One of my biggest fears in high school was choosing the wrong major. I poured over academic catalogs, researched job salaries, and sought counsel from my loved ones as I tried to find the “right” major for me. It felt like an all-or-nothing choice, as if choosing a major meant I would be stuck in one field for the rest of my life. I had so many passions and interests—would choosing a major mean I would miss out on the other things I enjoyed learning and doing?
When I officially committed to the Professional Writing and Information Design (PWID) major, I wrestled with what it would mean to let go of my other interests. Would music slowly become just a hobby? Would my love for literature and history be pushed aside for technical writing assignments? Would design stay an interest I explored in my free time but never fully developed?
Then I discovered a simple truth that changed my trajectory. PWID doesn’t mean you have to give up other interests; it helps you pursue them better.
While I thought I was going to be locked into writing for the rest of my life, I realized that future didn’t have to be the case. In the middle of a design-heavy semester, one of my professors reached out to me. “You seem like you enjoy design,” she said, “and I’ve been impressed with your work this semester. Would you consider pursuing graphic design?”
I was surprised. Design was a fun hobby but never something I considered pursuing seriously. Part of me wondered if it was practical. Was it responsible to add more classes to my schedule? Was I even good enough to pursue it professionally? And yet that conversation planted a seed. What started as a required class became a new direction. That moment led me to where I am now—a sophomore double majoring in PWID and Graphic Design.
What I’ve discovered is that PWID doesn’t exclude other interests, hobbies, and passions; rather, it comes alongside them and teaches you how to combine your unique abilities and interests with your identity as a writer. PWID isn’t about narrowing your world to just writing. It’s about learning how writing connects to everything else.
But you don’t have to double major to get this experience. Other students in the PWID program have found ways to combine their passions with their skills for writing. Some pair it with missions and pursue nonprofit communication. Others combine it with studio art to explore visual storytelling. Still others use it alongside business or marketing to strengthen brand strategy and client communication. PWID adapts to the direction students want to grow instead of holding them back from it.
Even if you don’t want to add extra academics to your schedule, PWID is still customizable to your interests. The skills you develop—clear writing, thoughtful editing, purposeful design, and audience awareness—transfer into almost any field. It takes more than just a knowledge of the Oxford comma to be a good writer; it takes passion and purpose. Your unique combination of interests and writing skills is what sets you apart.
Anyone can be a writer. Not everyone can be a writer and a designer. A musician. A historian. A future nonprofit leader. Not everyone can be a writer and you.
