Ryan D'Alleva '22 is a senior Journalism and English double major receiving a specialization in Professional Writing and Technical Communication (PWTC). He talks about his experience finding his niche in the department and gives great advice for last semester undergrads.
How did you decide you wanted to be an English major?
I started with just Journalism after I came in undeclared in SBS. I took a couple of intro journalism classes and really liked it. So, this is a really strange and nontraditional path, but I had a sort of epiphany during my sophomore year that made me nervous about career paths after college. I felt like I could do more than just journalism. I switched to Chemistry; that was a big reroute. But as I was taking Chemistry classes, I couldn’t ignore the fact that I wanted to write. I didn’t want to be coming home and doing chemistry equations. So, I picked up English, and I was briefly an English and Chemistry major. After starting to take organic chem, I knew chemistry was really not for me.
Majoring in English seemed kind of a natural path to take since I wanted to pursue writing, so I switched back to just English after dropping Chem. Then I picked Journalism back up, and that’s where I am now.
Are you pursuing any specializations through the department?
Yes, I’m getting a specialization in Professional Writing and Technical Communication. Once I discovered PWTC, that’s when I figured out what I want to do.
Did you have a favorite English class at UMass?
I have two...my Data Driven Storytelling (Journalism 397DJ) and my Intro to Web Design (English 391C) class. Those are both coding classes, which is ironic because I used to say I hated coding. I think I learned the most in those two classes. | Ed. note: English 391C is offered each spring
Did you participate in any internships while you were at UMass? If so, what were they?
I did a summer internship for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. I was in a Copywriting Intern position where I had a team, and we worked with a group of designers to come up with a back-to-school campaign. My team came up with a script for TV ads, radio ads, billboards, and transit ads. The whole internship was a really cool experience, and it was my first exposure to technical writing work.
What do you plan to do with your English degree?
I think I want to be some sort of user experience (UX) writer. Possibly a tech writer or grant writer. Basically stepping into a field where I am able to write instructions for a company’s product and be able to produce a comprehensive guide for complex information.
Do you have any general tips for a student’s last undergraduate semesters?
Treat applying for jobs like an additional course. Dedicate time during the week to job search and put your resume out there. Also, don't be afraid to apply to jobs you think are a little out of your realm. Sometimes that can go your way, and knowing the material for the job isn’t always the most important thing if you’re an adaptable and competent candidate.
If you could talk to your freshman year self, what would you say?
I think I would tell myself to not make so many crazy academic decisions. Enjoy these four years because you’re never going to get a college experience again. I would also tell myself to branch out more, talk to more people, get to know your professors more.
Do you have any advice for students thinking about majoring in English?
Find your niche in the department. There are multiple specializations within the major, and they can be a really great opportunity to explore what you want to do within the major. For me, people are always surprised when I say I want to do something with coding, but there’s a lot more to this department than reading and writing!
Written by Sarah Mulcahy, Digital Communications Intern for the English Department