English Prof. Sophia Sexton Interviewed on “With Good Reason”

Sophia Sexton, English professor on NOVA’s Annandale Campus, was recently interviewed on “With Good Reason.” Sexton told of her own journey from a happy childhood in Afghanistan and how her family had to flee to safety when war broke out. She relayed how scared she was to attend school in the U.S. after immigrating to Northern Virginia at age 12. When dropping her at school on her first day, her brother told her, “Say ‘Hi’ to people you know, and say ‘Hello’ to people you don’t know.” She came to realize the power of language. As a professor at NOVA, she also came to understand the catharsis of writing for students. She said 75 to 85 percent of her students are immigrants and have similar stories to her own. Writing allows them to heal from past traumas and to get to know themselves and each other better. 

Enjoy the full ten-minute interview here: Border Crossing – With Good Reason.

Submitted by:
Jen Daniels, AVP of Academic Affairs, JDaniels@nvcc.edu