Dayna Del Val

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

My time working on my Master’s degree at NDSU was important in myriad ways. I loved my professors and the coursework I took to earn a composition emphasis, but the courses I took from Dr Kevin Brooks are still teaching me important lessons. It was in his courses that I began to “corrupt” academic writing with creative content. I worked on a Mystory involving Shakespeare and some history of my grandmother’s father’s family that eventually informed my Master’s paper. I wrote another paper combining A Midsummer Night’s Dream and my love of Shakespeare with the story of my unplanned pregnancy. I was able to turn it into a film project with Kevin’s step-daughter, Caity. Kevin instilled a desire in me to be curious about how to evolve traditional academic writing and make it my own. Dr Betsy Birmingham was an incredible asset to my writing and overall coursework as well and provided feedback that pushed me, both creatively and academically.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

An English degree is indispensable. While I was working on my paper, Betsy used to tell me that I was overwhelmed about what I would do next because I had so many skills and options. I never said it to her face, but I always thought, “That’s crazy! I have no skills or options!!!” It turns out, she was correct! When I left grad school and ventured out into the world of work, I discovered that I could talk about many topics, I could present effectively, my writing was impeccable and my ability to research was solid. That served me, particularly as I ventured into the nonprofit world and became a CEO. It’s still serving me today, as now much of my success comes from my ability to communicate in every form necessary and to dig deeply into content and share it with others.