Hear What Our Graduates Are Saying | Department of English

Hear What Our Graduates Are Saying

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"Pursuing my bachelor's degree in English at UNT was not only creatively and intellectually fulfilling, but also equipped me with the tools necessary to be successful after graduation. Whether you plan to attend graduate school or enter the workforce, the critical thinking and communication skills you'll build through coursework in the English department have virtually endless applications. They've served me well in pursuing career opportunities in both the education and technology industries, and the perspective I've gained from studying the literature of different cultures has made me a more versatile employee and empathetic person. Finally, the faculty within the UNT English department deserves special mention -- I had the pleasure of studying under a number of professors who, in addition to being experts in their field, were brilliant teachers. I was inspired to do good work (and continually challenged to do better work) during my time in the department." - Wyn Gregory, B.A. (2010)

"I came to UNT as a nontraditional, transfer student. At first, the demands of the larger campus intimidated me, but I found the perfect home in the English department. The first-rate faculty there mentored me for the next step in my career: graduate study. After receiving my bachelor's, I landed a research assistantship and fellowship to study rhetoric at Pennsylvania State University. The caliber of the professors in UNT's English department cannot be overstated. They offer a broad array of classes in fundamental and niche subjects. And, in each of those courses, the professors prepare students for the demands of both the workforce and graduate school. I'm grateful and privileged to have spent time learning here." - Jen Buchan, B.A. (2016)

"Pursuing a degree in English with the University of North Texas provided me with a solid foundation from which to confidently begin a career in teaching. This program encourages developed scholarship through critical thought and disciplined writing. Beyond teaching, the skills and connections I gained as an English major at UNT have helped me achieve in some unlikely places, from paid comedy writing to social entrepreneurship. Above all, my degree is made most valuable by the passion the staff have for cultivating an enduring love for the exploration of ideas." - Stu Hollowell, B.A. (2016)

"When I transferred to UNT in 2011, I had no real direction for my major - no career in mind. However, the English department quickly took me in, and soon I was involved in the English Honor Society, the university's literary journal, and one of the school's many writing clubs. I knew that I had to give back. Today, I teach 8th-grade English Language Arts and Reading in Irving, TX, and I couldn't be happier. Not a day goes by that I don't appreciate the curiosity and the welcoming atmosphere that the UNT English department provided me." - Thomas Hall, B.A. (2015 )

"After graduating with my bachelor's in English from UNT, I was able to gain admission into my top choices for graduate school. Now, as a McCourtney Family Fellow studying Writing and Rhetoric at Penn State University, I realize how invaluable was the training I received as an undergraduate. The English department's brilliant faculty, stimulating classes, and rigorous program helped me achieve my personal and professional goals for undergraduate study." - Michael Young, B.A. (2016)

"I came into the English program without delusion: the job market would not be my friend once I was done. The reason it didn't matter? Because I loved English, and it was what I wanted to be a part of. So with this awareness, I took the steps to ensure that my degree would be purposeful. Luckily most of the English department teachers are very vocal about guiding students to take steps that will help them once they are done. The measures I took included joining UNT's magnificent literary journal, becoming the assistant editor for the North Texas Review, double minoring in completely differing subjects, and setting myself up for continued education through a Master's program. There is hope, English majors! With the unbelievable variety in each English class, the knowledge you receive alone makes this major worth the effort." - Jayd Newbold, B.A. (2016)

"In the fall of 2015 I graduated from the University of North Texas with a B.A. in English Literature. My time at UNT helped shape the person I have become and laid a foundation so that I might continually build towards the person I strive to be. As a singer/songwriter, of a rather uncultured upbringing, the literature I was exposed to, along with the writing I was assigned, had a profound effect on my life. This material was undoubtedly important in my academic endeavors, but its impact would have been far less had it not been for the professorial guidance I received. In listening to my peers and professors, I was able to learn from the past and apply it to the current state of the world around me. Essentially, I was introduced to a new, all-encompassing way of thinking. During these years, my mind was not only expanded, it was transformed. Though I have graduated, my education has only begun and I hope that my songs will express the necessity of seeing the world from many directions." - Caleb Coonrod, B.A. (2015)

"British Literature and cell phones---these things don't seem to go together except when you're reading Pride and Prejudice on a cell phone app. However, they do fit together in my life. I graduated from UNT in 2013 with a Bachelors in English with a concentration in Literature. I now work as a phone troubleshooter at a company in the mobile phone industry. Although I didn't realize it at the time, the many classroom discussions, the reading, and the research that came with being an English major helped me develop the communication skills, a strong attention to detail, and the critical thinking skills that are vital to my job. This course of study helped me discover the skills that I excel at as well as the type of work that I enjoy." - Amy DeLaughter, B.A. (2013)

"The misconception of an English degree having limited job applications couldn't be farther from the truth. In my opinion, an English degree has a greater purpose and is more applicable than any other field of study. In my profession [commercial real estate], as it is the same for most other professions, the single most important element to having a successful career is being an intelligent, efficient, and professional communicator. Any job can be taught, but succinct communication will be what distinguishes you from your competition. Above all, a well-written message, professionally prepared and delivered succinctly, will maximize your success and accelerate your career -- no matter what you end up doing." - Patrick Johnson, 2010

"I received a BA (2010) and MA (2014) in English literature from UNT and am currently a PhD Candidate in English Literature at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), writing a dissertation that explores how medieval poets (especially Gower, Chaucer, and Langland) give avarice, an abstract vice, literary form. In addition to conducting scholarship and teaching an array of English courses at UNCG, I currently serve as a research assistant to Dr. David Aers, Duke University. As an undergraduate at UNT, I was able to take graduate courses with Dr. Robert Upchurch (Old English) and Dr. Jacqueline Vanhoutte (Shakespeare and Elizabeth). The experiences I had as a participant in these graduate courses in particular fueled and reaffirmed my desire to continue to study English at an advanced level. While in the master's program, I had the opportunity to serve as Dr. Nicole Smith's research assistant and to write a thesis on medieval literature. These experiences revealed my passion for medieval texts and solidified my desire to pursue work at the Ph.D. level. I have presented scholarship and organized panels at various international and regional conferences, including the International Medieval Congress, Sewanee Medieval Colloquium, and Southeastern Medieval Association Conference, and currently serve as a graduate representative on the Society of Medieval Feminist Scholarship's advisory board. The top-notch and unwavering support and guidance I received at the undergraduate and graduate level from the English professors at UNT prepared me to thrive in a Ph.D. program and beyond." - Jessica Ward, B.A. (2010)

"I'm a graduate of the University of North Texas' Creative Writing B.A. program, where I learned how to more closely examine character arcs, plausibility, detail and fluidity of story, and the slickest way to wow the reader right at the beginning. This program also taught me how to more creatively use structure in nonfiction, to make it a more alluring read. I used to believe that experience is the best teacher, but it is vital for a writer to enroll in a program like UNT English's; there is a mountain of things I've learned in the UNT program that I would not have found on my own--or in a book. While attending UNT and since then, I've placed my work in major online venues like Indiewire, as well as Flaunt Magazine, MTV, the Dallas Observer and the Dallas Morning News; I'm currently writing an anthology of crime fiction and memoir about my film-critic travels from Sundance, South by Southwest, the Toronto Film Festival, to Cannes." - Chase Whale, B.A. 2016 [Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, Reviewer for Rotten Tomatoes, Screening Committee, Sundance Film Festival]