Where did the first two Double Majors in the whole of Stevenson come from? Why the English department of course! Sophomores, and friends, Jordan Mitchell and Kailyn Pater are both now the first ever Double Majors at Stevenson University and they couldn’t be more excited. Jordan is majoring in English and Psychology and Kailyn is majoring in English and Biology. I interviewed the two of them to learn about their majors, what they want to do with said majors and what they thought about the process of establishing them.
Here are their responses:
Q. What do you hope to do with these double majors and what interests you about the subjects you’ve chosen?
“I hope to do a lot of things. First, and primarily, I want to be a high school English teacher in predominantly minority school systems. Second, while I am a teacher I also want to be a part time writer and publish young adult fantasy/historical fiction novels. I will use my knowledge that I gained from being a Psychology major to create realistic and fact based reactions to certain types of trauma as well as accurately portraying abnormal behaviors in my stories that create diversity, awareness, and understanding. Both Psychology and English interest me because they both revolve around empathy, just in different ways. With English, empathy comes from cognition and feelings while with Psychology, empathy comes with understanding. Lastly, I think that later on in my life I would like to become a psychiatric social worker and help kids who have gone through traumatic events recover.” – Jordan
“I hope that by being a double major, I will be more appealing to medical schools. I also like having the ability to go in any direction that I want with these majors.” – Kailyn
Q. Can you describe the process of obtaining permission and establishing your Double Major?
“The process was relatively easy as I just had to contact the head of my first major and inform her that I wanted to be a double major and then she worked all of the requirements out for me. Then me and my adviser sat down and created my academic plan to make sure that I would still be able to graduate on time. Planning courses has also been relatively easy for the spring semester.” – Jordan
“The head of each department (English and Biology) worked together to plan-out a schedule (that would cover all the necessary requirements) for my four years at Stevenson. It was a lot of work, but I am so excited to see it all be put together. It was a slow process because of how new double-majors are to Stevenson primarily because each schedule is specifically tailored to each individual.” – Kailyn
Q. Was the process stressful? Did you feel you were receiving enough support for the University?
“The process in the beginning was a little hard because I was worried that I would not be able to complete everything and graduate on time, but after planning everything is a breeze now. I would recommend for anyone who is double majoring to create a draft of their academic plan all the way to senior year so that they know what to prioritize and what they have/are missing. I worked closest with Dr. Laura Smith and Prof. Meagan Nyland, who is my adviser.” – Jordan
“I found it to be stressful because you feel like you are behind on everything, but everyone worked with me to ensure I was on a good path. I worked closely with my advisor, Ashley Kniss. The Chairmen of the English and Biology departments, Dr. Laura Smith and Dr. Wendy Kimber, arranged my schedule. Dr. Smith has been interested in my career path since I arrived at Stevenson and was willing to put me into any type of internship that would cater to my goals.” – Kailyn
Q. Do you feel having the Double Major is and will continue to be worthwhile for you and your carrier goals?
“So far it has done exactly what I hoped it would and has increased my understanding of people so yes, I believe that it is and will be worthwhile to Double Major. If someone is seriously interested in two subjects I would recommend this path. These two majors will definitely prepare me for all three career paths that interest me.” – Jordan
“Yes! I am stressed as the process is just beginning, but I know it is the best decision for me, considering my career goals. I am excited to see where I end up.” – Kailyn
As you can see the two girls are taking their academic endevors in stride and are preparing themselves to take on their highest goals. For those students that are interested in Double Majoring I encourage you to contact your Department Chairs. They are here to help you meet your educational goals. I feel I can safely say that everyone here at the English Department wishes Jordan and Kailyn the best of luck and look forward to seeing them do wonderful things.