What happens to English majors once they leave Briar Cliff ? Contrary to popular myth, only a few of our majors go into teaching; most graduates enter a variety of occupations ranging from law, to technical writing, to advertising, to grant writing , to personnel managing, to community organizing and to working with people who are in need. Some English majors even take on the literary world. In almost every case, opportunities are revealed by the major, rather than being limited by it. As one famous American scholar wrote,
"Let no youth have any anxiety about the upshot of his education, whatever the line of it may be. If he keep faithfully busy each hour of the working day, he may safely leave the final result to itself. He can with perfect certainty count on waking up some fine morning, to find himself one of the competent ones of his generation, in whatever pursuit he may have singled out."
--William James, "The Importance of the Principle of Habit"
To Sandra Kuiper, asst. to the president/ personnel To Lisa Vander Heiden, marketing/promotions To Rene Nienaber, actor To Louise Benjamin, Tricia Currans-Sheehan, college teaching To John Stein, resident coordinator of dormitory To James Baum, tech writer/ data manager -- Honeywell To Dawn Carter, advertising, copywriting To Brenda Clark, Joe Bradfield, high school teaching To Susan Kallsen Belt, resident counselor To Corene McCarthy, advertising copy, layout To Mary Maley, data specialist To Bruce Scheid, award-winning farm/business reporter To Dennis Marks, attorney with Legal Aid To Toni Meyer, unit manager, computer disk mfg. company To Carol Kantor, publishing To Kathy Wiederin, Admissions Director, Drake Law School To Marion Nogg, public activist To Margo Chesebro, Iowa Teacher of the Year 1986 To Judy Schank, substance abuse counselor To Dan Oldis, novelist, computer specialist To Bob Hoberg, traffic controller for Cargill To Mike Harsma, tech manual writer To John Koll, high school guidance counselor To John Gunia, general contractor/carpenter To B. Paul Chicoine, author, historian To Paula Brandes, folksinger, impresario, grantwriter To Andy Champ, theater technician, producer To Nancy Currans Hamilton, preschool teacher To Tina Sherrill-Range, instructional media specialist To Dave Bolks, award winning TV ad writer/producer To June Guidice, freelance writer To Patsy Anderson, community activist To Jolene Muller, Executive Director, Wyoming March of Dimes
An English degree gives " organizational skills and the ability to find answers through research." Bob Hoberg
" I have learned more about human nature from studying literature than I ever learned in my psychology classes." Judy Schank
" I wasn't trained to be a tech writer or Data Manager, but I found that the skills I learned--the ability to analyze, reason and ask questions in a logical manner--were extremely useful and could be applied to a job." James Baum
"I was a double major in business and English, and finally the English major is more valuable." Jolene Muller
