Outcomes - Department of Language, Literature and Writing

Alexis Jackson ’13 Published Author & Lecturer in English Department at University of San Diego

“Thanks to the Messiah College English Department, I was fully prepared for my writing and scholarly career—topsy-turvy as the journey has been… I attribute much of [my] versatility to the English Department's Requirements and the encouragement from all of the professors to pursue my creative calling regardless of my vocation… While much may be uncertain in the job market, I rarely have to worry about finding a position where the skills I've learned are not necessary...”

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Alicia (Fleming) Sztobryn ’18 Internet Marketing Specialist & Grad Student

“During my time at Messiah, I not only honed my writing, communication, and critical thinking skills, but I also learned more about myself and what is important to me. Through literature and language, I was able to explore more deeply my own ideas and beliefs, which has helped me in all aspects of my post-college life.”

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Dallas Saylor ’16 Ph.D. Candidate in Creative Writing at Florida State University

"Messiah was a family—the other students and the faculty. People really believed in each other’s work and invested in each other both within and outside of the classroom, and those bonds gave me strength to begin exploring my identity and experimenting with craft. At Messiah I learned to be a critical thinker, to question things and dig deeper, and to abide with uncertainty and difficulty."

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Isabel González ’20 Master of Divinity Student at Princeton University

Messiah prepared me for grad school in a number of ways. Apart from the discipline of reading and writing, Messiah also developed my sense of compassion and critical thinking. It enhanced my ability to imagine, relate, and apply abstract ideas to the raw human experience. The English program taught me to value language in a way that revolutionized my own reading of scripture and other literary works.

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Joel Johnson ’17 Trades & Agricultural Interpreter, Independent Contractor at & Creator of Narratives of Place

“Writing workshops, senior project research, and the Center for Public Humanities fellowship were so valuable to me. I graduated with communication skills I could immediately market and a clear sense of what I bring to the table in a professional setting.”

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Kalie Sullivan ’20 English Teacher at Katy High School in Katy, Texas

"Messiah has prepared me immensely for my dream job. The English Department and Education Department have shown me what a great teacher does."

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Kimi Cunningham Grant ’02 Published Author & Teacher

“The Messiah College English Department prepared me so well for the path I followed. I loved my professors, and I loved the community. I soaked up every literature class and invested deeply in each writing class. I left Messiah feeling confident to pursue a job and then graduate school. Even now, I feel the love and support from the English Department!”

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Lisa (Zaleta) Williams ’91 Author and Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Lisa has always enjoyed working with children. As a mother of three and a licensed clinical social worker who works with middle school students, she is improving the lives of children and teens every day. In addition to her social work job, Williams—who graduated from Messiah with a degree in Spanish before pursuing her master’s degree in social work from Temple University—also enjoys writing psycho-educational and advocacy pieces on mental health issues for Hispanic newspapers.

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Rachael Borden ’19 English Teacher at State College Area High School

“Messiah’s English department prepared me by giving me an unrelenting passion for pursuing what is best rather than what is easiest. While most English teachers find writing instruction and teaching Shakespeare…toilsome and tedious, my preparation at Messiah has made these two areas my curricular strengths. Classes such as Shakespeare Survey, Composition Theory, and Literature Seminar empowered me to teach strenuous subjects with knowledge and confidence.”

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Shay Quintin ’20 Master of Education Student and Men's Soccer Assistant Coach at Eastern Mennonite University

"My education at Messiah prepared me to ask better questions. A common thread I see among my peers in classes is a deep love for inquiry. At Messiah, Dr. Hasler-Brooks, Dr. Corey, Dr. Smith, Professor Perrin, and Dr. Dzaka all pushed me in my English courses to pursue the questions I had in my heart. That freedom they granted paired with the encouragement they gave prepared me well for graduate school."

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