In Fall 2007, I entered Geneseo as a History major. Although it was an intriguing discipline, I didn’t feel excited about the classes I had to take.
As I transitioned into the second semester of my freshman year, I decided to declare my major as American Studies. Although I was not an English major, I took several English courses to fulfill the American Studies requirements. This allowed me to make lasting connections with professors and, most important, be led to my current career path. The summer before my senior year, I decided to fulfill my language requirement through study abroad. I lived in Peru for two months and returned home in August. I arrived on campus a week after returning from Peru and felt a bit out of the loop. Most of my friends knew exactly what they wanted to do after graduation and I, for once in my life, did not.
It was an uncomfortable and frightening feeling. To be honest, I knew I was not ready to graduate and that gut feeling gave me anxiety. As a student of color, there was a stereotype that we take longer to graduate. Because of this looming notion, many students of color pushed themselves to graduate within a certain time span. Although I knew I wasn’t ready to finish college, I enrolled in a ridiculous amount of classes to make my class’s graduation date deadline.
As the fall semester of my senior year unfolded, I found myself becoming depressed. During that mid-semester I went to visit Dr. Beth McCoy and found myself crying in her office. I told her how I felt and she suggested I do an extra semester. However, I was uncomfortable with that choice because my parents are immigrants who take education very seriously. I didn’t want to disappoint them or become the latest source of gossip at family gatherings. After speaking to Dr. McCoy, I had a similar conversation with Dean McKeever, who was the Associate Dean at the time. She, too, suggested I take extra time. After having two “God Is Trying To Tell You Something” moments, I reviewed the courses I had taken and realized I had completed the Black Studies major. "I will graduate in December 2011," I told my parents, "but will walk with my class in the May 2011 graduation ceremony."
Although I found solutions to the 99 problems I had in my life, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do career-wise. At the time, my parents wanted me to go to law school, but I always found some excuse to avoid taking the LSAT exam. In my final semester at Geneseo, I took Professor Gentry’s Hip Hop Literature course and found my calling: entertainment journalism. In the class we read about the culture I grew up in and wrote about pop culture. I was in heaven.
After excelling in the class, I began researching writing opportunities. I landed numerous freelance positions and internships in the media field after I graduated. However, I didn’t receive a full-time position to help pay my bills or the beloved Sallie Mae. So in the summer of 2012, I took a job as an Insurance Representative but got laid off after six weeks.
Thereafter, I began working as a sales associate at Ann Taylor, but I continued to look for work. Five months into my retail position, I scored an internship at MadameNoire, a lifestyle and entertainment website for Black women. Since then, I’ve been promoted twice and I am now a full-time staff member. At MadameNoire, I work as an editorial assistant. I write about lifestyle, business and entertainment news. I also interview numerous celebrities and culture curators. One thing I love about my job is having the ability to write for those who are not afforded the time, space or chance to tell their stories.
The English courses I took at Geneseo allowed me to gain life-long analytical skills that are beneficial to my career. As a journalist, you must learn how to investigate a person’s character in order to write their stories truthfully and professionally. On a more personal note, some English courses served as “church” for me. Classes like African-American Migration Narratives or Post-Colonial Caribbean Literature healed me to gain a healthier perspective about being born into a blended family.
With this wealth of knowledge, I believe current English majors should create their own academic journey. Many times, people register for certain classes or amount of credits because they want to "appear" smarter. Learn how to stay in your lane by working smart, not hard. College can be competitive fluff at times; learn how to see through it and you'll actually enjoy the learning process. Most important, strive to set yourself apart from your friends in any area of your life. You don’t have to follow in their footsteps to live a brilliant, soul-expanding life.