by Birdie Keller ’25
“What can you even do with an English major?” “What kind of job prospects will you have?” “What do you picture yourself doing after graduation?” We’ve all heard the questions, usually preceded by revealing your area of study to friends or family. And no matter how much you believe in yourself and love filling your days with writing, reading, and theorizing, there often comes a time when the average English major begins to doubt. We wonder: What can I do after graduation? Do I have employable skills?
The answer, unequivocally, is yes. And here to prove it to you is the 9th annual occurrence of “Apps & Alums.” Every year, EHS (the English Honor Society) collaborates with Alumni Engagement and Career Exploration to throw this English department mixer. Appetizers! Alumni! What could possibly be better? Apps & Alums takes place every spring semester, and is an opportunity for English alumni, faculty, and current students to gather and enjoy delicious finger food.
For alums, this is an opportunity to reconnect with one another and faculty from their time at Macalester. For current students, Apps & Alums is a time to learn about post-graduation career paths and network with alumni, providing real concrete connections and a measurable example of all of the various ways English majors can find fulfilling and exciting employment post-graduation.
This year’s Apps & Alums will be taking place on April 5th from 5-7pm in the Smail Gallery of Olin-Rice. We encourage you to stop by; you don’t want to miss this event. There will be alumni from a wide variety of graduating classes and career paths, including publishing, book arts, bookselling, political organizing, consulting, and even food styling! And, of course, there will be delicious appetizers. We can’t wait to see you there for the continuation of this spectacular event!