The Kenyon English major prepares our students for a lifetime of meaningful work and rigorous thinking. Nationwide, studies show that English majors are employed at rates similar to other college graduates. At their career peak, their salaries are in line with college graduates across disciplines. Our major prepares students to be capable close readers, meticulous researchers, generous collaborators, eloquent and persuasive writers, and empathetic global citizens — all qualities surveys show top employers seeking. As a result, Kenyon English majors pursue a variety of fulfilling careers. Here’s a sampling of some of them:

  • Amy Shirer

    Communications Specialist

    Amy Shirer ’18 secured a post-graduation job in communications at a Fortune 500 company. After completing a job shadow with Eileen Lehmann ’86, then internal communications director at Cardinal Health, in Columbus, Ohio, she was recommended for an internship. That experience earned her a full-time communications position, where she now works as a senior specialist.

  • Jameyanne Fuller

    Making Space

    A Fulbright in Italy helped English major Jameyanne Fuller ‘14 realize her desire to go to law school. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 2019, she landed a job in the Satellite Division of the Federal Communications Commission, working as a space lawyer. In addition to practicing law, Jameyanne writes young adult fantasy and science fiction and is a member of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

  • Grant Miner

    Doing the Research

    Participating in the Honors Program in English for his senior thesis helped Grant Miner ’19 solidify the skills he needed to embark on a Ph.D. program in English and comparative literature at Columbia University. His favorite part about academia so far? Getting “to actually be able to touch old books!”

  • Ky Lohrenz

    A Poetic Fit

    For Ky Lohrenz ’20, a pre-orientation workshop with Assistant Professor of English Andy Grace sparked a passion for verse. “Five years later I’ve ended up with both a degree and a job in poetry,” said Lohrenz, who now works as an advertising and marketing assistant at the Academy of American Poets. After years of celebrating and setting up events for National Poetry Month (April) as a Kenyon Review associate, they now get to help organize it from behind the scenes.

First Jobs

  • Litigation paralegal, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, New York
  • Program analyst, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
  • National organizer, Earth Day Network, Seattle
  • Assistant, State of Florida, Federal Policy Officer of Governor Jeb Bush, Washington
  • Assistant literary manager, American Place Theater, New York 
  • Editorial assistant, Tate magazine, London
  • English teacher, Carlisle School, Martinsville, Virginia
  • Press associate, Kennedy Center, Washington
  • Editorial assistant, Carnegie Mellon University Press, Pittsburgh
  • Analyst, Deloitte Consulting LLP, New York 
  • Teacher, Teach for America, Miami, Florida
  • Teaching intern and coach, Northfield Mount Hermon School, Mount Hermon, Massachusetts
  • Deckhand, Sea Education Association
  • Financial analyst, Wells Fargo, Palo Alto, California
  • Publicity assistant, Penguin Group (USA)
  • ICM Partners talent agency, Los Angeles 
  • Intern, Laura Gross Literary Agency, Boston
  • Editorial intern, Oxford University Press, New York
  • English teaching assistant, Fulbright Fellowship, Various countries including Mexico, Turkey, Jordan
  • Intern, GREY Advertising, New York
  • Teacher, Teach for America, Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • Editorial intern, Norton Critical Editions, New York
  • Episcopal Service Corps, New Haven, Connecticut
  • Resident, Urban Teachers
  • Columbia Publishing Course, New York
  • Elementary teaching fellow, KIPP Columbus
  • Secondary school teacher, Teach for America, New Mexico
  • Princeton in Asia, Chiang Rai, Thailand

Careers

  • Novelist
  • Sales agent, Cinetic
  • Co-president and chief programming officer, SXSW
  • U.S. district judge, United States Courts, Toledo, Ohio
  • Chief speech writer, Mayor of Chicago, Chicago
  • Editor, Bloomberg News, New York
  • Captain, United AirLines, Inc., Palm Springs, California
  • Vice president, Digital Mastering: Sony Pictures Entertainment, Culver City, Colorado
  • Former dep. chief staff-operations, The White House, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Editor, National Wildlife Federation, Kensington, Maryland
  • Head teacher, The Gateway School, New York
  • Director of global brand marketing, Mailchimp
  • Assistant professor of English, Westminster College
  • Architect, Blake H. Held AIA Architect, Honeoye Falls, New York
  • Neurologist-physician, Ozarks Comm. Hosp., Self Employed, Nixa, Missouri
  • Vice president, Humanities Academic Design, McGraw-Hill Education
  • Professor of law, Albany Law School 
image credit: W.W. Norton.

What can you do with an English major?

The skills you learn in you English courses help prepare you for countless careers and represent what employers are looking for:

  • Oral communication
  • Teamwork skills with diverse groups
  • Written communication
  • Critical thinking and analytic reasoning
  • Complex problem solving
  • Ethical decision making 

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