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My parents gave me my first book to read and annotate when I was four-years-old. After being
the subject of several literary evaluations in pre-school, I was told that I was gifted in the subject
of reading. My parents were delighted in my apparent gift and did everything they could to
progress my distinguished skill. Hence, their encouragement to annotate my children’s books at
Fifteen years of schooling in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky continued to foster this intellectual gift.
Middle school English curriculum introduced me to the complexities of nonfiction prose pieces
and how it deserves the same analytical attention that fiction receives. High school Advanced
Placement English ignited my love for classical literature and how important the literary work of
others from the past is. My professional and public writing track within my English major in
college allowed me to have a platform to publish my writing pieces about my most intimate
thoughts.
Despite my immense success within my educational experience in the field of English, the same
parents that fostered my reading gift were skeptical of how their daughter was going to cultivate
a lucrative career with an English degree. I did my best to explain to them that the UofL English
department had exposed me to countless opportunities that I could pursue with my expertise in
writing composition. These opportunities, however, often come by chance—by knowing the
right people and being in the right spaces. This uncertainty of stability scared my parents and
kept them from fully believing in my dream of pursuing writing professionally.
Although the reality of English graduates' professional endeavors is not as secure as other fields,
I believe there is immense power in the pursuit of the humanities. Literature has the power to
promote empathy in people’s lives as they read about others’ experiences living. Writing has the
power to be a transcendent vessel of information to better connect with others. These skills are
vital for humans to obtain, and the sole source of adopting these skills are through the study and
application of the humanities.
John Keating from Dead Poets Society summarizes my perspective perfectly: “We read and
write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with
passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to
sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” The world
needs the humanities to nourish aspects of human nature that are vital to the functioning of
society, and it is a shame that society doesn’t prioritize the development of the humanities by
encouraging younger generations to make their mark within the field.
As I transition out of academia into the professional world, I adhere to this position of the
importance of humanities. Without this perspective as my foundation, I will crumble under the
judgment and scrutiny of those ignorant to the opportunities and rewards present in the field of
writing composition and rhetoric. I share my story of how literature and writing shaped the
course of my life as a means to encourage other fellow English majors who struggle to foresee
how their degree will translate into the professional. Your studies of literature and your craft of
writing are desirable and will lead you into opportunities that have value—persevere through the
opposition.
Anna Williams is a McConnell Scholar in the class of 2025. She is studying English on a professional and public writing track and political science.