English
When he first came to the College, Aaron Clark had no idea what he’d major in. All it took was one English course and a whole world opened up for him. “That professor brought English to life for me. It wasn’t just what we read, but it was his enthusiasm and his knowledge. He really turned me on to literature and it was infectious.”
Aaron quickly discovered that not only was he adept at this, but he really enjoyed it. “I enjoy the writing, I enjoy the reading, and though the work in this major is challenging, I’ve just fallen in love with the faculty. All through my time at the College, I’ve had solid professors who’ve continually introduced me to intriguing works and intriguing ways to interpret them.”
Several classes, in particular, stand out for Aaron. “I took a study abroad course in Trujillo, Spain, called Hemingway in Spain. That was a fantastic course. I wasn’t even a Spanish minor, but I was able to learn a lot of Spanish and at the same time I was furthering my English major.”
He also praises a course he took on John Milton’s works. “That prompted me to write my bachelor’s essay on Milton. I’m examining his interest in astronomy, which has led me to learn about so many of his scientific influences including Newton, Copernicus and Galileo.”
Aaron isn’t certain just where his degree in English will lead him. After graduating, he envisions teaching English overseas for a few years and then possibly moving on to work in publishing. “I suspect that the English major gets overlooked by a lot of students because it doesn’t seem practical. But there are so many ways you can use this background. Being an English major isn’t just about reading literature, it’s about learning how to dissect texts and process information – skills that can translate to so many different areas. The work I’ve done in this major and the experiences I’ve had have definitely made me more versatile.
English majors at the college learn to read perceptively and critically; to understand the historical, cultural, and aesthetic dimensions of language, literature, and film; and to produce visual and written texts in a wide variety of genres. We offer courses in literature, film, composition, rhetoric, publishing, cultural studies, and creative writing. Majors also benefit from small class sizes and individualized attention.
❱❱ Current faculty have published 40 books and their scholarship and creative work fills academic journals and anthologies. They edit literary and scholarly journals, and they serve as officers in academic and creative arts societies.
❱❱ Recent graduates are pursuing careers in writing, publishing, law, education, business, nonprofits, and arts management.