In the tight knit community of Pensacola, Florida, the only aspect of life that truly seems to divide the population is what college one family roots for over the others. It was always easy to tell who was fans of who because each family wore their colors so proudly, and no family wore the garnet and gold prouder than the Lipham family.
Once Kathleen was accepted to FSU, there was little doubt in her mind where she wanted to go, the only question on her mind was what she was going to study. After weighing her options, Kathleen found the Editing, Writing, and Media program in the English Department and was instantly drawn to it. Kathleen found out that the EWM program offers tons of flexibility, saying “Unlike a typical English or Literature Program, the EWM Program focuses on more than one area: rhetoric, composition theory, digital media, graphic design, online advocacy, and much more”. She says that during her time within the EWM program, she cultivated life-long friendships and learned a ton about an array of digital media and English subjects. After completing her EWM degree in 2020, she says the EWM program “deserves high praise” and would “absolutely” recommend the program to other students. When asked what her most memorable class was within the EWM program, she stated it “was Writing and Editing in Print and Online. This course focused on unpacking the different ways in which we compose and design in the online setting. Additionally, this course introduced me to "remix theory," which really opens the floodgates for understanding marketing, advertising, and the role that rhetorical theory and practice really plays in the day-to-day world.”
Kathleen will graduate this April with a Masters degree in Rhetoric and Composition, but that doesn’t mean she waited to find a job. Kathleen has been hired as the People Operations Coordinator at Digital Additive, an Atlanta-based email and eCRM agency that specializes in Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Kathleen says that without the EWM program she might not have been able to find this job opportunity, saying “The EWM Program introduced me to website design and implementation planning, which proved to be extremely valuable when marketing myself in the job world. In addition, the EWM Program exposed me to certain media practices and theory that helped me better understand the different fields in which my skill set would translate into.” Kathleen is very excited for her future move to Atlanta and to begin her new position, and during this time of transition she says she’s been thinking about what kind of advice she would give to an incoming freshman at FSU.“Do what makes you happy. You will find a job, even if it's outside of your field or major. Don't be afraid to chase after the things that excite you, make you happy, and make you feel accomplished. And, don't let your degree define you because it doesn't.”