In his own words, Anthony Gorea '13 describes his experiences in the Utica College English program and how it changed his entire outlook and career path.
"I’ll be honest, I was never a fan of English class in High School. If I could go back in time and ask my high school self what the chances are of me being an English major, I would have said slim to none. However, once I started my career at Utica College something changed. I decided that I wanted to be an elementary school teacher and I knew that in today’s world it is especially important for students to gain firm literate backgrounds. That is how I ended up a student of the UC English Department.
My favorite classes were those in which I was allowed to be the most creative. Classes like ENG 102: Written Communication II, ENG 304: Advanced Composition, ENG 307: Beginning Creative Writing, ENG 308: Creative Nonfiction, ENG 311: Modern English Grammar, and ENG 351: Language and Culture were my favorites. Classes that had to do with American Literature in the 18th Century, Victorian Literature, and Shakespearean Drama were interesting with great professors, but they were not my cup of tea (my transcript reflects that too). ENG 308 showed me that I am a writer and I love it. I love being creative. I discovered that through this English program.
The joint teaching/English program worked wonderfully for me. The classes seemed to work hand in hand. It was nice to have this prior knowledge about grammar, writing, and literature in my education classes. The skills I learned in my English classes came into play during my education classes. If I had to do it over again I would not change one thing.
I graduated in May of 2013 with a BA English and a NYS teaching certificate for grades 1-6. I immediately applied and was accepted by SUNY Cortland’s Literacy program. Once completed in May of 2016, I will be certified to teach Literacy in grades kindergarten through high school. I have always felt like I have an edge over my peers in this program because of the skills that I learned through the UC English department. Unfortunately, I do not have a teaching job yet, but that will come with time and experience. In May of 2014 I expanded my family’s liquor store business by branching out and opening another location. I am now the proud owner of Valley Wine & Liquor in Herkimer, NY. How does being an English major help me run a liquor store you ask? Clear communication, both written and verbal, come into play every day. Whether I am showing off a new product to customers or discussing goals with staff, it helps that I can communicate clearly and effectively. A skill that I learned very well in all of my English classes.
Although running a liquor store and working on my teaching career takes up a lot of time, I still find time to write. One of the most exciting things that I gained from the English program is my ability to write. Not just writing academically, but for pleasure too. I keep returning to many of the stories that I wrote in my creative writing classes at UC. I am hopeful that one day I will be a published author and can return to UC to do a lunch hour series on my own work!
If I could offer one piece of advice for future and current English students at UC it would be to not get discouraged. Do not get discouraged when you get a C- in Victorian Literature. Do not get discouraged when you cannot figure out what the Shakespeare characters are saying. Do not get discouraged when you write your first piece of writing for a class and it comes back with editing tips and suggestions. When I came face to face with all these scenarios (and believe me, I did) I never gave up. There were times when I thought that I should not be an English major. These times when I felt discouraged formed me into a stronger English student. The numerous resources that are available and the amazing English professors at UC are there in order to help you become successful, so use them! Thank you to the UC English Department and to the great Professors that I had: John Cormican, Jason Denman, Mary Ann Janda, Lisa Orr, James Scannell, Barbara Witucki, and Frank Bergmann. Enjoy the experience!"
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