English Alumni Working in Higher Education

Joshua Peipock '00

After graduating from Stonehill in 2000 I took part in the Holy Cross Associates volunteer program in Portland, Oregon for a year. After that I worked as a Hall Director at Bentley College for two years. In the summer of 2003 I arrived at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor to pursue my masters in Higher Education Administration. I have been at Michigan since then. I began working in University Housing as a graduate-level Assistant Hall Director and completed my graduate studies in the spring of 2005. I currently serve as an Area Coordinator overseeing a residence area housing over 2,000 residents. I work with a team of four Hall Directors and two Office Coordinators to develop community among and ensure the safety of the residents.

Heather Heerman '96

I graduated in 1996 as an English major, secondary education minor. I was fortunate to be hired immediately after graduation as a 7th grade English teacher at a middle school. I taught for 5 years and felt I needed something more. I became Internship Coordinator at Stonehill in 2001 and then Asst. Director and now Director of Career Services.   As far as skills, I began as a business major at Stonehill and realized after a year that I was memorizing material to do well on exams, but I was not internalizing or retaining the information. I loved my Literary Traditions course (a general requirement). It challenged me to think in ways that other subjects did not. I felt fulfilled and motivated. It wasn't easy for me, but I felt my parents' tuition dollars were being well spent. Reading and analyzing texts critically as well as writing in a coherent and concise manner were all skills I gained through my major. Coming from Career Services, where do I start with advice! I  recommend that every English major do at least one, if not two internships, if they are seeking employment after graduation. English majors can work in any industry they desire (except possibly in a science lab or accounting firm). That is good and bad. Too many options overwhelm students. That is why I would like to see them "try out" different industries in the form of internships. For students going on to graduate school, research, independent studies and TA's are helpful, but I would still like to see them do an internship if they choose not to teach or conduct research in the future.