Val Mahar DS ’24

I was a voracious reader in high school, but I could never get into Milton’s Paradise Lost. I found it too wordy, too convoluted. This personal disappointment followed me through my acceptance to Wellesley’s Davis Scholar Degree program in 2022. Although I was a geosciences major, I loved the humanities and had a religion minor, and wanted to take at least one literature class during my time at Wellesley. I decided on Milton; I was ahead on credits, and it would be mostly for fun (the Wellesley way).

Professor Noggle was a delightful professor, full of humor and good spirit. We talked heavy metal and shared music recommendations. Overall, he gave me a spectacular understanding and appreciation of Milton’s works. I'm proud to say that I finally read Paradise Lost at 33 years old, and not only did I love it, but I have fond memories of his class.