Stories
Kayla Coenen
Meet Kayla
English & Women & Gender Studies, B.A. NDSU, 2020
I'm an Administrative Secretary for the North Dakota Pesticide Certification Program. This does involve the typical administrative work of answering phone calls and emails, but it also involves a lot of data entry and technological know-how. I process all the paperwork for people to begin the certification process in commercial pesticide use; I also process all the renewals we get in the months of January-March. I also coordinate with all the counties in the state to schedule training dates for the upcoming training season (Jan-March) as well as help ensure they have the materials they need to conduct private certifications and renewals, as well as administering the commercial exam. I'm also the one in the office who typically alters the forms and edits our new state-specific manuals, using different Adobe software. What I like about this job is that every day is just a bit different, and we get to help applicators access the training and resources they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.
How did your time as an English major prepare you for your current role or your career?
My writing classes all cumulatively helped me become an effective communicator. When working with people, you want to make sure you're doing your best to be clear in what you're communicating. We communicate with people across the state, and they all have different backgrounds and levels of understanding of pesticide certification, so what we send out must be accessible and easy to understand. We also send out many letters and emails to individuals, many of which require a level of personalization. My writing and proofreading skills are definitely utilized in this office, and I'm always glad I can put them to use!
What advice would you give to someone considering an English major?
Take some English-specific classes and ask why the curtains are blue! People make jokes about that online, and the author may not have intended a deeper meaning, but you're doing yourself a favor just by asking the question. You might find a passion for literature, writing studies, or linguistics by just taking a class and being curious.