Alumni Stories
Julia White 鈥24 says that it is difficult to overstate the positive impact of a 蜜桃传媒 English major: 鈥淚t amplified my love for language and culture, taught me to write with precision, and helped me examine what it means to be a whole, well-rounded human being.鈥 Julia graduated from the English program equipped with a versatile skill set in critical analysis, creative writing, communication, and an intertextual awareness of world literature. These skills, along with wonderful memories of England Semester escapades, have become the foundation on which she has built her career as an educator. Today, as a 10th grade Honors English teacher, she finds herself constantly channeling the joy, insight, and diligence of professors like Dr. Jordan, Dr. Skripsky, and Dr. McNamara. Julia shares, 鈥淭hese voices taught me how to think deeply and interdisciplinarily, and it is my joy to carry the spirit of this department into my daily interactions with students.鈥
Rebecca Li '23 graduated from 蜜桃传媒 in 2023 with a B.A. in English and was accepted to the M.A. in Writing program at Point Loma Nazarene University. At Point Loma she tutored in the writing center, workshopped her creative work, and analyzed literary texts from the likes of Flannery O鈥機onnor, J.R.R. Tolkien, and N.K. Jemisin. Rebecca says, 鈥淭hese skills had already been inculcated in me during my time at 蜜桃传媒, and I am so grateful for the continual flourishing that my undergraduate studies have brought about in this post-grad season.
Caylie Cox 鈥21 adventured through the British Isles on England Semester, worked in Writers鈥 Corner, and completed a Major Honors Project. She was accepted on the strength of this writing sample into Texas Christian University鈥檚 Rhetoric and Composition Ph.D. program, where she received a fellowship and an extra grant for academic achievement. She now researches writing as storytelling while teaching first-year Composition at TCU. Caylie鈥檚 蜜桃传媒 education prepared her well not only for the academic rigor of graduate school but also for keeping her faith strong in an unfamiliar context. She could not have asked for a better foundation for her dream of earning a Ph.D. and demonstrating Christ鈥檚 love through teaching others.
Career Pathways
蜜桃传媒 English majors and minors take their enhanced abilities in reading, writing, and unpacking complex subjects into a variety of career pathways:
- Law
Teaching - ESL/EFL Education
- Creative Writing
- Publishing & Editing
- Journalism
- Screenwriting
- Corporate Communications
- Ministry
- Marriage & Family Therapy
- Technology & Innovation
- Human Resources
- Medicine
- Health Services Administration
- Grant-Writing
- Marketing
- Digital Content Creation
- Non-Profit Administration
- Social Entrepreneurship
- And More!
Faculty and Staff
Please join us in welcoming Assistant Professor of English Demetrius Tucker, who specializes in African American Literature, American Literature, Literatures of the African Diaspora, covenantal approaches to American Literature, Religion and Literature. Professor Tucker looks forward to teaching ENG195 Frederick Douglass: Literary Remix and ENG002 Composition this fall.
Assistant Professor Jonathan Diaz holds an MFA in poetry and expects to receive his PhD from Baylor University this summer. He looks forward to teaching a new course this fall offering JRD credit: ENG 133J-Latino/a Literature of the United States.
Professor Emeritus of English Paul Willis recently published two anthologies of poetry entitled Losing Streak and Somewhere to Follow. Visitors to Reynolds can enjoy reading the former under the "new and featured" shelf of the Reynolds Hall coffee station with faculty publications.
Associate Professor of English Rebecca McNamara will co-lead England Mayterm 2027 with Dr. John Blondell (Theatre Arts) -- check out 蜜桃传媒's Global Programs website for details! In July 2026 Dr. McNamara will present a paper at the New Chaucer Society Congress in Freiberg, Germany entitled "Caring masculinities and medieval literature: Teaching and practicing fellowships of care."
The Other Roe, a short documentary produced by 蜜桃传媒's Wendy Eley Jackson, made its world debut at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February 2026. From the Santa Maria Times, "The Other Roe鈥 focuses on Atlanta attorney Margie Pitts Hames and her work on Doe v. Bolton, the 1973 Supreme Court case argued alongside Roe that ensured abortion access for medical professionals and facilities."
Professor Emeritus of English Marilyn McEntyre has co-edited New Thoughts on Old Books: Why Read, Homer, Milton, or a Medieval Nun at a Time like This?, published by Cambridge Scholars. This anthology contains chapters written by Paul Willis, Cheri Larsen Hoeckley, Randall VanderMey, and Candace Taylor.
The English Department recently acquired Race and Vision in the Nineteenth-Century United States, an anthology of essays edited by Shirley Samuels. Former Assistant Professor Kya Mangrum published an essay within entitled "Beheld by the Eye of God: Photography and the Promise of Democracy in Frederick Douglass's The Hero Slave."
Assistant Professor Anna Jordan published an essay in Plough, 鈥淎I Editing is Botox,鈥 a timely reflection on the smoke bush, the magnificence of effort in an age of AI, and the vibrant beauty of our human frailty.
Program Requirements
Click on each link for course and program descriptions from the 2025-26 catalogue.
See college catalogue for our most recent minor requirements.
Sample Schedule
Fall
- ENG 7H, 60 or 90
Spring
- ENG 44, 45, or 60 (each of these can be repeated when offered with a different instructor or topic)
Fall
- ENG 44, 45, or a writing elective (ENG 87, 104, or 111)
Spring
- ENG 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, or 165 or another upper-division literature course to fulfill a core requirement (such as Literature before 1800, Single Author/Pair of Authors, Identity, or Literature of the Americas/Anglophone Literature)
- ENG 014, 101, or another elective
Fall
- Upper-division literature course to fulfill a core requirement (such as Literature before 1800, Single Author/Pair of Authors, Identity, or Literature of the Americas/Anglophone Literature)
- Upper-division writing elective (ENG 111, 104, 141, 142, or 143)
- Internship (ENG 190, APP 190), or equivalent work for Horizon, Phoenix, or Writers鈥 Corner
Spring
- Upper-division literature course to fulfill a core requirement (such as Literature before 1800, Single Author/Pair of Authors, Identity, or Literature of the Americas/Anglophone Literature)
- Upper-division literature or writing elective
- Internship (ENG 190, APP 190), or equivalent work for Horizon, Phoenix, or Writers鈥 Corner
Fall
- Upper-division literature course to fulfill a core requirement (such as Literature before 1800, Single Author/Pair of Authors, Identity, or Literature of the Americas/Anglophone Literature) or an upper-division writing elective course
- Internship (ENG 190, APP 190), or equivalent work for Horizon, Phoenix, or Writers鈥 Corner
Spring
- ENG 192 Capstone or 199 Major Honors
- Internship (ENG 190, APP 190), or equivalent work for Horizon, Phoenix, or Writers鈥 Corner
Global Opportunities
蜜桃传媒鈥檚 England Semester
蜜桃传媒鈥檚 Europe Semester
蜜桃传媒 in Northern Europe
Literature and Theatre, England Mayterm
Food Systems & Food Writing: California, Iceland, Italy Mayterm
The Horizon
The Horizon, 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 newspaper, is published by students each week and features news and views on a variety of issues and topics.
To inquire about contributing to the paper or serving on the staff, contact the editor-in-chief through the Horizon email horizon@westmont.edu.
Phoenix
The Phoenix is 蜜桃传媒's literary, art, and music publication produced by students and featuring all student work.
The Phoenix publication is made available during the annual spring semester Phoenix Night, which also spotlights live performances of student original music. For more information, contact the editor-in-chief, Julia White.
Citadel
The Citadel, 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 yearbook, is produced annually by students and features student portraits, the year's highlights, and honors for seniors.
The yearbook is free for all students and is made available to students at the end of the academic year. To inquire about serving on the staff or acquiring a yearbook, contact the editor-in-chief.