Our Alumni
The following information was gleaned from our alumni survey. Whether you are a former classmate, or a Cornell College English major with career questions, you are invited to contact these former Cornellians.
What some of our alumni are doing
A love for film and filmmaking inspired by Leslie Hankins' senior seminar, prompted Genevieve Gilson (2001) to go on and earn an MFA in Film Production from Chapman University. She has since moved to Los Angeles with her husband Erik and their two cats, and is hard at work on two screenplays. Remembering fondly her creative writing classes, Genevieve writes: "[they] gave me perspective and helped me better understand my creative process."
After landing a position as Admissions Counselor at Grinnell College, Liz Bowman (2005) was accepted in the MBA Program at Drake University. Of her preparation for graduate studies, she writes: "Even though I don't have a business background, it's amazing to me how much more I know compared to many of my classmates simply due to the fact that I hail from Cornell." Liz currently serves as Assistant Director of Alumni Relations at Hamilton College in upstate New York.
Nat Fuller (2004) is now working on his MFA in Creative Writing at Chatham College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Continuing his interests in pedagogy, Nat is taking a series of courses in the teaching of creative writing, along with writing workshops and courses in literature and critical theory. He has also ventured into the publishing world as reader, book reviewer, and events planner for Chatham's literary journal, Fourth River.
Amanda Pyfferoen (1999) works as an office manager for Profile Custom Powerboats in Richland Center, Wisconsin, and enjoys small-town life and parenthood. For the last six years, she taught English sharing her "love of Shakespeare with eighth-graders." Of her years as an English major, she writes: "I loved the intellectual discussions with people who knew what you were talking about." She also recalls fondly the England trip, "one of the most memorable months of my life."
Upon graduation from Cornell, Laura Arnold (2004) completed the Columbia University Publishing Course and is now happily employed as editorial assistant at Harper Collins Childrens Books in Manhattan and loving life in the Big Apple.
Cole Chilla (2003) lives in Maryland and is a teacher in Washington, D.C. She was chosen by her students for "Who's Who among American Teachers" for 2005. The year before, she was selected to receive D.C.'s Outstanding First-Year Teacher Award. She is now planning an August 2006 wedding to her neuroscientist beau, Jeremy.
Alison Carley (2002) lives in Los Angeles, works at a women's clinic and, despite her excessive good fortune in living by the beach, misses the snow of North Dakota.
Traci Hanson (2002) lives in Rochester, Minnesota, and works in the editorial department at the Mayo Clinic. She is planning a September 2006 wedding. Congratulations, Traci and Andrew!
Katie Crooks (2004) is in her last semester of studying for a Masters degree in Art History at the George Washington University in D.C. She interns at the prestigious Smithsonian Institute and will graduate in May.
Anna Doherty (2005) is pursuing a Ph.D. in Religion at Yale Divinity School.
Kim Smith (2004) is getting her Master's degree in Library Science at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Derek Johnson (2004) graduated from the Boston College Law School in 2007. He spent the Spring semester of 2006 in London at King's College, where he studied international law with a focus on human rights and international business. Last summer he worked for the international law firm Fragomen in their New Jersey office.
Shannon Gent (2002) attends Brandeis University in Waltham, MA, where she has been accepted in the Ph.D. program for American and English Literature.
Katrina Krupicka (2002) is now attending New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM where she plans to earn her Masters in Public History.
Kyle Ohnstad (2002) is planning to go into youth ministry full-time, and is beginning an internship in 2002-2003 towards his goal.
Matt L. Rhoades (2000), editor, has "just finished rereading Proust, vol. 1, getting ready to gear up to buy the next one." Surely Stephen Lacey would be pleased.
Darcy (White) Shargo (1998) Darcy recently received her MFA through Goddard College in Plainfield, VT and has since decided to embark on a new career. She is now the Outreach Coordinator with a local non profit organization that deals with rural health care and its attendant issues.In addition, Darcy does freelance work for a media relations firm in DC. She has recently attended Bread Loaf Writers Conference, and hopes to have a completed manuscript by the end of the year! Darcy minored in English and spent much time involved with Open Field, both as editor and assistant editor. Her poems have appeared in Bellingham Review, Smartish Pace, and Dogwood. She has also published several reviews and was nominated for a 2002 Pushcart Prize.
Eric J. Stout (1997) is an English teacher in Jefferson County, Colorado. He teaches American Literature, creative writing, and Pacesetter English, a senior level English class. He is also pursuing a masters degree in counseling psychology. In May of 2000, Eric married Cornell graduate Becky Anderson, biology and sociology major from Cornell. "A dog named Ginger and a bird named Sami...no kids yet!" About his time with the Cornell English Department, Eric writes, "My years at Cornell represented the first time in my life that I was able to see literature as a true art form, a way to learn about myself and others, and a way to enrich my life. The passion that the professors had for their subject matter was certainly contagious."
Janet C. (Marshall) Neubert (1994) is the Director of Human Resources for Armature, Inc.--a British-owned software and consulting services firm. After Cornell, where she majored in English and Theater, Janet received her masters in 2001 from the Keller Graduate School of Management in Human Resources Management. She writes about the English Department: it "was a constant source of intellectual stimulation. The time spent in and out of class discussing and debating various genres and pieces of literature was priceless. Not only did these discussions result in further insight and appreciation of the work at hand, but also a true appreciation for colleagues' different perspectives and opinions." Has her English major helped in her career? "YES!" Her writing skills, "which were honed and fine-tuned at Cornell, are one of my biggest sources of competitive advantage in the business world." Janet is still actively reading literature and is interested in an online Alumni book book club. If you have similar interests, the Department would be happy to facilitate. Let us know.
Briget E. Tyson (1992) received her masters degree in Parks and Recreation/Environmental Education from the University of New Mexico in 1996. She is currently working on her doctorate at the University of Utah, where she is a teaching assistant, and will finish in 2002. At Cornell, Briget was an Arrow, active in the environmental club, soccer, and intramurals. Now she spends her time "working hard at learning and enjoying climbing, telemar skiing, and backpacking." She reports that not only did her English major help in her doctoral pursuits, but also that her writing has helped her to get a variety of jobs: "I've worked as an environmental educator, a public relations coordinator for a ski area, a marketing assistant for Outside Magazine. The writing skills helped me be a success at all of these!"
We at Cornell would like to stay in touch with English Department Alumni, and to foster communities of lifelong readers and thinkers. Please contact us with your ideas and questions. Send us photographs if you'd like these added to the page!
