Elizabeth Mayer at her Student Internship at the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum
“What is your current job position, and how has your degree been utilized?”
“Currently, I am a Young Adult Librarian at the Chesapeake City Branch Library in Cecil County. As a librarian, I tackle many tasks including, but not limited to, leading book discussions, creating advertisements, writing monthly progress reports, creating programs for teens, attending conferences and working with the general public. During my time at Stevenson, I have accomplished the majority of those tasks in the classes I have taken. I had no problem jumping into the workforce because what I was being asked to do was already familiar to me. I feel that I use my degree everyday I go into work, especially when I’m leading discussions.”
“What are some useful things that you have taken away from your job as well as your experience at Stevenson?”
“What I’ve taken away from my job is that the library is so much more than a place you borrow books from. It’s a place where people come to express themselves and to socialize. People find security here and teens often see the library as a second home. The homeless come to the library for resume help and patrons come in to learn how to use a computer. Dr. Snyder taught me how to properly write a cover letter and resume, now I find myself passing along that information. I have spent hours conducting research for patrons so that I can answer their questions or to send them in the right direction. When I was leaving the retail job I had during college I was asked, “Isn’t the library a dying field?” The answer is no. If anything, I’ve learned that communities need libraries. Working with the public may be difficult at time but you learn to be flexible. I felt that Stevenson prepared me for the situations I see myself in daily.”
“What advice do you have for anyone planning on pursuing a degree in English?”
“The advice I have for those who are pursuing an English degree is to don’t second guess yourself. Do what you love and don’t let others change that. During college, my parents would ask what would I do with an English degree. I had no idea what I wanted to do at the time so I felt lost. I was told that the only thing I could do with that degree is teach but I knew I did not want to do that. So what can you do with an English degree? It’s simple, everything. You will learn skill that can be used in practically any field and I wish I knew that going into college.”
“If you could talk to your college freshmen self, what would you say?”
“If I could talk to my freshmen self, I would tell her to slow down and to enjoy her time in college. I always felt that I missed out on so many parts of college because I commuted and I was always working. I did play on the tennis team for a short time but I always wished I joined more clubs or tried out for a play (even though I am a terrible singer and dancer). I was never much of a risk taker. I would also tell her that she made the right choice to go to community college and then commute to Stevenson. I couldn’t see it at the time, but staying home was the right choice.”