Jane Kalina ’25
B.A. in English and Creative Writing, Art History minor
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Drawn to Hollins by a love for horses and a legacy of women’s education, Jane Kalina arrived with quiet focus and a clear sense of purpose. Inspired by her mother’s experience at a women’s college and her own time at an all-girls’ summer camp, Jane knew Hollins was the right fit. She found much more than she expected—emerging as a scholar, a leader, and a confident advocate ready to leave her mark.
Though confident in her decision, Kalina stayed close to the barn her first year and rarely spoke in class—until Sherri West, director of the equestrian program and head riding coach, said she had what it took to be a show rider. Kalina worked hard and made the A-team by sophomore year, later becoming junior captain and helping with recruiting and social media. That leadership extended to her role as a resident assistant, where she built hall culture and creative events like an indoor mini-golf course in Main.
Academically, Kalina grew just as boldly. “My professors were going out of their way for me, and I realized I had to do the same.” She spent more than 800 hours researching and writing two honors theses. In English, she explored how masculinity and coloniality shaped the New Journalism movement. In art history, she studied how artists reimagined Salomé—from femme fatale to feminist symbol—with support from professors T.J. Anderson, III and Patricia Sunia.
After leading the riding program at Camp Birchwood in Minnesota, where she’s been since age nine, Kalina plans to move to Washington, D.C., to work, and eventually pursue graduate studies in literature or art history.
“I grew a lot once I started to push for what I wanted,” she says. “Hollins taught me how to speak up and seek deeper connections.”
Favorite Mentor: T.J. Anderson, III, professor of English. “In my sophomore year, I walked into his office to ask a question about classes and walked out with a new advisor. I’ve asked him a ton of questions, and he recommended me for an honors thesis and was my thesis advisor.”
Highlights
- English Honors Thesis: “Find the American Dream”: Queering America in New Journalism”
- Art History Honors Thesis: “Simply Irresistible”: Reshaping Salomé Between Fin-de-Siècle Men and Women”
- Presented art history thesis at the April 2025 Hollins Research Symposium
- Hollins University Margaret Markley Smith Award
- Elizabeth Alexander Thomas Award for Excellence in Art History
- Sigma Tau Delta Honor Society
- Elizabeth Alexander Thomas Award
- Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society
