Megan Evan

How did your time as an English major prepare you for your current role or your career? You can point to a specific skill, a course you took, or and/or something else entirely.
The grant writing course I took at NDSU was a great launching point for my career. I still write grants now, and a lot of the principles of grant writing apply to other types of fundraising. The most important thing is to tailor what you say and how you approach someone based on their preferences and goals.

Working at the Center for Writers during my undergrad was also valuable. I learned a lot from meeting students from disciplines across campus and countries all over the world. Cross-culture exchange is key to working at an art museum.

The course Social and Regional Varieties of English was also a highlight for me. It strengthened my ability to collect and analyze data, and every fundraiser needs data to understand impact.

What advice would you give to someone considering an English major?
An English degree teaches you how to keep learning independently. Any job you enter will have a learning curve, but an English degree teaches you how to find good information, ask the right questions, and figure out what you need to do next. It's a versatile degree.

English is also a great major to add to any other major. All fields benefit from having people with strong written communication skills.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Every nonprofit needs a fundraiser, and asking people for money isn’t as scary as a lot of people think. If you find a nonprofit where you love the mission, your job is to get to know people who care about the same things that you care about.