Laura Tetrault, literature and creative writing B.A. alum who is now pursuing a Ph.D. in writing and rhetoric at Louisville, recently won the 2017 CCCC Gloria Anzaldua Rhetorician Award. For more details read this interview which deals in large part with her sense of the relationship between getting a degree in the Humanities and pursuing work in social justice. Tetreault also shares several wonderful ideas about the paths that people can pursue with an English degree.

In the interview, she states, “[m]any people think the downside of an English degree that it doesn’t translate into one specific career, but I think that’s a benefit. I have friends and colleagues with English degrees who do so many different things. Just a sampling of people I know: editors in all different industries, from book publishing to tech; literary agents; lawyers; directors, executives, and communications staff for national organizations; nonprofit, foundation, and community organization leaders; university staff in student services; journalists; city, state, and federal government employees; marketing professionals; small business owners; and on and on. They live all over the U.S. and the world.

My advice to undergraduate English majors is to seek out examples like these at every chance you get. Ask your English professors to put you in contact with colleagues, friends, or former students who have done different things with their English degrees. Connect with people in your local community and if you find out someone is working in a cool job and has an English degree, ask them to get a coffee. English majors are so numerous and part of a huge but often untapped national and worldwide network.”