On why she chose to pursue an English major: "... in fifth grade, I had a teacher who always encouraged me to write, so from that I developed a love of writing, and then I just spiraled out of control."

"I love this major because it is so thought provoking."

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.” 

"My English major is kind of my saving grace. I love being an English major."

Emily is currently finishing an honors thesis that analyzes the action role-playing video game NIER. Her project looks at gender and sexuality in NIER and uses queer theory to show how the game critiques traditional fairy tales.

"I am an African American woman, who has an invisible disability and is married to a Puerto Rican woman. I would have loved to read characters who I could see myself in, but unfortunately, I didn’t get that. So, I want to help create that space for people like me."

"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.