B.A. English, Minor in Psychology ’15
Genevieve received a full-time job following graduation with the Federal Public Service. Currently, she works for the Canada Border Services Agency as a Senior Programs Officer with a unit that liaises with diplomatic missions in Canada. This position allows her to incorporate the skills of effective written and verbal communication, critical thinking, and detail orientation that she developed through her English degree at Carleton University. At work she is involved in several impactful programs and projects, volunteers for the Government’s largest charitable campaign – the Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign, and assists in the organization of several divisional activities. Furthermore, she is a volunteer in the community with Twice Upon a Time, an organization that operates in a number of community locations throughout Ottawa, giving books to children to support literacy, nurture imaginations, and foster a love of reading at home. In 2020, through her involvement with Twice Upon a Time, she led the organization’s joint program with the Ottawa University Medical Program, in which medical students lead weekly sessions to educate children on various health topics through reading.
Her English degree from Carleton University has provided her with the knowledge, creativity, determination, and enthusiasm to occupy these roles in her workplace and community. Her degree equipped her with unique and transferable skills that she has been able to adapt to all situations that she encounters. She continues to write poetry and attend literary events in the community. Her English degree fostered her desire for personal development through literature and she continues to strive to enhance her writing by incorporating her new experiences.
How has your Carleton English degree informed your professional and/or creative path?
My English degree from Carleton University has armed me with the knowledge, creativity, determination, and enthusiasm to infuse passion into the workplace and community roles that I seek out and occupy. My degree, although on the surface unrelated to English Literature, equipped me with unique and transferable skills that I have been able to adapt to all situations that I encounter, as I have move throughout my career, creative path, and personal life. Studying English at Carleton enabled me to realize the power of knowledge, determination, insight, and thought. I learned the weight of clear and effective communication, and the importance of understanding the explicit and implicit impacts of one’s words, which has been an immeasurable asset both professionally and creatively. On my creative path, I continue to write poetry and attend literary events in the community. My English degree fostered my desire for personal development through literature and I continue to strive to enhance my writing by incorporating my new experiences.
Why Carleton? What specific experiences or opportunities did you benefit from while studying English at Carleton?
As years continue to pass since I graduated from Carleton, I long to return to the English Department because of the incredible experience I had. In reflecting on my studies, the main factors that I believe contributed to my amazing experience were the people, the structure, and the subject matter.
The professors I had the honour of studying with were passionate, knowledgeable, unique, and truly invested in what and whom they were teaching. As a result of the class sizes, students truly have the opportunity to get to know their professors, interact with them regularly, and receive personalized feedback. The professors’ interest in their subject matter spills into their teaching and creates an excitement and willingness to share their knowledge and support their students’ success.
Throughout my studies, the immeasurable quality of the professors’ was enhanced by the structure of lectures and seminars, which allowed for in-depth analysis of literary works and discussion. The structure of courses offered by Carleton’s English Department provides students with the opportunity to experience a variety of learning and teaching methods throughout their educational career. I found the professors’ abilities to structure their classes to thoroughly address the literary work being studied, offer informed insights into textual interpretations, and foster debate and discussion ensured that each class attended was well worth my time and investment.
The variety of subjects offered by the English Department allows students to choose from a range of courses and focus their studies on their interests and objectives. Throughout my studies, I was able to evaluate the courses being offered, specifically the subjects and literary works that would be covered, and choose the courses that aligned with what I wanted to learn and gain from my education. I felt that the English Department provided strong foundations to ensure that we were equipped to successfully progress through the program, while also providing us the opportunity to study subjects we were passionate about. The professors teach relevant and impactful works from a variety of genres, and social, historical and geographic contexts, which provides a well-rounded and in-depth education.
Choosing to study English at Carleton continues to be one of the best decisions I have made. The professors and departmental staff provided me with a meaningful, valuable, and enjoyable experience that has tremendously benefited my post-university career and life.