Student Spotlight: Camille Pepper
Camille Pepper is a Florida State University senior double-majoring in English, through the Department of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, and dance, through the School of Dance in FSU’s College of Fine Arts. Pepper is president of the School of Dance’s Student Advisory Council, a student-run organization that hosts events to increase interest in the arts on campus, which led to her being honored with FSU’s Undergraduate Humanitarian of the Year Award during the Spring 2026 Leadership Awards Night, hosted by the Office of Student Organizations and Involvement. After graduation, Pepper plans to continue her career as a dancer, as well as attend law school and eventually open her own law agency to represent dancers.
Tell us about your background, where you're from and what brought you to FSU.
I’m from Greenville, South Carolina. FSU’s prestigious dance program drew me to the school, and I also saw it as a place where I could pursue my passion for English.
What inspired you to pursue a double-major in English and dance?
I’ve wanted to be a dancer since I was 2 years old, but my love for English, particularly literary analysis, formed in high school. English stimulates the academic side of me that dance can’t, so studying the two together is extremely fulfilling. English is an art in the same way that dance is, and they contain overlapping creative processes. Poems and critical essays use selective wording in the same way that dance routines use selective movements.
What’s something people might not realize about studying English?
People often think that studying English simply means reading and writing. However, “English studies” is an umbrella term that encompasses history, sociology, psychology, cultural studies and so much more. Studying English allows you to gain knowledge across a wide range of subjects, and there’s rarely one definitive answer or “correct” way to interpret a text. This leaves plenty of room for productive discussion and gives us constant practice in digesting information, developing our own perspectives, listening to others and articulating our thoughts in response.
What aspects of your studies do you find most rewarding?
Being able to take what could be a seemingly straightforward text and uncover layers of meaning through close reading and discussion is the most rewarding part to me. Leaving class after a discussion with completely different ideas and thoughts about a text compared to when I entered reminds me how lucky I am to be in a major that constantly challenges me to think deeper and consider perspectives beyond my own.
What kinds of outreach activities do you participate in?
As president of SAC, I encourage people to experience the creativity that the School of Dance brings to campus. I help organize events, including Lab, a free student-run performance held twice each semester. In Fall 2025, I helped organize a haunted house throughout Montgomery Hall, the dance building, as a community outreach event. SAC also hosts a princess camp for children ages 4-9 that introduces young audiences to dance.
Tell us about earning the Undergraduate Humanitarian of the Year Award. What does earning this award mean to you?
The award is given to students who exhibit tremendous commitment to service, and I won largely due to my efforts as president of SAC. During the awards ceremony, I felt somewhat insecure as the other nominees did things like volunteering at the hospital or conducting important research. Winning reminded me that what I do can have a huge impact on people, and it’s still very important.
How do you balance your English studies and dance?
I’m so passionate about both majors that it rarely feels like work. During dance class, I’m having the time of my life because I love to dance. In English class, I’m mainly talking about what I’m reading and studying, which I also love. When you’re so passionate about what you’re doing, you rarely think about the difficulty of it.
Are there any faculty or staff who have helped or inspired you within the Department of English?
Jannah Mitchell, a former teaching assistant who graduated from FSU in 2025, taught the first class I took in the English major at a time when the field was still somewhat foreign to me. Through frequent office hours visits where we discussed class material I didn’t fully understand, she taught me to trust my own interpretations and recognize that my perspective has value, even when it differs from those around me.
That class, and Jannah in particular, really helped build my confidence as an English student, something that has stayed with me throughout my time at FSU and has made me much more willing to speak up, ask questions and trust my abilities.
How has your experience in the Department of English helped prepare you for life after graduation?
The Department of English has prepared me for multiple opportunities post-graduation, specifically my interest in attending law school. My classes have trained me to carefully read complex material, identify what matters, recognize how language can change meaning, construct arguments and support them with evidence. They’ve also given me frequent opportunities to develop ideas and communicate them clearly and effectively, which are skills that translate directly to legal education.
What advice do you have for fellow undergraduate students?
Take full advantage of every opportunity. At FSU, there are so many resources at your disposal, many of which are free and easily accessible, giving you an opportunity to spend several years learning not only about what you want to do, but also about how you think, what you value and what matters to you. Don’t become so focused on getting to the next step that you miss the value of where you are right now. Join that random club, take a class simply because it sounds interesting, and step outside of your comfort zone because you never know where those experiences might take you.