Cover Letter

My passion for learning and teaching started when I graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor’s degree in English and African American Studies in 2015 and received a master's degree from Mercy University in English Literature in 2022. In addition, I am currently a PhD student in Middle Tennessee State University’s English Department, expecting graduation in the Summer of 2026.

My background is in domestic and sexual violence, yoga and meditation, and Wilson-Language practices, and I have experience teaching students with behavioral issues and/or learning differences like ADHD, OCD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, PTSD, and others. My goal, with every single one of my students, is to leave them feeling empowered, uplifted, and confident about their academic abilities.

In the Fall of 2022, after completing my master's, I started teaching Composition and Introduction to Film Studies at Columbia State. A few years later, I was offered to teach Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies at Middle Tennessee State University. My classes always focus on critical analysis, confidence building, and writing structures.

Each year, evaluations from students and department heads provide extensive evidence that I have demonstrated and sustained high quality performance in teaching and research since I started teaching in 2022. In a recent teaching evaluation, department head Dr. Shane Hall at Columbia State noted:

“In the aspect of creating an environment directed towards student engagement, Professor Funk is exceptional. During my formal observation of her classroom, I noted Professor Funk’s classroom is clearly student driven with an appropriate level of instructor facilitation that allows the students to think critically about the course material and openly express their understandings and to collaboratively apply their learning to new context including cultural analysis and critiques of the way film connects with the greater society.”

Teaching is, without a doubt, my life’s purpose, and I am thrilled to have such a wonderful profession that allows me to develop meaningful relationships with each one of my students while simultaneously completing research that generates empathetic engagement with art, literature, social issues, and politics.

Teaching

In the area of teaching, I have done the following:

Developed and updated syllabi for Level 2 Composition Courses, Introduction to Film, and Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies
Fluently generated course materials with Word, GoogleDrive, and Desire 2 Learn (D2L).
Met with students outside of class to help ensure course objectives were met and to offer any additional assistance.

My work at Columbia State Community College is dedicated to Composition and Introduction to Film, working with undergraduate students on writing and critically analyzing texts. Similarly, my work at Middle Tennessee State University is dedicated to Women’s and Gender Studies, a class that must meet True Blue Core requirements for critical analysis and requires students to study theory, ask difficult questions about their own identities, and write effectively. Much of my service work has been focused on my students through mentoring and 1:1 writing workshops to help strengthen their prose and self-confidence. In addition, my research is dedicated to cultivating an inclusive and effective learning environment that is conducive to generative discussion and feedback receptivity.

Most recently, students in my Spring 2024 “Introduction to Film” rated my course 5/5 overall and shared the following:

“Ms. Funk is one of the best professors at Columbia State. Very funny, caring, and insightful. Her grading is amazing too, and very insightful and helpful. If you need help with a paper or assignment she's always there to help. Her lectures are amazing and she makes the most boring topics interesting. 100% would recommend her.”
“I have taken Professor Funk twice at Columbia State, in the spring for English 1020 and in the fall for Film 2860. She is seriously the best professor I have ever had at CSCC. She makes the classes super fun, but you still learn so much!! The way she grades papers is great too, she tells you what could have been better or what is already perfect.”
“Ms. Funk has been one of the most influential teachers I have ever had. She genuinely cares about every one of her students and builds relationships, and it makes you want to learn so much more. She is passionate about what she talks about, and finds ways to make even the most boring topics interesting. She is amazing! I highly recommend her class!”

These comments are representative of student responses to my teaching across my career.

Research

In the area of research, I have contributed the following to my field:

Published 2 peer-reviewed articles that are manifest
Produced a documentary short that was shown at universities and political events
Presented my scholarship at 5 national conferences

The above scholarly practices address reproductive rights, feminist theory, nature and spirituality, sex work, and politics in the American South. Furthermore, my work and dedication to my research have only picked up steam, as my current projects include:

Documentary on sex work
Podcast with a sex educator about sex and gender arriving in June
Dissertation on witches and women in Appalachian folklore

I appreciate your time and thank you for your consideration. For more information on past and present teaching and research, please see my Curriculum Vitae. You may also email me at mary.landon.funk@gmail.com.

Best,