Hailey MacLeod

I am a federal public servant who uses the skills I gained from the English program at Carleton on a daily basis, both personally and professionally. Everything from the senior-leadership messages I develop to the Instagram posts I make is deeply informed by the writing voice I developed through my learning at Carleton.

How has your Carleton English degree informed your professional and/or creative path?

My Carleton English degree has fully shaped the career I’ve embarked on. When I began as a first-year student in 2015, I didn’t have a specific vision in mind for a future career beyond the criteria that it should ideally involve my love for writing, reading, and creativity. Carleton’s strong Co-Op program was really enticing for that reason: having the opportunity to explore different career paths while working towards my degree sounded like the perfect way to assess what I was truly looking for. Over the course of the next five years, I was able to try four unique work experiences that each taught me something new and helped make the future a little clearer. I was able to directly adapt the writing skills that I’d developed through my regular course work and creative-writing workshops into a storytelling project that ultimately reframed how the department I worked for approached its communications work. This Co-Op opportunity eventually led to a permanent full-time job. This skillset has continued to be an essential asset to me in every facet of my life and career.

Why Carleton? What specific experiences or opportunities did you benefit from while studying English at Carleton?

I was inspired to apply to Carleton when I learned about its Co-Op program at a university fair in Toronto. It seemed uniquely suited to provide me with the breadth of options I was looking for while continuing my education. While I was a student at Carleton, I really enjoyed the variety of programming and events offered throughout the year by the English Department, such as the Munro Beattie Lecture. My professors also encouraged us to attend and participate in local events happening at the National Arts Centre and the Ottawa Writers Festival. My time in the English program was further enhanced by my involvement in the Book Ravens, the on-campus, for-fun reading club I helped run that met monthly in the library. I’ve taken some of the traditions we established in that space, like getting really into CBC’s Canada Reads, with me.