Petrina Disanto, Class of ’26

Petrina’s visuality has driven her success as an English major, with double minors in Film & Screen Studies and Filmmaking. Currently a videographer for Dean Ric’s upcoming podcast “What’s the Tea?” and an assistant director and producer for an independent film “Bound,” Petrina successfully transfers the skills she’s developed in her studies to produce cinematic art. On top of her creative projects, Petrina is enrolled in both the Teacher’s Education Program and the BA/MA Program, showcasing that her talents show no bounds. 

What made you pursue English as a major? What’s the most fulfilling part of your major?

I was initially going to pursue psychology at SBU, but I always excelled in and enjoyed my English classes in high school. My mom worked for Scholastic my whole life and has always been my inspiration for reading. It wasn’t until I was a senior in high school that I had this English teacher who was really inspiring to me, and I realized I wanted to be like her. She told me that she pursued English in college. I loved how much of a passion she had for both education and literature itself. The most fulfilling part of pursuing the major is being able to interact with people with a common interest. I love to analyze literature and media, so I love to hear how others are also analyzing. 

What has been the most fun/interesting thing you’ve learned from your Programs? Is there a class that stands out?

The classes that mostly stand out to me are the smaller discussion-based ones like EGL380 and EGL301, which are writing-intensive courses. I think those interaction-based courses are crucial because they don’t emphasize assignments as much as they do analysis. I appreciate how everything is in your hands rather than being objective, and you have the freedom to explore your own interpretations of the works. In high school, when you analyze literature, you’re contained in a box with only one right answer. Here, you have the power to explore and blend genres, and I really appreciate that.

Have you done your student observation or student teaching yet? If so, tell me about that experience. 

I’m doing my observations currently in the middle school I went to as a kid, so I’m very familiar with the environment. It’s been extremely rewarding so far because the assistant principal has been acting as a mentor to me and allowing me to take on a more active role in the classroom. She’s been framing it in a way that allows me to act as a teaching assistant. I love being able to see how the teachers interact with the students, and it’s been awesome to take notes and be a participant in class.

Are you involved in any extracurriculars or activities on campus? 

I am an assistant director at the Writing Center, so that experience is the most rewarding. It is a wonderful community of people who are passionate about writing. It is also a great environment to connect on a smaller level with people in my department and other departments who have interests similar to mine. I’m also the president of the film club, SBU-TV, and it’s been really fun to teach and share student filmmaking with interested students. I love being able to pursue my passion for teaching while also enjoying my hobby of filmmaking. I’ve also been a TA multiple times in WRT102 and SBU101, and last semester, I was a Production Intern for the SBU film festival “Create + Imagine.”