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Shay Quintin ’20 Master of Education Student and Men's Soccer Assistant Coach at Eastern Mennonite University

"My education at Messiah prepared me to ask better questions. A common thread I see among my peers in classes is a deep love for inquiry. At Messiah, Dr. Hasler-Brooks, Dr. Corey, Dr. Smith, Professor Perrin, and Dr. Dzaka all pushed me in my English courses to pursue the questions I had in my heart. That freedom they granted paired with the encouragement they gave prepared me well for graduate school."

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Kalie Sullivan ’20 English Teacher at Katy High School in Katy, Texas

"Messiah has prepared me immensely for my dream job. The English Department and Education Department have shown me what a great teacher does."

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Isabel González ’20 Master of Divinity Student at Princeton University

Messiah prepared me for grad school in a number of ways. Apart from the discipline of reading and writing, Messiah also developed my sense of compassion and critical thinking. It enhanced my ability to imagine, relate, and apply abstract ideas to the raw human experience. The English program taught me to value language in a way that revolutionized my own reading of scripture and other literary works.

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Holly Fertsch ’20 Building Substitute and Afterschool Worker

"I also am teaching DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) classes. It feels rewarding to use my English degree to help foster a love of reading in kids."

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Hannah Eckstrom ’19 Spanish teacher, Whitinsville Christian School

I focus instruction on developing skills...

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Rachael Borden ’19 English Teacher at State College Area High School

“Messiah’s English department prepared me by giving me an unrelenting passion for pursuing what is best rather than what is easiest. While most English teachers find writing instruction and teaching Shakespeare
toilsome and tedious, my preparation at Messiah has made these two areas my curricular strengths. Classes such as Shakespeare Survey, Composition Theory, and Literature Seminar empowered me to teach strenuous subjects with knowledge and confidence.”

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Alicia (Fleming) Sztobryn ’18 Internet Marketing Specialist & Grad Student

“During my time at Messiah, I not only honed my writing, communication, and critical thinking skills, but I also learned more about myself and what is important to me. Through literature and language, I was able to explore more deeply my own ideas and beliefs, which has helped me in all aspects of my post-college life.”

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Hannah Snavely ’18 PhD student at UC Riverside

While studying Spanish and music at Messiah, Hannah Snavely '18 desired a career that combined her two interests, and when she stumbled upon ethnomusicology, it seemed to be the perfect fit. Hannah's study abroad in Chile provided her with countless opportunities to learn about and perform Chilean folk and popular music.

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Elisabeth Ivey ’18 Editing Business Founder

"My writing classes at Messiah gave me a space to approach texts critically and constructively. Some of my most meaningful class experiences happened in the context of peer revision groups, where I learned to trust people enough to share my work and honor theirs in return by speaking critically and constructively about it. I know from experience how daunting it can be to let someone in on the personal side of writing, so I always try to establish a relationship with my clients built on trust."

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Joel Johnson ’17 Trades & Agricultural Interpreter, Independent Contractor at & Creator of Narratives of Place

“Writing workshops, senior project research, and the Center for Public Humanities fellowship were so valuable to me. I graduated with communication skills I could immediately market and a clear sense of what I bring to the table in a professional setting.”

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Rebekah Glick ’16 Policy and Education Assistant

I graduated in May 2016 with a double major in French and Politics with a concentration in International Relations. One of the highlights of my time at Messiah was studying abroad in Paris - it was a requirement for my French major but it definitely fit in well with the international relations part of my Politics major.

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Jeffrey Stiles ’16 Chinese major heads to Samoa for the Peace Corps

China. Spain. Italy. South Africa. For a boy who arrived in the U.S. from Peru at the age of 8, Jeffrey Stiles ’16 made the most of Messiah’s education abroad opportunities while double majoring in Chinese and politics with a concentration in international relations.

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Dallas Saylor ’16 Ph.D. Candidate in Creative Writing at Florida State University

"Messiah was a family—the other students and the faculty. People really believed in each other’s work and invested in each other both within and outside of the classroom, and those bonds gave me strength to begin exploring my identity and experimenting with craft. At Messiah I learned to be a critical thinker, to question things and dig deeper, and to abide with uncertainty and difficulty."

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Abigail Scanga ’14 Chinese Studies and Politics

“Follow what you love to do... do not worry about pursuing a job that will make you the most money or gain you the most 'success', because if you’re not doing what you love, you won’t be happy.” According to ’14 Chinese Studies and Politics alum Abigail Scanga, remembering this is paramount to choosing the right college and career path. Scanga is currently following what she loves as she pursues a Master’s degree in Applied Human Rights at the University of York.

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Alexis Jackson ’13 Published Author & Lecturer in English Department at University of San Diego

“Thanks to the Messiah College English Department, I was fully prepared for my writing and scholarly career—topsy-turvy as the journey has been
 I attribute much of [my] versatility to the English Department's Requirements and the encouragement from all of the professors to pursue my creative calling regardless of my vocation
 While much may be uncertain in the job market, I rarely have to worry about finding a position where the skills I've learned are not necessary...”

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Keith Perrotta ’13 Multi-Language Consumer Advisor

In 2014 I was asked to move to New England to work with the LEGO Group to work as a Multi-Language Consumer Advisor. I do french-speaking customer service for French-Canada, France, and some french speaking territories as well.

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Elena Casey ’12 PhD Candidate & Royster Fellow at UNC Chapel Hill

Profile Elena Casey ’12 came to Messiah to learn how her faith and reason could together illuminate the stories and patterns of the world. As a Spanish and English double major at Messiah, this meant traveling: physically, to other global communities as a visiting scholar at the Universities of Barcelona and Oxford, and, intellectually, into the historical perspectives that helped shape the beliefs and systems we maintain today.

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Danika Danker ’12 Adult Educator

When Danika began looking at colleges, she said she'd go anywhere but Messiah College (she had a family connection there), but God had other plans. As she looked for Christian colleges where she could study both Spanish and Biology and do a study abroad with two majors, Messiah was the obvious choice. Danika loved that Messiah was both "rigorously academic and undeniably Christian."

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James Fetterman ’12 Spanish Teacher and World Languages & Cultures Department Chair

Making the decision to attend Messiah College was an easy one for James Fetterman. In fact, he stopped applying to other universities once he received confirmation of his admission. Throughout his studies as a Spanish major (with teaching certification), he was challenged academically and grew spiritually, and never regretted that instantaneous decision. During his junior year, he studied abroad for six months in Valparaíso, Chile, at La Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso. His experience abroad turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of his college experience, helping to improve his Spanish skills while also opening his eyes to different points of view and ways of life.  

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Chris Jacobs ’11 Language educator working toward Ph.D. in Spanish (Applied Linguistics) and M.A. in French (Pedagogy and Linguistics)

Chris Jacobs (Messiah ’11) is currently a language educator at Temple University in Philadelphia. In his teaching, Chris seeks to prepare students to complete real-world tasks by making extensive use of both the latest educational technology and authentic materials prepared for target language communities.

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Ulysse Toussaint ’08 Alum writes service book for children

Photographer inspired by Messiah mentors

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Ernestia Fraser ’07 Alum teaches English language and literature in the Bahamas

“I write because I believe it’s my way of adding goodness and love to the world. So I know I can’t stop, not even if I tried,” said Ernestia Fraser ‘07 in talking about her writing career. From an English student at Messiah College to a literature teacher in the Bahamas and publisher of several works, Fraser has paid ceaseless effort in pursuing her passion for writing and literature.

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Barbara Ann GĂŒldenring ’02

Alum enjoys a worldwide sense of belonging at Messiah College Among various reasons to decide to attend Messiah, many choose Messiah for its special connection with the world in the heart of a peaceful Mechanicsburg.

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Kimi Cunningham Grant ’02 Published Author & Teacher

“The Messiah College English Department prepared me so well for the path I followed. I loved my professors, and I loved the community. I soaked up every literature class and invested deeply in each writing class. I left Messiah feeling confident to pursue a job and then graduate school. Even now, I feel the love and support from the English Department!”

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Greg Glidden ’00 Bronx couple gives back

Alumni serve NYC ministries

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Alex Neff ’94 Director of Access Study Abroad

To anybody who thinks majoring in a language isn’t relevant, think again. Alex Neff ’94 majored in French and has since created a study abroad program for American students in Strasbourg, France. After finishing his PhD in sociology of religion, Neff also teaches at the University of Strasbourg and is the director of Access Study Abroad.

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Lisa (Zaleta) Williams ’91 Author and Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Lisa has always enjoyed working with children. As a mother of three and a licensed clinical social worker who works with middle school students, she is improving the lives of children and teens every day. In addition to her social work job, Williams—who graduated from Messiah with a degree in Spanish before pursuing her master’s degree in social work from Temple University—also enjoys writing psycho-educational and advocacy pieces on mental health issues for Hispanic newspapers.

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