Profiles

Josh Stearns 'MA '07
As leader of the the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation’s journalism sustainability project—designed to develop new structures and strategies to support a robust future of news—Josh works with journalists and newsrooms in New Jersey and New York to communicate their mission, expand their impact, and engage their communities.

Shevonne Commock '18
"I think it’s so important to have a vision, be bold, and just to take chances and try to experiment new things. That’s so crucial: don’t pitch and hold yourself into one industry. Be fluid. Position yourself from multiple markets and multiple industries, and just have fun and enjoy the ride."

Thomas MacAlpine M.Ed. '03
"In terms of a career path, the best advice I can give is just to always be open. Don’t have the blinders on; you just never know where your education can take you."

Veronique Lee '11
The ability to analyze, understand, and synthesize text is important [in a job like mine]. You get this from essentially every English course you take. Good writing skills are equally important, and English courses that focus on writing (language, composition, rhetoric) equip you with the writing skills to succeed in “the real world.”

Rachel Halpern '14
"For English majors, I would say trust yourself … Focus on the skills and the passions that can come out of you from taking a varied course load." Rachel Halpern earned a B.A. in English from UMass in 2014. She now works at Facebook as a content strategist.

Tony Corbia '16
"It’s cliche, but do what you love, and the English major will help you with any career path you might choose."

Gwendolyn Gustavson '09
"Go live in the real world. Seriously. It will give you a tremendous sense of perspective, and help you both survive law school and perform better as an attorney. Lawyers are called “counselor” for a reason: we are supposed to counsel our clients. To do that, you need empathy, understanding, and an ability to see the big picture."