Career Paths >> page two

Denise Kelly, Tutor and Preparatory College English Instructor, The Bermuda College

Peggy MacKinnon, Freelance Writer, Art Gallery Program Director, Constituency Assistant, Publicist, Lyricist

Adam Hutka, PhD Candidate, University Instructor

Karen Livingstone, Training Development Officer,  Canadian Forces

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Denise Kelly B.A. 2004   Tutor and Preparatory College English Instructor The Bermuda College

After taking English courses during my first year at MSVU, I was addicted and decided to change my major to English.  My decision to do this was one of the best choices that I ever made while attending university.  The class sizes were small, the professors were helpful and I got to discuss incredible novels, short stories and poetry with persons who were just as enthusiastic about English literature as I was. 

While completing my English courses, I was unsure as to what career path I would take with an English degree.  I thought about teaching after completing my second year at MSVU and researched my options while at home that summer.  When I realised that I could teach English at the high school level with my degree, I was ecstatic.  I thought to myself, not only could I read cool books and make a career out of it, but I could also share the knowledge attained at MSVU with students from my country.

When I returned home to Bermuda, I started teaching at my former high school, The Berkeley Institute. I taught English Language and Literature to students in grades nine through to twelve.  I thoroughly enjoyed the experience as I got to teach and analyze Shakespeare, poetry and other exciting novels and plays.  The students thrived off of my enthusiasm and frequently made comments about my ability to make learning English literature and writing fun and exciting.

Currently, I am a tutor and college preparatory English instructor at The Bermuda College.  In my current role, I assist students from all over the campus with English writing assignments as well as some English literature assignments.   I also teach preparatory English writing classes to students who need to improve their skills before enrolling in college level courses.

There is never a dull moment in my life as a teacher.   Although I teach lessons that are similar, the students who I interact with on a day to day basis are certainly not the same.  How one student reacts to a lesson may not be the same as another student and this makes my job even more interesting.  I love teaching as it allows me to interact with people and impart knowledge on a daily basis. 

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Anna Smol has asked me to write an essay. I had thought myself well clear of essay-writing assignments, especially from people like Dr. Smol who like nothing more than to inflict deadlines on wretches like myself. But Anna Smol has asked me to write an essay, and an essay she shall have.
So here I sit, staring at the three sentences I just wrote and considering how to sum up the circuitous career path that brings me back to The Mount ten years after graduating. I revert to Rule #1: review the assignment – do not get sidetracked! I summon the voice of Anna Smol, inflected with a touch of reverb:
“I would like to showcase a variety of things that English students can do directly out of school with a B.A. or with further training.”

Sounds simple enough, but my thoughts have already diverged in about ten directions, and those ideas are branching off too, right now, as I write. Sidetracked already! Pull out Rule #2: Start from the beginning – just tell the story. Ok, here goes:

It was 1993. I knew Dr. Steven Bruhm because at the time, he and I both taught fitness at the YMCA. I also knew that he was an English professor at the Mount and that he offered interesting-sounding courses like Studies in Contemporary Culture: the Gothic and Queer Theory. Steve was friendly, approachable and looked good in spandex, so I set up a meeting.

What I learned in those two hours was enough to convince me that an English degree would provide the framework necessary for me to acquire intellectual discipline while honing my writing chops. And I had a built-in mentor in Steve. So I signed up.

I enrolled as a “mature student,” a category that was changed to “non-traditional student” exactly one year after I landed on campus (pure coincidence, I’m sure). I started with a half-credit course and gradually ramped up to five credits per year. On Steve’s advice, I opted for the Honours English degree with a History/Fine Arts double minor, which really enriched the experience.

It took me six years to complete the degree, and during that time I worked as research assistant for both Steven Bruhm and Peter Schwenger. Not only did this work help with tuition and open my mind to some fascinating areas of study, but it also added to my credentials on graduating.

Graduating from university with a B.A. felt like skydiving with an umbrella for a parachute. What exactly does one do with an English degree? Like many of my peers, I initially found work as a freelance writer. This involved working my contacts and accepting a lot of low-paying gigs to build my portfolio.

Mentorship was crucial at this point in my career, and I was fortunate to receive the support of Ingrid Jenkner, MSVU Art Gallery’s Director, who had taught the Visual Culture course during my Honours year. Ingrid referred me to the editor of Arts Atlantic and, drawing on what I’d learned from her, I wrote my first art review. Ingrid also provided opportunities for me to write catalogue essays for the MSVU Art gallery and other local galleries. I built on this by approaching Visual Arts News for assignments and also found work through Rhizome.org – an online magazine based in New York.

At that same time, I happened to know a lot of people who worked at the Chronicle Herald (ok, my husband is one of them), and a casual conversation led to a new opportunity to write book reviews for the paper. The pay was low, but I got to keep each book I reviewed, and I got to interview a lot of fascinating writers. I also picked up some work writing for Homes Etc., a marketing insert distributed with the paper once a week. Articles about how to choose a new mattress and spring linens followed – not the most exciting topics, but it was paid work and I happily accepted every assignment.

My work also involved “pitching” stories and features to the Herald and other publications. This was the most gratifying part of freelancing, because I got to choose the topic. The problem was that editors didn’t always share my enthusiasm for a given story, so I got turned down a lot. But I did sell some features on local events to the Herald, and Canadian Living magazine published a personal essay that I’d written in my backyard hammock while sipping on a beer. Self-employment does have its perks.

Freelancing is very dependent on mentorship, contacts and editors, which can be financially unpredictable and just plain exhausting. I needed to get off that treadmill and into something that provided a steady income. MSVU Art Gallery was advertising for a gallery attendant and I answered the ad. “You’re over-qualified; you’re hired”, said Ingrid Jenkner, and I spent the next few months watching over the exhibitions and answering visitors’ questions.

A change in the art gallery staff led to an excellent opportunity when Ingrid offered me the position of Program Coordinator. This new job required that I draw on my existing writer’s skills and expand them in new ways. During the 2 ½ years that I worked there, I wrote catalogue essays, informational text panels, grant applications, reports, media releases and anything else that needed me to write it. The job was challenging and interesting and I had Ingrid mentoring and coaching me the whole way along.
During my time at the gallery, I became increasingly focused on media relations and it became one of my strengths. This led me to apply for admission to the Nova Scotia Community College’s Public Relations Program. Admission requirements called for an undergraduate degree, writing samples and a 300-word essay outlining my reasons for enrolling. I liked those criteria – people accepted into the program would bring a certain amount of experience to the table. I also liked the time-frame: 9 months and I’d be back on the streets.

The NSCC PR Program centres around effective communication, which is great for English Majors who want to develop their skills in an applied setting. Most of the writing came pretty easily, although designing business and marketing plans definitely challenged me. Then there was the “techie” stuff – photography, desktop publishing, graphic & website design. In a class whose median age was around 24, I was the village idiot.

But my classmates were very accepting of me, and I learned a lot through peer-to-peer teaching (I’d like to think I was able to help some of them too). Somewhere along the way I was elected co-coordinator of our end-of-year Portfolio Night, which gave me valuable experience in fundraising and, more importantly, in leadership. My classmate, Leah Sanford and I immediately named ourselves Benevolent Dictators in order to effectively communicate what kind of leadership style the class could expect. It worked. We accepted input but made the ultimate decisions ourselves. The committees came together to pull off an excellent event. And our fundraising initiatives (read: eloquent begging letters) were so effective that we left a surplus for the next year’s class.

A six-week internship with Brookes Diamond Productions introduced me to the fascinating world of stage production and opened my eyes to the fact that what seems glamourous on the outside usually involves a lot of un-glamourous grunt work behind the scenes. Again, I had wonderful mentors in Brookes and Fiona Diamond and in Robyn Bremner, who showed me the ropes in everything from booking musicians’ travel arrangements to wardrobe and set management to just plain roadie work. Brookes and Fiona (both English majors themselves) showed me a lot about the different writing styles required in “the biz”, and I was given opportunities to try my hand in areas such as newsletter design, website editing and writing musicians’ bios.

The internship flew by, and suddenly I found myself looking at freelance work again. I had a whole lot of letters after my name (BA, ADpPR), but no job. I applied all over, almost landing what seemed to be the perfect position until I realized that entry salary levels for PR grads aren’t much better than they are for English grads. But I continued my search, which included writing to my Member of Parliament, Geoff Regan, to let him know I was looking for work (just in case he’d heard of anyone in the riding who needed a good communicator).

That letter got better results than I’d expected. Geoff, (the MP for Halifax West) called me. His Constituency Assistant was leaving to pursue more education, and would I like to interview for her job? Of course I said yes. The interview went well, and I was launched into the world of politics. My English Major skills and PR training gave me a solid foundation for most things required for the job, which included preparation of advertising, newsletters, weekly columns and other mailouts. Duties also included drafting speaking notes, greetings, press releases and announcements, plus media monitoring, events organizing and handling constituents’ calls. Needless to say, it was busy – too busy at times – but it was also exciting and I loved every minute of it.

I had just entered my second year in the “Constit Office,” as they called it, when I was asked if I was available to come back to the MSVU Art Gallery to fill in as Interim Director while Ingrid Jenkner took a leave of absence. Geoff was great – he completely understood my reasons for accepting the art gallery position and he gave me his full support. And so here I sit, in Ingrid’s office, writing about the sequence of events that landed me right back here again. I’m learning new skills, from curating an in-house exhibition to organizing an exhibition tour. I’m writing grant applications, drawing up contracts and generally helping keep this train on the tracks until The Chief returns.

And in the meantime, I’m doing other writerly things that have nothing to do with earning money. I’m editing manuscripts for creative friends who deserve to be published. I’m crafting lyrics for songwriters who take them into the studio and turn out beautiful recordings. I’m helping promote musicians who need to be recognized. And I’m taking hand-drumming lessons, which has nothing whatsoever to do with writing, except for the fact that rhythm and language are inseparable and I can’t seem to get away from either of them. Nor do I want to.

So where from here? Who knows? Most likely I’ll start up my own business (which I won’t tell you about now, as one must play one’s cards close to one’s chest, mustn’t one?). How very elegant, that last bit in parentheses. What I can tell you is that whatever comes next will incorporate everything that I picked up along the way and everything that’s to come. And whatever it is, I promise to do it for all the right reasons and with all my heart.

I’m not sure if the foregoing will encourage new MSVU English students to stay the course or not, but there you have it -- I’ve said my piece. And Anna Smol has her essay.

Peggy MacKinnon, BA, ADpPR
April, 2010

  
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Adam Hutka B.A. Honours 2005 M.A. 2006 (Wilfrid Laurier)   PhD Candidate, Dalhousie University         University Instructor

Being a student in Mount Saint Vincent’s English program was one of the most positive experiences in my life.  And I’m not just talking about the department’s sense of community and collegial spirit.  MSVU English and the degree that goes with it opened a lot of doors and helped me create some real opportunities, opportunities that I hadn’t even considered when I first enrolled.

I came to the Mount thinking an English degree would be a stepping stone towards an education or similar professional degree, but I soon discovered a real sense of investment and satisfaction in my academic work, which I came to treat more and more seriously as an occupation in itself.  After looking into the Honours program, I realized the possibility of a career in academics.

Of course, becoming a professor means more education, which means an even greater investment of time and money, but opportunities abound.  We hear a lot these days about the lack of government funding for academic arts and humanities programs, but, at the graduate level, financial support is there for those with the dedication and perseverance to seek and compete for it.

After graduating with my Honours degree in 2005, I continued my education in Wilfrid Laurier University’s Master’s program, where I graduated with top honours among the other graduating Master’s students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.  A successful application to the federal Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) meant that I didn’t have to go further into the financial hole with loans or spend time trying to juggle jobs on the side to make ends meet and pay tuition.  SSHRC’s Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS) program and other fellowship programs, which can provide $17,500 to Master’s students and between $20,000 and $35,000 per year for doctoral students, allow serious students to literally get paid for treating academics as the stressful, frustrating, challenging, rewarding job that it is.  Besides SSHRC, there are a number of other funding bodies, like the Trudeau Foundation or the Killam Trusts, that make it possible for top students to get critical funding for their graduate work.

I’m currently about a year away from finishing my doctoral dissertation in Dalhousie University’s PhD program.  It gives me some satisfying long-view perspective when I consider that the research in medieval constructions of body and identity that I’m currently working on first caught my interest when I was an undergrad at MSVU in a medieval literature course that I’ve now actually taught in the summer of 2009.  Thanks to SSHRC I’ve also got travel plans, as the new Foreign Study Supplement program of SSHRC, which offers additional funding for students that already hold doctoral CGS’s, is paying to send me to Oxford and London to study medieval manuscripts in the Royal Library, a research opportunity that I hope will support my dissertation goals and further my passion for academic study.

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I began my path to secondary education at the Mount innocently enough immediately following high school. However, this path proved to be anything but typical as I ended up concentrating more on clothes than education, withdrawing after a brief two-month period before wandering into the illustrious world of retail. In no time, I was back at university, studying Fine Art at NSCAD rather than the ill-fated original degree in Public Relations.  It was certainly gratifying yet I was still living at home and looking for a part-time job that I would always be able to fall back on should an art career prove less than fulfilling.  A year later, I had a diploma in unisex hairdressing, a huge student loan and a part-time hairdressing job (along with various other part-time jobs) while continuing with my degree at NSCAD.

Somewhere along the line, I made a career altering decision and decided to join the Naval Reserves.  Although I didn’t realize it at the time, this would prove to be my entry into a vastly rewarding career in the Canadian Forces. Eventually, I joined the regular force as a non-commissioned member (NCM) Image Tech (Photographer), where I gained invaluable experience (in addition to meeting my husband), which in turn permitted me to compete in and be selected for a national program within the Canadian Forces to become an Officer. This program allowed me to return to MSVU a second time (as a mature student this time) and complete a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English with a minor in French.  After finishing my degree, I completed training to become a Training Development Officer.

How is an English degree useful in my present career? There is a significant amount of writing and document review involved in being a Training Development Officer.  The Canadian Forces runs most of its trade training in-house and as a Training Development Officer, I’m responsible for the upkeep of the related training documentation as equipment is updated and courses evolve over the years. The effects of my English degree are evident in all of the communication that I author, maintain, or disseminate. As a result, clarity in writing is a priority where lapses can lead to misinterpretation that can affect the quality of learning.  My job is to ensure that the documentation used in the Canadian Forces training system both respects the Canadian Force’s job oriented focus while maximizing effective training and efficient use of resources.

My story now circles back to the present as I explain why I chose to study English at MSVU and what I have gained from this experience.  Second only to art/illustration, I’ve always been enamored by books.  Unknown to me at the time, it was my sister who inadvertently brought my attention to the beauty and inherent richness of studying English as a discipline. While I was still finishing high school, she was majoring in English at Dalhousie University and bringing home a multitude of books—I was smitten. Over the years, I would pick out the ones she enjoyed and avoid the ones she disliked (there were a few that I wish I could have avoided in my degree!).  She later completed her Bachelor of Education at the Mount yet has fallen back on her English degree countless times during her professional career.  As I discovered during my English degree, English is truly universal.
 
While at the Mount, I discovered that the English discipline crosses over several fields of study—it truly spans the gamut.  History, psychology, philosophy, politics, religion, fine art, drama, fashion, sociology, and cultural studies to name a few, the study of English is all encompassing. English is a valuable tool—clarity, eloquence, understood cultural references, syntax—every written word holds added significance/depth since having completed my degree.  I no longer accept information by rote; I use a critical eye and question everything, which is useful in my line of work.
 
From acting out scenes from Shakespeare’s “thrasher” tragedy Titus Andronicus and Michel Tremblay’s Les Belles Soeurs, to detective fiction’s fascinating (and dark) socio-cultural commentaries, to the monumental accomplishments of Tolkien (who has left an indelible impression on me and countless others—he’s so much more than Lord of the Rings), I genuinely treasure my time spent at MSVU and would highly recommend it to others.

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