The Scariest Flower

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Intimidation doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt looking at Robert Boyles’s ‘Flower Exercise’ from his book “What Color is Your Parachute?” Besides intimidation, I began with a positive attitude; I wanted this exercise to achieve something. I wanted to be able to unfold myself and benefit from this experience, but it was hard to have to sit there and think about yourself and eventually describe who you are. 

A large portion of my alumni profile interview was very helpful and personal to me specifically because I felt like Mary Alice Miller understood the fear of graduating as well. We talked a lot about the plethora of options there are once school is over, and how overwhelming it can be. I’m afraid of missing out or choosing wrong (what could be wrong? Who is judging? Only me, really.) I care about so many different things and concepts. I want to try so much, but it’s hard to narrow down what I’m exactly looking for. 

Beginning this exercise, there were a few petals that were easier for me to do such as ‘Geography,’ ‘People’ or who I would like to work with, and ‘Work Conditions.’ I’ve always known that I would thrive in a city; I enjoy the buzz of life. Since I’ve lived in South Carolina my whole life, I’m ok with the idea of moving and expanding my horizons for a job. Petals 3 and 4 were a little tougher for me to do because I felt as if my transferable skills were very limited. Even though we’ve worked throughout this Capstone to give alternative names to the skills that we’ve acquired as English Majors–specifically looking at “You Can Do Anything” by George Anders–however, I still feel like mine are all very academic based and limited. 

Either my skills or my experience, I felt, is all limited to the academic field, but what else is there? I have been in school for the past 16 years, so it makes sense that a lot of my projects and activities are centered around school. Or my skills felt random or out of place. I spent three summers in high school as a summer camp counselor at Camp Gravatt in Aiken, SC. Parts of me feel like this time was silly, but realistically I learned so many leadership, organizational, and teamwork skills. 

My campers and me, circa 2018

Part of Boyle’s methods for the job search and finding a career for ones’ self is practicing kindness toward yourself. “…feeling helpless is a state of mind that you can change. It starts by recognizing that if anyone has the power to make changes in your life, it is you” (27). Realistically, I have just started my career journey and I am not the perfect candidate right now. I cannot expect myself to be. Reading this book was a reminder that I have to be gentler with myself. 

I expected to not have a good time doing petal 7 “Purpose in Life,” but I was pleasantly surprised by this part of the exercise. A large portion of the petal felt very grounding. It was like a reminder of who I am and what I believe in. It was nice to be reminded of the values that I appreciate and look for in life, even if I have a hard time incorporating them into my career. The questions and values Boyles brought up were extremely helpful in centering me and what I want out of life. 

Similar to petal 3, petal 4 “Knowledges” made me feel silly, despite it being something I could easily fill out. At times I felt like the things that I know about such as Pop Culture and TV and movies aren’t necessarily transferable skills, but they’re what I love. 

I, 2023, work with kids, even though I don’t plan on pursuing a career involving kids.

We talked a lot in my literary publishing class about how working in the book industry is about apprenticing and learning while on the job. Publishing, editing, and writing are some of the last jobs where apprenticeship is extremely important and it’s one of the best ways to learn. A lot of my early career might be waiting and learning. Doing this exercise has shown me I need to have faith in what I know and all my experiences have given me useful skills. This next chapter of my life will be a practice in patience, but I’ll be rewarded with knowledge.

An Interview of Unreasonable Conversation with Mary Alice Miller

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 In his book “What Color is Your Parachute,” Richard N. Bolles writes that “storytelling is one of the most powerful techniques you can use in a job interview. Stories are memorable and illuminating…think about stories that illustrate [your] skills, knowledge, and personality traits.” This mirrors advice College of Charleston alumna Mary Alice Miller often gives to clients of her storytelling advisory—thought-leaders, artists, entertainers, politicians, and more who solicit her for collaborations on stage and screen, in print, online, and elsewhere. 

“A great story opens up worlds previously unknown even to ourselves,” Miller says from Costa Rica, where she has just worked with a client, the renowned psychotherapist, Esther Perel, on an immersive retreat and the content for Perel’s upcoming live tour. Miller’s next stop is Los Angeles for “A Day of Unreasonable Conversation,” a social impact conference which demonstrates dialogue on the most pressing issues of our time. The invitation-only audience consists of 500 top Hollywood screenwriters, showrunners, and network executives. Miller is the executive director of editorial and programming for the whole event.

Miller entered the College of Charleston in 2008 during America’s worst financial crisis. Against well-meaning advice, she double-majored in English and Fine Arts with three concentrations. She chose extracurriculars that didn’t obviously translate to job prospects but deepened her storytelling skills. She hosted a radio show, became president of the English Club, “Literati,” and worked as a campus tour guide. 

Storytelling is an influential skill that many humanities majors have, but as one approaches graduation, the prevailing story we tell ourselves is often one of distress. It can even feel like lying. This is how Miller felt while preparing her commencement speech to the 2012 class. “It was really intense having to hold two truths with equanimity; I’m so proud to be in this position but I also feel unqualified to be telling anyone what to do or how to be right now,” she said.

Filled with doubt, fear, and anticipatory grief, she turned to the English Department for support. Two professors gave feedback on her drafts. Fellow English club members helped her rehearse. “In the afternoon ceremony, the English Department was seated right by me at the podium. So much of being able to give that speech had to do with their support.”

Fresh-faced out of college, Miller began working at Condé Nast for Vanity Fair. “People ask if my job was like ‘The Devil Wears Prada.’ Sometimes it was.” Miller worked on long-form investigative stories, art and design features, cultural and political op-eds, books, conference programming, and special projects such as documentaries and art exhibitions. “I worked there for nearly a decade and received a phenomenal education,” she says, not regretting the decision to forego journalism school. “Magazines are a hard business, even more so now, but I will always love them and the people who make them,” she says.

“The media industry has been undergoing massive transformation and there is no journalist who hasn’t experienced trauma associated with that,” says Miller. “I’m sure that makes it really hard for aspiring journalists. The path has changed but that’s not inherently a bad thing.” Starting in 2018, Miller witnessed six rounds of company-wide layoffs at Condé Nast. “I saw some of the greatest American magazine editors in every department get told to empty their offices by 5 pm; it was brutal,” she says. “I got the call two months into the pandemic, in lockdown, surrounded by death and sirens. It was one of the worst moments of my life.” 

The pandemic caused devastating effects on Miller, including the loss of her home. “The security of corporate publishing had been an illusion for a while, but I was forced to wake up to it. And in this waking life, I felt a new and unprecedented autonomy and hope.” She began publishing articles in WIRED and New York Magazine, and could finally say yes to people who reached out asking if she was available to edit their book or produce a podcast together. Some were people she had already worked with, such as the photographer Mark Seliger, with whom she has written two books, a short film, and commercial work. Others were “professional blind dates” set up by friends.

George Anders talks a lot about the power of networking especially within your alumni community in “You Can Do Anything.” “Your greatest allies: thousands of alumni from your college understand what little-known fields are booming, who is hiring, where you can get an interview, and how to get a job” (203). Miller hopes aspiring storytellers who are about to become fellow CofC alumni know they are welcome in her network.

Many people assume that there are limited job opportunities for someone who has a degree in English, or the opportunities are lackluster, but Miller proves this wrong. “I fell ass-backwards into entrepreneurship, much like my parents, who warned me that starting your own business is not an easier path, but it is so worth it.”

Graduating means moving into a cloud of uncertainty. For storytellers, the challenges in modern media–including the impact of artificial intelligence–are enough to make English majors wonder if they chose the right field of study. Whether your fears are technological-based or rooted in insecurity, Miller argues that your abilities can work for you. “A.I. is fantastic for so many things, including quickly gathering information and arranging it in legible sentences, and it is only going to get better. But it is not you. Even trained on your writing, you are the writer. It’s good to cultivate confidence around your style, about the way you talk, about how you create. People need storytellers, every industry needs storytellers, humanity needs storytellers,” she says, driving home that integrity, quality, curiosity, and confidence in your work are your greatest assets. 

The graduating class of 2024 should find solace in Miller’s experiences; through uncontrollable circumstances, Miller has made a rockstar life for herself. “Since many of the traditional frameworks have changed so drastically, you may be asking yourself what you’re supposed to do with all these skills,” she says. “Your skills as an English major are applicable to so many industries. Sometimes it just looks like making your own path.”

Not a Typical English Student: A Profile on Andrew Siegrist

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Andrew Siegrist is not your ordinary English major. When he first got to the College of Charleston, he had never been a part of any literary scenes before. He found his love for literature in his late teens. Gabriel García Márquez’s works made him realize that he wanted to take a shot at being a writer himself. Siegrist threw himself into the literary world of Charleston, going to readings and libraries, allowing him to get accustomed to reading and writing, truly develing into an entire other universe he had never been a part of before. 

“It was my introduction to a whole different world that I hadn’t had any experience with.”

SIEGRIST TALKING ABOUT HIS LITERARY EXPERIENCE AT COFC

The creative scene helped Siegrist through his artistic journey; the literary program at Charleston is where he genuinely fell in love with writing. The workshops of short fiction and poetry were very impactful to his career now, with professors such as Bret Lot and Anthony Varallo working with him to help hone his skills and inspire Siegrist to continue down the writing path. 

After attending the attending the College of Charleston, Siegrist started working various construction jobs, trying to figure out how to continue his writing passion while also providing for it. One night, Siegrist was watching television when he came across an advertisement for a graduate program. He described the advertisement as writers coming together and creating stories, looking for ways to make them better. Siegrist, who had spent the entire day spackling a roof in 20-degree weather, wanted to jump at the chance to make his work better. Thus began Siegrist’s time at the Creative Writing Workshop program at New Orleans University.

Talking more about his time at graduate school, Siegrist said attending the program helped his writing career as much as it was possible. He details his time there as setting aside two to three years that are dedicated to creating written works and editing said works with fellow aspiring writers. After completing graduate school, Siegrist started doing what every young graduate writer would do: trying to get published. Siegrist eventually got his collection of short stories published in 2021 through a short fiction collection contest that he had won. The collection of short stories was actually his thesis that he completed in graduate school, which he had submitted the year prior to no avail. We Imagined It Was Rain was published by Hub City Press in 2021, a series of loosely connected short stories that explore the human mind and spirit.

Siegrist’s career journey is definitely not ordinary, but it seems that no English major’s career journey is. When I first asked questions dealing with the topic of the viability of majoring in English, Siegrist’s initial response was that he was a bad English student. While I was certain that was not the case, he elaborated further on how he struggled with analytic essays and close readings but thrived in workshops and writing. After the initial response of how the English major was viable for him, Siegrist gave me a response that let me know he wasn’t a bad English student like he had labeled himself as. Siegrist talked about how being an English major means that you get to explore worlds and people different from your own, taking the time to understand them and their actions, which expands empathy.

Being able to forge connections with characters from the 1800s and characters from a whole other universe is something truly unique to the English major. We joked that “extra empathy” sticks with us after we put down each written work. As I brought up the situation of finding myself making backstories about strangers I pass along the street and then making myself feel bad for said stranger because of the tragic backstory that I made up, Siegrist admitted that he finds himself doing the same thing. Reading works of literature expands one’s morality, which is a topic that has been debated greatly in the literary past but also within our own classroom. As Gregory Currie, in his own article that surrounding the debate on the connection of morality and literature, states, “Literature helps us, in other words, to be, or to come closer to being, moral ‘experts.’” While I wouldn’t call anyone an expert on morality, from my conversation with Siegrist and my own experience as an English major, I can say that literature allows us a greater understanding of the people and the world we live in.

“Especially now with everything going on with the world, having empathy is important as it has ever been.”

Siegrist talking about the value of empathy

Siegrist now spends his time as a farm manager, where he says that even in that specific form of employment, there are some elements that he finds more naturally than others because of the English major. Showing another great value of majoring in English, which is also shown in the Degrees at Work file, which shows the numerous jobs that various majors can go to and looks at the patterns which different majors follow in their career journey. The information report showed and stated that “language and philosophy jobs go into a broad array of jobs.” The major is so vast that there are so many diverse jobs and sets of skills that come with it. So while Andrew Siegrist may not seem like your typical English major, he is actually a perfect example of one. 

Alumni Profile: Carey Ann Campbell

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Field Report #1: ​​Alumni Profile

Carey Ann Campbell, Chief Executive Officer at Southern Tide

Carey Campbell, an accomplished Chief Executive Officer, currently holds the helm at Southern Tide, a national apparel company inspired by the coastal lifestyle. With a wealth of experience garnered from previous roles at both Southern Tide and Belk, Mrs. Campbell brings a dynamic skill set and a deep understanding of the retail industry that helps her lead her team with empathy.

In the bustling landscape of retail and leadership, Carey Ann Campbell stands out as a beacon of inspiration and success. With Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature/Letters, her educational background speaks volumes about her proficiency in communication, critical analysis, and creative thinking. Her career trajectory is a testament to the enduring value of a liberal arts education, coupled with a wealth of industry experience.

Mrs. Campbell, the esteemed CEO of Southern Tide, attributes much of her remarkable success and professional growth to the invaluable support of her professional network, mentors, and industry leaders. Drawing from her own experiences, Mrs. Campbell emphasizes the pivotal role that mentors have played in her career trajectory. This influence has led her to become a dedicated mentor herself, paying forward the guidance and wisdom she has received.

A firm believer in the mantra “Nothing’s too big!”, Carey Ann Campbell encourages individuals to share their aspirations openly with their network. She believes that by articulating one’s goals, whether they seem grand or ambitious, one can harness the collective power of their network to achieve these objectives. This philosophy underscores Mrs. Campbell’s approach to both her personal and professional life, where open communication and collaboration have been instrumental in her success.

Known for her natural curiosity and insatiable appetite for learning, Mrs. Campbell embarked on the path to becoming the CEO of Southern Tide with determination and a hunger for growth. Her relentless pursuit of knowledge and willingness to seek guidance from mentors have been central to her journey to the top of the corporate ladder.

In George Anders’ book “You Can Do Anything,” he proposes that “your greatest allies [are] thousands of alumni from your college who can assist you at each stage of your journey.” In our digitally connected world, regardless of location, we are closer than ever to “a network of career allies.” In my discussion with Mrs. Campbell, I discovered that her resourcefulness played a pivotal role in shaping her career. With her innate curiosity and eagerness for continuous learning, she cultivated relationships with mentors and embraced “a willingness to seek assistance.” She attributes her achievements to the mentors who guided her through various stages of her professional endeavors. As Anders outlines in his book, “You simply need to take the initiative and become comfortable with seeking out new connections.” My conversation with Mrs. Campbell affirmed the truth in this statement!

Her advice to young professionals aspiring to leadership roles is simple yet profound: “Share those goals because people want to help you get there.” This guidance reflects her belief in the power of mentorship and the supportive nature of professional networks. By vocalizing ambitions and seeking guidance, individuals can tap into a wealth of knowledge and experience that can propel them towards their desired outcomes.

In her role as CEO, Carey Ann Campbell not only leads with strategic vision but also embodies the essence of an English major. Her passion for language and storytelling, honed during her studies, continues to drive success in unexpected ways. From crafting compelling narratives for the brand to fostering a culture of creativity and innovation, Mrs. Campbell’s background in English has been a guiding force in her leadership style.

Carey Ann Campbell’s journey from an English student at the College of Charleston to a visionary CEO is a testament to the enduring value of an English education. Her story showcases how the skills cultivated through the study of literature—such as critical thinking, communication, and creativity—can serve as a strong foundation for success in the business world and beyond. Mrs. Campbell’s career trajectory exemplifies the transformative power of mentorship, the importance of sharing goals, and the lasting impact of a passion for lifelong learning.

In Today’s News

Mrs. Campbell serves as

A distinguished alumni and current president-elect for the COFC Club representing the Greenville/Upstate area. (Souce)

Mrs. Campbell participated in the annual Women in Retail Leadership Summit (WIRLS), a C-Suite Panel, which brings together industry leaders to discuss topics such as the current business environment, how they’re positioning their businesses to succeed, and what they’re doing to empower the next generation of women leaders. (Source)

As a USC Retailing Executive Advisory Board member, Mrs. Campbell shares advice with Retailing students.

(Source)

The Flower Exercise and Law School decision making

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Throughout this semester, I’ve been balancing the CofC English Capstone curriculum with my personal plans. I’m set to go to law school, but there is still much to learn from our class. In “What Color is Your Parachute?” by Richard Bolles, there is an activity called the Flower Exercise, which is a seven piece self-inventory meant to help individuals figure out what they are looking for in work. The Flower Exercise has helped me narrow down my plan and especially has helped me decide where I will go to law school. 

There are seven overall petals, ranging from smaller questions such as “who do you want to work with?” to larger questions like “what is your life’s purpose?” For me, I felt as though I already knew the petals about my skills and working conditions, but two petals that taught me a lot were petal 6, “Places,” and petal 7, “Purpose.”

One of the biggest struggles for me right now is picking where I want to go to law school. I have consistently heard that where you go to law school is generally the state in which you will practice, and my interview with Morgan Insley, filed under the Alumni Profile section, confirmed this belief. 

I knew that I wanted to practice in the Southeast, but that’s about all I knew. Undertaking petal 6, “Places,” I had to really focus – where have I lived, what did I like/dislike, what do I need vs. could live without – and that was something I’ve never thought about. I always thought I’d just stay in Richmond, my home town. That’s not off the table, but this exercise made me realize I might want to go further South. After careful consideration, I ranked certain things higher than I thought I would have – for example, nature. I put nature as the fourth most important thing. I have taken trips to visit my friends in New York and I literally had headaches every time and just couldn’t deal with the city. This petal exercise made me cut out those dreams that really just make no sense.

And yet, Atlanta still made it onto my list of top places to live. There are other factors that are even more important to me – a Jewish community is up at number two. I was raised essentially secular but have been moving towards Modern Orthodox practice for the past two years. I wake up every morning and attend shacharit services, among many other practices, and it has really changed my life. I realize now that going somewhere extremely rural or that simply does not have a Jewish community is out of the picture for me. It would make me unhappy in everything I do, and somewhere like Atlanta has a strong community.

teaching my summer campers how to put on Tefillin, a morning prayer tool. Masks b/c 2021

Then there’s petal 7, “Purpose.” This was the petal that took me the most time, because I had to push out the corporate talk that I’ve used for so many professional applications. Yes, the goals are important there, but there is more to my purpose than work. After careful consideration, I wrote out the main important things for me: a faith and community driven lifestyle, respect in both life and death, with physical and mental flexibility. 

Yes, that’s relatively abstract, but those are the pieces that matter to me. It means that I want to be a daily congregant at a synagogue, where I can learn and connect with friends with a similar background. It means that I want to do good things for the people around me, being able to host or provide for others. It means that I want to treat people better than I do and feel good about how I act to people, whether they know it or not (if you’re dead, you’re probably not caring how I treat you…) And finally, it means that I have the physical condition to do what comes to me: whether I want to lay on the couch all day or play basketball (my favorite sport) with my grandchildren. It means that I can continue to push myself through lifelong learning, just like my grandparents – I never want to stop.

I am so glad for this exercise and will continue to revisit it as my plans change.

A closer look at Tefillin — this is one of the most important grounding practices for me, and we put these on every day as part of prayer. Let me know if I can explain this more!

English vs. The World

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The number of English majors has fallen by nearly half since the late 1990s- Benjamin Schmidt

I’ve found it strange that we as English Majors must consistently defend the major against most others. Finance majors generalized probably do not have to defend their major, yet multiple questions arise from the morality of increasing the fortunes of the quickly accelerating upper class. I will not spend this time discussing class inequality, but it seems to make a point more in our current time.

I do not like grammar, which is about 50% of English. The other 50% of English is vocabulary, I do not have a favorite word. I do however like reading, watching, and listening to English media. Most likely due to it being the only language I can understand. To say my decision to be an English major comes from an empathetic lens would make most of my friends laugh. I think at the end of the day I’m just a consumer that wants to have an excuse for my gluttonous consumption of media. Movies and Music surround my roommates and consistently a silent moment is not often non-existent. It is in this over consumption and my love for media that I have found my interests deeply intertwining with the ‘values’ of the English Major. I wish I had an interesting heartfelt story on my decision, but I do not and like George Washington, “I can not tell a lie”. Humorously, I have actually cut down a cherry tree.

Richard Bolles states, “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”. Judging by my submission time on this blog post that I live by these words. Procrastination has always been a problem for me. I have been described as apathetic by friends much to my chagrin as they did not use apathetic and used ‘uncaring’ when apathetic would be a much better word to give me a descriptor. I do however feel as if despite this post, I have gotten much better at procrastination… or worse… better at dealing with my procrastination.

I have an important assignment that highlights my procrastination much in the line of the hero’s journey, If the hero was a 19 year old college student doing a project on photography. I hate to say it but I do not care about photographs, much to my own demise as an appreciator of art. For example, I have been told a photograph is good about 300 times in my life and never understood why. Despite this, someone who was teaching a class which I signed up for thought it would be a good idea to make me participate in photography in a photography class. I was tasked with taking multiple photos that make someone ‘feel’. I did not and still do not fully understand what that means. I spent the next week wondering what to do. That is a lie to be fair however as I spent the next week completely forgetting about that responsibility. It was only a day before that I remembered my photos. Luckily, when I most needed a quiet space, we had planned a party that night. As the party went on I decided to take photos of what was going on. To clear the air, I was taking photos of people I know, I was not taking photos of strangers. It was in my hasty arranging of my collage of photographs that I started to slightly understand what feeling from a photograph meant. As I surrounded myself with photos of my close friends, while slightly blurry, I was able to feel a sense of connection with my surroundings and the larger world around me. While not specifically an English Class, it was with my tutelage from various English classes that I was able to understand how a piece of media is supposed to make you feel, and furthermore connect it to the outside world.

This idea is what I truly think makes the English Major important, as I have been given the ability to contextualize anything within our world. It is with this humanist perspective that I have been able to extrapolate the importance for anything, and there is an importance for everything. I would not sacrifice these lessons for anything as I have been a more caring person because of it. I have learned not only how to fix my ability to procrastinate but also configure that with not getting lost in the moment. Learning the best time and place to do work, rather than doing something too early when my head is not in it. It’s important for me to put forth my best work, while this does not always work within the confines of school, I understand that this skill and understanding of my work ethic will better help me contextualize my skills within the job market.

Jean-Paul Sartre wrote, “A man is always a teller of tales, he lives surrounded by his stories and the stories of others, he sees everything that happens to him through them; and he tries to live his life as if he were recounting it.”. This is about novels, but I think it says more about the English Major as a whole. It is not what we are able to learn, but what we are able to do with the information we gather from our studies.

Morgan Insley, the Law, and the Value of an English Degree

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“Keep trying to find what you love to do… If you don’t know what that is, it’s okay, just keep trying different things and you will find it.”

————————————————————————————————————- 

“Oh, so you want to be a teacher?” 

If you’ve ever talked to a college student, you can bet that they’ve been asked that at least ten times. In 2024, students and parents alike are increasingly worried about the viability of an English degree in the workforce. After the 2008 recession, STEM fantasies filled the heads of Americans, and images of Starbucks baristas took over what it meant to be a Humanities student. George Anders, Senior Linkedin Editor and author of “You Can Do Anything: The Surprising Power of a ‘Useless’ Liberal Arts Education,” tells numerous stories of students itching to learn about the classics telling their professors that their “parents wouldn’t let [them]” study the humanities –  “[t]hey have become understandably fixated on starting salaries and the supposedly safe majors that will make college pay off.”

Long gone were the ivory tower ideals of academia, the values of a well-rounded education destroyed. 

All that mattered in this market were job skills. Professional school. Morgan Insley, a student at the College of Charleston from 2009 to 2013, saw this dilemma. She majored in English, studying a wide variety of literature and media, from classic British literature to contemporary Jane Austen mediums. Even though these aren’t necessarily classes that seem valuable to a career-driven market, Insley knew her plan: go to law school and become a practicing attorney.

Morgan’s headshot for Blanco Tackabery

Insley finished up her senior year and headed straight to the Charlotte School of Law, graduating in 2016. What she quickly found was that the classes most people would have thought were ridiculous were actually what helped her graduate fourth in her class, summa cum laude. Further, she was able to intern for Justice Paul Newby of the North Carolina Supreme Court and was on Law Review, one of the most prestigious extracurriculars in law school.

While her classmates were struggling to adapt to the complex and often counterintuitive new writing styles, Morgan was quickly finding her stride, “and would not have succeeded without [her] English background.”

But Morgan’s writing skills weren’t the only thing she learned from being an English major at the College. She felt that the major opened up her eyes to social issues around the world – especially through Dr. Simon Lewis’s African Women Writers class. As a senior, Morgan chose to write a bachelor’s essay on madness in Black female literature. The ideas that she was exposed to through the English major inspired change in how she saw the world – and not in a corny way, in a real and honest way that pushed her to explore many passions.

In his book, “You Can Do Anything,” George Anders calls these skills the “rapport sector” – the ability to explore all options, and to make “wise decisions amid the ambiguity and murky information that machines can’t stand.” These are the X Factor skills that set English majors apart; the “pioneering spirit” that fits so well into the American Dream.

Because CofC’s English major is so fluid, Morgan felt that “you’re not pigeon-holed into one particular career path or a few – there are so many possibilities.” Morgan has tons of hobbies: painting, reading fantasy literature, and most importantly, keeping a work life balance. 

As an attorney, certain jobs and firms expect that you devote your life to the work. Especially in certain corporate or “big law” positions, it’s out of the question to have a life of your own. Morgan says that keeping a work life balance is her “#1 priority” in the job search, and that after taking on a few jobs where it was impossible to keep the balance, she has “gone out and found positions” that have the right understanding.

But it didn’t all work out easily. Morgan had to work extremely hard in law school to get her place as fourth in her class. Then, her law school dissolved – meaning that her foundation, connections, alumni web, and more – was effectively gone. She still has a network of classmates, peers, and business partners, but it has made things harder, especially when some people have never heard of her school. Further, she wishes that she had pursued a tax LLM, which is a master of laws that specializes in a certain niche. 

Things have worked out well, though. Today, Morgan works for Blanco Tackabery in the Trust and Estates practice group, living in Mt. Pleasant. She is also well versed in real estate, corporate counseling, and business formation. Her work deals with clients going through intense situations, often coping with grief in their own ways. 

Morgan wanted to give a piece of advice to current English students: focus on finding fulfillment in your professional life, because it will bleed over to your personal life.

Embracing the Power of Literature and Humanities in Today’s World: My English Journey Amidst the Pandemic

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Blog Post 4: My English Story: Personal-Professional Narrative

As I reflect on my college journey, I am struck by the myriad of challenges and opportunities that have shaped my path through the humanities, particularly English literature, during the tumultuous years of the global pandemic. These past few years have been a testament to resilience, adaptability, and the enduring importance of literary study in navigating the complexities of the world around us. 

My journey into English literature began with a passion for storytelling and a curiosity about the human experience. Each course, from delving into the works of 18th-century British writers to unraveling the complexities of postcolonial literature, offered me a unique lens through which to view the world. Engaging in critical discourse, dissecting narratives, and analyzing language became more than just academic exercises; they were gateways to understanding the intricacies of society, culture, and identity. 

In my senior year, I took a course in British Gothic Literature, where I read Diane Long Hoeveler’s book, Gothic Feminism: The Professionalization of Gender from Charlotte Smith to the Brontës. I wrote a paper exploring how gothic feminism evolved under the creative achievements of female gothic writers and considered how their literary work contributed to the modern definition of feminism. Female gothic articulated women’s dissatisfactions with patriarchal society and addressed the problematic position of the maternal within that society. This journey provided invaluable insights into the evolution of contemporary roles, concepts, and anticipations, drawing parallels between historical models and current societal debates. By immersing myself in the historical context of the female gothic genre, I recognized the enduring legacy of these literary works in shaping our understanding of gender dynamics and power structures. 

Furthermore, the interdisciplinary exploration of British Gothic Literature, particularly through the lens of Gothic Feminism, illuminates the enduring relevance of the English major in contemporary society. By delving into Hoeveler’s examination of the professionalization of gender in the works of female gothic writers, I gained insights into historical literary movements and a deeper understanding of societal norms and challenges. This immersion in thick data allowed me to grasp the evolution of feminist discourse and its impact on modern definitions of feminism. The interdisciplinary approach, integrating literature, history, and gender studies, exemplifies the versatile skills cultivated through an English major. Through the analysis of how female gothic writers navigated patriarchal challenges and articulated women’s dissatisfactions with societal norms, I developed a nuanced understanding of the complexities inherent in our cultural fabric. This understanding equips me to engage with current debates and anticipate future issues, underscoring the practical applications of the English major. Thus, this research journey contributes to a shared understanding of feminism’s historical roots and reaffirms the English major’s capacity to foster critical analysis, synthesis of diverse perspectives, and effective communication of complex ideas in navigating contemporary societal challenges. 

In Christian Madsbjerg’s book, Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm, the first principle of sensemaking, “culture–not individuals,” highlights the fact that understanding human behavior requires cultural intelligence. This is because “our reality–and everything we perceive as meaningful–is highly contextual and historical.” This principle articulates the value of understanding historical and social contexts and the importance of cultivating cultural intelligence to gain insights into human behavior. Furthermore, this concept of “culture–not individuals” contradicts the prevailing assumption of our algorithmic age “that human behavior is based on individual choices, preferences, and logical structures” because, as Madsbjerg argues, humans are defined by the society in which they live, and understanding human behavior requires a demanding form of cultural engagement. 

As an English major, I have regularly engaged in sensemaking. Resilience, adaptability, and the enduring significance of literary study have been foundational to my growth and development, particularly amidst the challenges posed by the global pandemic. From the outset, my fascination with storytelling and the exploration of the human experience propelled me into the realm of English literature. Through critical discourse and the analysis of language, these academic pursuits transcended mere intellectual exercises, serving as gateways to deeper understandings of society, culture, and identity. In Grobman and Ramsey’s chapter titled “Beyond Jobs and Careers: The Enduring Value of the Humanities,” the authors contend that the humanities “emphasize critical thinking and imagination while helping us remember where we’ve been as well as visualize our future.” The breadth of the humanities equips students with “higher-order” thinking they take into their careers and communities. Higher-order thinking and cultural understanding “are as vital as technological expertise in a world of big data and algorithms” because humanities perspectives are needed “to help steer technology to help us do what is valuable and good.”

As I look towards my future in English, I am filled with a sense of optimism and purpose. I envision a future where the insights and skills honed through my humanities education are not just valued but embraced as essential pillars of a sustainable and equitable society. Whether pursuing a career in academia, publishing, or public service, I am committed to leveraging my passion for literature to effect positive change in the world around me. 

In conclusion, my English journey amidst the pandemic has been a testament to the enduring power of literature to inspire, challenge, and transform. As I embark on the next chapter of my life, I carry with me the lessons learned, the connections forged, and the unwavering belief in the potential of literary study to shape a more just and compassionate world. Another quote taken from Madsjberg’s book Sensemaking is that “Instead of attempting to reduce that complexity of all of these layers of humanity — like a journey determined by the reductions of a GPS system– the sensemaking practice follows that North Star.” We learn “to navigate through the rich reality of our world, developing a finely honed perspective on where we are and where we are headed.” In times of crisis and uncertainty, it is literature that lights the way forward, illuminating our shared humanity and reminding us of the boundless possibilities that lie ahead. Much like literature, “sensemaking allows us to determine where we are. And, most important, sensemaking puts us in touch with where we are headed.” 

Where I am from.

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I vividly remember the first time I ever saw my father cry. I was in middle school at the time and had recently written a poem for my English class. Although I had been writing poems for quite some time, this was the first one I had ever shown anyone before, let alone read in front of the entire class. Based on George Ella Lyon’s poem, “Where I am From,” we were asked to write our own version, detailing the unique ways that we grew up and the home that we were being raised in.

At dinner, my father asked to hear what I had written, so I read it aloud after we ate. I remember my heart pounding out of my chest, the saliva in my mouth dissolving into thin air, and the temperature in my cheeks reaching a feverish temperature. When I had finished, silence filled the air, and I could only hear the loud pounding of my heart reverberating through my ears. I looked up from the printed paper my poem was typed on and looked at my dad. His eyes were red and wet with tears.

I had never seen him cry a day in my life. At first, I had no idea how to react or exactly what his tears meant. But then he broke the silence, “That was so beautiful,” he said, his voice soft and slightly cracking. For the first time, I realized that maybe my poetry had meant something, done something to someone, made someone feel enough to bring tears to their eyes. Just the thought of my writing conjuring such strong emotions in someone who had remained so stoic for most of my life felt like flying.

For as long as I can remember, I have felt deeper than those around me. Things have always mattered more to me, and I have deeply cared about things others seem to push aside or not notice. It was not until I shared my writing with people that I felt truly seen. Through their experience of reading my work, I finally felt they could truly understand me, understand the little things I cared about and why. And when I shared this poem with my father, it was one of the first moments I felt he understood me.

Poetry became my sanctuary, allowing me to express the complexities of my life more openly. Through writing, I could express the deep feelings I felt about my familial struggles, school friendships, and the small, overlooked details of daily life. This intimate connection to poetry resonates with Patrick Rosal’s notion, as discussed in the New York Times article “Poetry is Hospitable to Strangeness and Surprise,” where he highlights poetry’s capacity for observation, reflection, imagination, and discovery. These elements captivated me and drew me deeper into the world of poetry.

Even more so, in Kathleen Ossip’s article “Why All Poems Are Political,” she explores poetry’s role as a liberated realm for language and politics, raising numerous compelling questions that deeply resonated with me. She asks:

“Could it be that poetry aims to stir our consciousness of the profound yet nuanced spectrum of joy and suffering inherent in existence?”

This question encapsulates the essence of poetry for me. Poetry serves as a catalyst for awakening, urging us to perceive the world with heightened sensitivity, to acknowledge the often-overlooked nuances, and to empathize with the countless emotions swirling around us. It fosters a sense of community, connecting us with others who share our depth of perception and emotion, ultimately making people feel less alone. It was in this space (writing and sharing poetry) that I finally felt understood and seen for who I truly am: someone who deeply cares about the world around me.

As I got older and life got progressively more confusing and difficult, writing about it never felt like enough, so I buried myself in sports. For the longest time, that was the only thing I allowed myself to focus on. It was not until the pandemic that I had a chance to stop and sit in stillness. Stepping away from playing volleyball at Wake Forest University after two years allowed me the space I needed to properly reevaluate my life and what I was doing with it. Even then, it took me two years at the College of Charleston, majoring in Arts Management, before I jumped ship and declared an English major. It was not until then that I felt I had truly found my place, or at least a step in the right direction.

Reflecting back on all the schooling I had done, I quickly realized that throughout my educational career, it was the English classes and English teachers that I had loved and connected to the most. Looking around my room, I noticed my floor was covered in stacks of books, my bedside table engulfed in journals, and little notebooks were hidden around my room with short poems that popped into my mind from time to time. It was clear then which direction I was heading for the remainder of my college career and professional life.

An essential characteristic of the English discipline lies in its foundation in sensemaking, a concept introduced by Christian Madsjerg in his book “Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm.” Within this text, Madsjerg dissects various principles encapsulating the notion of sensemaking in humanities and their application in professional settings.

Of these principles, Principle 3: “The Savannah-Not the Zoo,” particularly resonated with me. Madsjerg explains that to properly understand and relay information about the human experience, you have to be a part of that human experience (16-18). Genuine understanding and insight into human nature cannot be attained merely through external observation but through personal experience. This awareness is acquired not only through the observation of others but through introspection.

When contemplating the practical applications of an English major in professional settings, I recalled a project from my 299 Intro to English Studies class where I had written an essay centered on the theme of motherhood in my favorite film, “Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms.” Delving into various aspects of motherhood, like love, sacrifice, and societal expectations, I researched extensively, drawing from books, personal accounts, and scholarly articles. This exploration led me to better understand the complexities of motherhood. Through this process, I gained a deeper insight into the motivations behind parenthood and the resilience required to nurture a child.

In an excerpt from “Major Decisions: College, Career, and the Case for the Humanities,” by Ramsey and Grobman, they emphasize the inherent value of intellectual, artistic, and moral pursuits, much like the essay I wrote. These projects enrich our lives, broaden our perspectives, and challenge outdated modes of thought and behavior (54-55).

Initially, I approached the essay intending to argue against the traditional notion of motherhood, questioning the extent of its role in today’s society. However, through the writing process, my perspective began to shift. While I still harbor my reservations about motherhood, my empathy and understanding of the complexities of parenthood expanded significantly.

It was through writing this essay that I tapped into the beauty and significance of what it means to be an English major and the intrinsic gifts that come out of such an experience. Through the research and composition of this essay, I learned more about the experiences of others while getting to know myself better along the way. I found, too, that when I write about things I deeply care about, much like in my early poetry days, my work is persuasive enough to change my own mind.

Reading The Signs

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Robinson Crusoe: Defoe, Daniel: 9781774262047: Amazon.com: Books

In my spring junior semester at the College of Charleston, I worked on a paper that helped a great deal with broadening my skills as an English major for my future. The class that this work was for was focused on how literature relates to nature, more so how man interacts with nature in specific texts, like Robinson Crusoe and The Tempest. Like most of my English finals up to this point, there were various topics that I could write on, but I chose one that centers around a reimagined Robinson Crusoe, where Robinson is actually a woman instead. With this topic, I had to write numerous scenes of the woman Robinson interacting with nature and how it differs from how the male Robinson treats nature. I then had to write a paper on the background of my woman Robinson, and how the story differs from the original, nature- and character-wise. While at first it seemed easy, it was the semester I had decided I wanted to become a writer, so I was desperate to write anything in any form. But as I delved into the character development of my woman, Robinson, I found myself hitting a pretty big wall. I had no experience in this type of world before.

This was the first time I had ever encountered Robinson Crusoe; I had never read it before. So while the material was fresh in my mind, I felt intimidated because I had never written any fiction that took place in a different period before. I decided that I would reread Robinson Crusoe, and in the middle of my rereading, I realized I really did not have to connect to the setting at all for this paper to work; I had to connect to Robinson. Through Robinson, I could see how he interacted with the world around him and how that would change to see a woman in that setting. I wouldn’t call the project easy after that, but I had a solution and now knew what I was looking for. From there, I created a whole new character by the name of Jane, who was shipwrecked on an isolated island in the middle of traveling from England to America after being forced into an arranged marriage. 

From this paper, I utilized the skill of encountering worlds and interacting within that setting with this work, as I created an original character within this world. While the shipwreck on an island is the same, the circumstances surrounding it are completely different. I took an already-created world and got introduced to a new one within the aforementioned world in the process of this project. The second skill that I built up and maintained through this paper was how to have a good perception of our world, as that is essential to understanding how other worlds work too. Because this course had a lot to do with nature and how man treats it, that allowed me to be more grounded in the nature of this planet. Helping me better understand how to treat it in a healthy way and open broader horizons. Like if, in the future, I would try to write a story relating closely to this world’s nature that I could portray sensibly. 

But how did I acknowledge that I even had these skills in the first place? Because humanities-trained people harness this method of thinking called “sensemaking,” coined by Christian Madsbjerg in his book titled Sensemaking: The Power of Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm, The term revolves around “practical wisdom grounded in the humanities” and focuses on the deeper meaning rather than the wider. I feel like I did not know how to put the true benefit of an English major into the correct words until I read about this term. Each one of the five principles that make up sensemaking I consider to be an essential skill that I will carry with me as I set out on my career journey. The main issue that I have been grappling with, though, is which one will be the most viable for me when I go forth on said journey. As you will soon see, my answer has changed from my previous blog posts, but it is the fifth principle called “The North Star—Not the GPS.” This prioritizes interpreting the facts and signs given to us in life instead of relying on our advanced technology to do the work for us. As Madsbjerg states, “The tools of navigation have always been available to all of us. But we must take responsibility for interpreting them.”

I believe this skill is the most viable for me at the moment because I would not say I have this certain principle in me. I hate to admit it, but I do rely on technology to interpret the signs of my life for me instead of making my own brain do it. I focus on what the internet would think, not what I would. I feel that to excel in my career, whatever it might end up to be, I will have to read opportunities in many different fonts, be able to recognize them for what they might be, and then take them. 

I have found that in this short amount of time that we have been in this class, I feel my opinions changing from my previous blog posts. I have found that I like that my perception of English as a major will always progress and shift as I dive into my career path. For me, my opinion on the skill of empathy and how my opinion has grown in the way that I feel it is because of being an English major is that I have grown immensely in that specific skill. In the article, ‘Does reading fiction make us better people?’ by Claudia Hammond, she talks about how people who read more fiction have better empathy. Before, when I covered this article in Blog Post 1, I criticized the fact that empathy should not be the only emotion taken into consideration when judging the morals of a person, but I see now that the article’s purpose was not just to point out how empathy is more common among fiction readers.

For this course, this article was to show how empathy can be a great skill I can harness as an English major when I go forth on my career path because empathy is truly diverse in where it is needed in jobs. As seen when Hammond brings up an example focusing on how empathy can be essential to the medical field, she writes that multiple doctors firmly believe “that reading fiction results in better doctors and has led to the establishment of a humanities programme to train medical students.” (Hammond). I feel this quote emphasizes how much of a necessity the skill of empathy is in the general career field instead of just one section of it. 

It is because of this course that I have allowed myself to think about all the genuine skills that being an English major can bring to the career field. I am able to connect with other periods and times, to understand the characters in them, and to care about them. I saw from my paper that I genuinely cared about Jane and her character arc, even though I only wrote a few pages of her story. It is definitely a project I want to return to some day, as it taught me so much about myself as a writer and student. Being an English major has taught me how to prepare for my future, from allowing me to connect with people I have never met to allowing me to recognize any sign that is in my way. While I am still learning to utilize these skills, I can see how helpful and essential they will be.