.A., English Literature, University of South Carolina
MFA, Creative Writing, University of South Carolina

Responsibilities

In her role as undergraduate academic advisor, Shannon R. Blake-Lynch provides support in areas such as career planning, internships, study abroad opportunities and extracurricular activities. She helps students connect their academic pursuits with their personal and professional goals, empowering them to make well-informed decisions about their future.

Beyond the classroom, Blake-Lynch is passionate about providing purposeful advising and academic support to students. She recognizes the importance of personalized guidance and takes a proactive approach to ensure students receive the resources they need to succeed. Shannon is knowledgeable about the various academic support services available at the University of South Carolina and works collaboratively with students to create academic plans, address challenges, and explore opportunities for growth.

Background

Blake-Lynch brings more than a decade of teaching experience to her role as an educator specializing in undergraduate courses in composition and literature and rhetoric and writing. With a firm belief in the transformative power of higher education leadership, she is dedicated to fostering a collaborative learning environment where students can thrive.

Research

Currently, Blake-Lynch is working on her doctoral thesis: Microaggressions in Higher Education Classrooms: The Emotional & Educational Well-Being of First-Generation Students of Color. Through this work, she hopes to bring awareness to the concerns of first-generation students of color and the ways to best counteract those effects. Her goal is to generate meaningful insights that can inform policies, practices, and interventions to create more equitable and empowering learning environments for underrepresented groups and make an impact on higher education leadership here at the University of South Carolina.

Personal

Shannon spends her free time with her rowdy family and spoiled menagerie of pets including English Mastiff (Smalls), Shar Pei/Lab (Kronos), Fat Tabby (Aristotle), Bi-Color Kitty (Hecate), Ball Python (Letti), Reticulated Python (Scar), and Sun Citrus Bearded Dragon (Fat Princess).