English Alumni Profiles

My work as a peer tutor [in the Penn State Altoona Writing Commons] is constantly used in my job.
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Julia Fessenden, BA in English (Schreyer Honors Scholar), minor in history, Instructional assistant for third and fourth grade

My favorite experience in the English program was the study abroad trip to London.... It was my first real travel experience in a foreign country, and it laid the foundation for a love of travel that is still one of the most important parts of my life.
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Christopher Paul Brown, BA in English, M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, Penn State, English teacher, Bishop Guilfoyle High School, adjunct instructor of English, Penn State Altoona

My degree in English has helped me to foster relationships with colleagues and communicate well interpersonally ... The English and writing faculty at Penn State Altoona care about you.
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Christina Seymour, BA in English, MFA in Creative Writing, West Virginia University, Assistant Professor in Writing Communication, Maryville College

The ability to understand, retain, and utilize information gained in novel ways has often marked me as a leader in my field and has opened additional opportunities.
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Joseph Patton, BA in English, Sales, Verizon Consumer Group

I continue to use the writing skills I developed every day of my life, and now I am passing those skills on to my children in their home education classes.
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Elizabeth Ebersole, BA in English, Homeschool parent

Majoring in English was integral to the development of skill sets that have enabled me to effectively communicate with a diverse array of constituents throughout my career.
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Amanda Walker, BA in English, District Director for State Senator Judy Ward

I see [my degree] as similar to a business degree in that I have a solid background and can apply it to many different areas of employment… Being an English major opened my eyes to different ways of interpreting the world around me. The ability not to see everything as black and white and instead to look deeper, seeing things that, maybe, someone else might not, has been so important.
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Michael Lykens, BA in English, Financial Advisor, Wells Fargo Advisors

My creative writing has helped me be a better marketing/social media manager as it taught me to think outside of the box. I am able to craft stories in a more engaging, creative way than others with a more technical marketing background.
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Christy Clancy, BA in English, Social Media Manager for a craft beverage tech company, musician, and photographer

I loved my professors. They made class interesting and were passionate about English. They challenged me; they supported me; and they encouraged me to dream and take risks ... They listened to us, valued our insights and thoughts, and helped us find and form our own voice in this world.
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Jonathan W. Holmes, BA in English, Penn State Altoona, Master of Education degree, College Board AP Literature and AP Language certifications

I was a first-generation college student and also non-traditional in that I had two small children while I was a student. It was a stretch for me to imagine completing a Bachelor’s degree, much less a Master’s or Doctorate degree. I have spent 17 years working in academic advising in higher education, and that would never have been an opportunity for me without the foundation of the English program at Penn State Altoona.
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Caressa Olivo, BA in English, MA in English, West Virginia University, Doctoral Candidate , Director of Academic Advising at Maryland University of Integrative Health