Aidan Larson

My secondary role is as an in-home-care provider. I work with the same family every Monday and Friday morning, along with occasional weekend work, to help with caring for their 16-year-old son with special needs (and occasionally their much younger son when needed). Duties here include showering, changing, some meal provision, dressing, etc.

How did your time as an English major prepare you for your current role or your career?

In both roles, communication is extremely important. You have to be creative to get a message across sometimes, and having developed English skills is very helpful in doing so. In my role as a para, I'm also able to help with the speech sessions far more than I would be able to without my English education, as I'm able to look out for areas where students need extra support in both their understanding and their voicing of the English language. If I were to name a specific class that has helped me the most in these positions, it would probably have to be Professor Arnold's class, ENGL 456: Literacy, Culture, and Identity. This class—particularly in our time devoted to volunteering as English language tutors to non-native speakers—gave me strategies needed for communicating with/teaching non-fluent English speakers, and also primed me for patience in doing so.

What advice would you give to someone considering an English major?

I would advise anyone considering an English major to have both a passion for the field of English and a plan for what they can/will do with their degree. With me, for example, I both love reading and writing (especially creatively), and I intend on using my degree status and skills I developed as an English major in the near future when I apply and enter into law school. Both the passion and the plan helped me get through college in unique and important ways. The work can be difficult, stressful, or downright tedious; there can be a lot of reading—sometimes on material that isn't personally interesting to you. That's when having a plan helps tremendously. But a plan can only do so much if you aren't passionate about what you are doing to get there. There is so much that the field of English has to offer; if you can find your niche within it—something that feels worth diving into now, not merely four years from now—and fuel that passion, it makes the motivation to reach the finish line all the more powerful. The two elements really play off of each other.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

The only other thing I would like to share is this: being passionate for whatever area of study you are entering into is massively important and for more than just personal satisfaction. Showing your passion for the subject sets you up for success with your professors. They have dedicated a significant portion of their day to day lives on this subject alone, and they will definitely be looking for students that share their passion. The same goes for your peers. It also creates a positive cycle of growth: the more that people can tell that you are invested in what you are doing, the more opportunities they will present to you to become further engrossed in it—and thus the more likely it is for you to excel in your studies. If you can find it in you to pursue something you are truly passionate about, it will make college easier for you in so many ways.