How did majoring in English prepare you for your career?

Major aspects of my former job as a newspaper reporter and my current marketing job are writing, researching and editing. Studying journalism and English at VSU trained me to write for different types of publications and in different styles, i.e., concise sentences for brochures and news stories and more detailed sentences for features and creative pieces; to detect reliable sources when needing to research topics; and to edit pieces at various levels from spot editing to in-depth editing.

How has majoring in English enriched your life?

My time as an English major at VSU has opened up opportunities for me that I otherwise wouldn't have had. Working closely with Ted Geltner and Dr. Pat Miller throughout my journalistic studies and time at the Spectator was a great privilege, and I grew into a better reporter, editor and designer because of their advice and guidance. Being able to demonstrate the different skills I gained helped me land a job one month out of college at a daily community newspaper. I ended up being that paper's features reporter, and it was a rewarding, rich fulfilling time in my life that benefited me professionally and personally. Though I am no longer in journalism, I have been able to apply the knowledge I gained during my studies and former job to my current role. In fact, my sharp editing skills helped me land my current position. 

What advice or insight do you have for VSU alumni and students interested in your career field?

Learn everything you can about the field, and gain as much experience as possible while studying at VSU. Even if you think it probably won't help you with your intended career path, take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way because you never know when you will need those skills later on. For example, one of my media contacts at Durham Tech was able to go from being a print reporter to a radio reporter because the radio station was willing to hire her based off her strong reporting skills.