Gallion Finishes Master's Degree and Lands Job in Florida

By Erika Gallion, class of 2014, Creative Writing and English major

Erika Gallion

Upon graduating from my master’s program at Kent State University, I packed up and moved to sunny Jacksonville, Florida for a job at the University of North Florida. I’ve taken on the role of Short Term Study Abroad Advisor within the Coggin College of Business, meaning that I work extensively with incoming exchange students to the College of Business as well as UNF students wanting to participate in one our many study abroad programs. This position requires me to work with faculty, staff, and students, and permits me to travel to our many international partnerships in South America, Asia, Europe, and elsewhere. 

I am confident that the English department at Ashland University contributed to my job acquisition in a major way; it was at Ashland that I first realized my passion for travel, multiculturalism, and intercultural communication. Courses at AU allowed me to familiarize myself with other cultures, examine my own identities, and observe the ways that human beings relate across cultures. Without AU’s English department, I would not have had the confidence to move states away and to pursue this career that relies heavily on my ability to adventure into the unknown. I will forever be grateful for the confidence and passion that AU gave me, and hope to one day return to the English academic field in order to continue discussing these topics via literature.