Jillian Kenyon
Jillian is currently a student in the Professional and Technical Writing Program and she absolutely loves the program. “I am learning such a wide variety of software programs and design concepts; I will be prepared for numerous jobs in the future.” After graduation, Jillian plans to obtain a Master’s degree in Communications somewhere. “The Communications degree will help me learn how to appropriately communicate in the workplace. Communication skills are a necessity in the real world; it is very important to be able to communicate effectively with clients and employers.” After getting a Master’s degree, Jillian wants to work with a magazine company. “My ultimate goal is to be an editor for a magazine, preferably a big name, well known magazine. I know that I will have to work my way up to this position and I am prepared to put in as much effort and hard work as needed.”
Much of Jillian’s decision to enroll at SVSU was driven by her need for a smaller university. “I went to a very small high school and actually started out at Alma College. The cost was too much so I transferred to SVSU. SVSU fit my needs perfectly because it was affordable and had the small class size and campus I needed. Also, the Elementary Education program at SVSU came highly recommended and that was my original major.”
Jillian started out in Education, but switched to Professional and Technical Writing. “While taking English classes for my Education degree, I realized that I really loved to write, read, and edit more than I originally thought. I loved group work in class where we could edit each other’s stories and projects and I was becoming more and more passionate about writing. The passion I originally had for teaching was quickly moving towards writing and so I changed my major. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The PTW (Professional and Technical Writing) Program here is one of a kind. The professors personally know me and take time to make sure I’m succeeding with my projects and assignments. I started the program late and had to play catch up in order to stay on track for graduation and the professors were more than willing to help me achieve this. Dr. Dallas and Dr. Williamson have been especially helpful; going above and beyond to make sure I understand programs I am not familiar with (such as Adobe Photoshop), as well as helping me with my portfolio.”
“Two of the most helpful classes I’ve had are English 481 and Eng 260. In English 481, I worked with a ‘real world’ client on a project that they wanted me to complete. It was my first experience working on a real project and was a great experience. In English 260, I learned tons of new programs and ways of looking at text. The material I learned in 260 will be used in any future career I have within professional writing, it’s that useful.”
In the PTW program, the students are required to have an internship. Jillian was lucky enough to be able to fit two into her last semesters. Jillian worked in Admissions for a summer internship, writing stories about students and alumni for the program of study project. “It was a great experience that provided me with the opportunity to hone my interviewing skills as well as turning random comments the people would say into stories.” In the fall, Jillian will be interning at Interlude Magazine and she is looking forward to it. “I am excited to actually work in a magazine company so I can see how a magazine works from start to finish. Hopefully I can experience numerous aspects with the magazine.”
On top of the great experience Jillian is getting in her classes and her internship, she is also a member of Cardinal Sins, the literary magazine on campus. “Cardinal Sins is just great, I get to experience so many different forms of artwork and that is what I love about it. I have learned basic editing and grammar skills, worked in a team environment, learned how to work with layout design, as well as help organize and advertise events. I have also made tons of friends with Sins and I thoroughly enjoy going to meetings.”