Meet Deanna Aniles

Deanna Aniles is the High Plains Associate Student Representative and a double major in English and Secondary Education at Fort Hays State University. With a passion for giving back to the community, she aspires to become an educator, inspired by the significant impact she has witnessed while working with the youth in her hometown and in Hays. Currently residing in Hays, KS, she lives with her girlfriend, Emma, and their pet cat, Kuro. A film and television enthusiast, she enjoys diving deep into the world of cinema and TV, always eager to learn more about her favorite subjects.

I chose to become an English Major because I always had a love for books and the stories that are told through them. I had an amazing experience with my past English instructors and wanted to do that for future students; I wanted to show them how special literature can be.
My favorite part of being an English Major is the new perspectives I see in my readings. I always learn so much from reading realistic fiction books.
The last book I read was Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice.
My favorite book is The Troop by Nick Cutter. This book was just so well-written and really shocked me with how well-described all the events were. I felt as if I were truly there with them.
A book character I identify with is Charlie Kelmeckis from The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I deeply resonate with his journey of navigating high school life while having his own struggles with anxiety and trauma.
The last book I bought was Saving Noah by Lucinda Berry. This is a realistic fiction book about very dark criminal subject matter.
My favorite book to movie adaptation is A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. The recent film adaptation was just perfection in creating such complex characters.
I’m both a reader and a writer.
My favorite style of writing is film and literary review and analysis. I love to analyze films and books to see the deeper themes and subjectivity within them.
My go-to children’s book is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. I loved this book as a kid and love reading it to my little cousins.
My favorite childhood memory is reading my first full chapter book the whole way through on my own. I was so excited about it and believe it started my love for reading and literature.
Growing up, I was sure I would be an English teacher. I had so many influential people in my life who happened to be English teachers. I want to be like them.
My first job was as a receptionist at a local salon in my hometown. It was a very fun job that I greatly enjoyed because I worked with some very cool people.
My dream job is to be a librarian. This is a newer dream I have come to realize but it’s something I believe I would enjoy.
I like to spend my free time doing video gameplays with my girlfriend and watching movies. My girlfriend and I play a wide variety of video games as a way to hang out with each other after a long day.
The destination at the top of my travel bucket list is Japan. My siblings are in the process of trying to plan this out some time in the future.
The literary place I’d most like to visit is Whitby, England! I have gone once before and loved it! This is where a portion of the novel Dracula by Bram Stroker takes place.
If I could move anywhere in the world, I’d live in Oregon. It’s a very beautiful state with amazing natural wildlife and greenery.
If I was stranded on a desert island, the three things I would bring with me are water, food, and a tent.
The one song I could listen to on repeat is “As the World Falls Down” by David Bowie It’s from one of my favorite movies and just so happens to be the first song I danced to with my girlfriend. It is very special to me.
The best gift I ever received was a stuffed monkey my father made with me at Build-a-Bear Workshop before he left for a couple of years due to some unforeseen issues. It holds such calming and loving memories of family for me.
The best gift I’ve ever given is a handmade puzzle with a family photo to a family member in a heart shaped box. It was for Mother’s Day and I wanted to show this family member that I regarded her in the highest respects for helping me get through such a hard time.
If you find me in the kitchen, I’m typically whipping up my favorite soup called Zoupa Tuscana. It’s an Italian soup that my mom used to make for me as a kid.
If I could try any food from a book or series, it would be the great feast of foods that is described from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
The author (dead or alive) I’d most like to spend a day with is Octavia E. Butler. I’d love to pick her brain a bit, ask her questions about her fictional religion “Earthseed,” and discuss some of her novels, specifically The Parable of the Sower.