“I love my major.” This is a sentence I never thought I’d be able to mean whole-heartedly. For the first two years of my college career, if I told you I loved my major, I’d have been giving you a half-truth.
I’ve always loved Professional Writing and Information Design (PWID), ever since I heard the name and talked to the professors about it. And as of fall of 2016, I can call it my major. But my journey here was not an easy one.
I came to Cedarville University as many college freshmen do: over-ambitious with outrageous misconceptions of what college will be like. My over-achieving 18-year-old self thought I wanted to double-major—in English and Marketing.
I liked English and wanted to study something I liked, but I thought a career in Marketing sounded more attainable, as far as getting a job post-graduation. I met with my Marketing advisor and talked about doubling Marketing with English. He suggested I think about PWID instead, and he actually called Professor Harner, the senior professor and founder of the PWID program, and scheduled a meeting for me before I could even process his suggestion.
When I met with Professor Harner, she and Professor Carrington (the other PWID professor) convinced me that everything I’ve ever wanted is actually offered in PWID. So I decided to add PWID as my second major.
So why do I say it was so long until PWID was my major? Well, I was under the impression that if I double-majored with Marketing as my primary major, it would take me only one extra semester to graduate. Naive freshman as I was, I embarked on a journey that landed me in business classes I didn’t care for and four semesters enrolled in 18 credits.
When it came time to schedule classes for my junior year, I realized that two essential classes for Marketing were offered only at conflicting times, and I would not be able to graduate when I had planned. What was supposed to be one extra semester turned into at least an extra year.
Cue a crisis.
Over the past two years, I had fallen in love with PWID. I loved the classes and size of the major. I made some of my closest friends and gained two incredible professional role models. I loved what I was learning, and I was already applying my new skills.
However, I knew I wanted to go into Marketing someday, and a lot of counsel told me that a Marketing degree might be better professionally. I thought I was going to have to drop the major I loved.
PWID has wonderful events throughout the year, one of which is our Awards Banquet in the Spring. I went to the Banquet, fully expecting it to be my last PWID event. Being in the community I loved and celebrating the things I loved for what I thought was the last time broke my heart. I went back to my dorm and cried.
In that moment, I knew I couldn’t leave PWID.
I still want to go into Marketing someday, but I know that with my PWID degree, I can. I will have the necessary skills, and, according to a very trusted source, the skills you have are what get you jobs.
I’m glad I can finally (and honestly) say with all my heart that I love my major.
— Alyssa Speicher (Junior)
