by Zack Quigley
When a curious uncle finds that his nephew majors in civil engineering, he may say, "We need good men like you to build our bridges." In my experience, however, when I explain I am an English major, the uncle believes the only suitable career path is teaching. In contrast, I am planning a career with the Navy despite those who do not understand how majoring in English correlates to a career in the military.
The Department of English at the United States Naval Academy, which boasts nearly two hundred English majors, has a website which provides a great deal of information explaining not only English program at the academy, but more importantly how it serves future naval officers.
In a section titled “Why Become an English Major?,” the website, through the experience of CDR Mark Larabee, debunks many of the myths often associated with the major and sets the record straight on what makes the degree so viable.
Coincidentally, in his introduction to the “Myth/Fact” section, Larabee seems to particularly address those, like my “curious uncle,” who places more faith in “serious,” “practical,” or “technical” realms of study than they do in English. Explaining that the academy’s main objective is to make leaders, Larabee argues that “successful leadership [. . .] draws on certain management, communication, and personal skills” and advances that a degree in English “equips” the student “superbly” to execute such skills.
As he begins to contend more specifically with the “myth” that an English degree is impractical, Larabee’s experience proves particularly eye-opening. He concedes that because today's navy is so technically oriented, there is a compelling argument to possess a technical major such as one in engineering or mathatics. More often than not, however, Larabee counters that enlisted sailors perform the technical jobs—not commissioned officers.
An officer who has a degree in English, as a result, has the ability to understand people and effectively communicate the tasks that need to be done, whether verbally or through training briefs. Larabee went so far as to say, “Your writing ability will directly affect your subordinates' lives and your own career.” It is this writing ability that is fostered through the intensive study of English.
The benefits of an English degree do not just stop when a military career ends. Explaining how English serves a range of careers, Larabee affirms how USNA graduates consistently work in the professions of law, business, writing and beyond as well as get in to top graduate programs at universities world wide At the next family gathering when asked how my English degree will help me in a field unrelated to teaching, I’ll simply use my public-speaking skills and provide the facts.
Zack Quigley is a junior majoring in English. In the Corps of Cadets, he serves as 2nd Platoon Squad Leader of India Company. He has received five academic stars for achieving a 3.5 GPA over six semesters.
