Sullivan is the co-coordinator for the Writing Mentors Program and she works alongside Lea Baker to ensure that the program is the best that it can be. Sullivan explains, “Together, we work to keep the program running smoothly and foster relationships between mentors, mentees, and instructors.” The Writing Mentors Program is “an embedded tutoring program that hires undergraduate and graduate students for our rhetoric and linguistic courses.” Through this program, students are able to grow in their writing and linguistic skills, and student workers are able to grow in their consulting and mentoring skills. When discussing the importance of the program, Sullivan says,  “I think the ‘collaborative’ component is what makes this program so special because students working together can be such a transformative experience as they’re working through their writing process. Kevin Roozen writes about how ‘writing is a social and rhetorical activity’ and I think this program truly embodies that.” 

For those looking to get involved in the Writing Mentors Program, Sullivan offers this invitation: “Come and talk to us! Lea Baker and I are always looking for eager undergraduates and graduate students who are interested in being a mentor. We hire people from all different majors and levels of experience, so please come talk to us or send us an email if you are interested.”

Thinking back on his time in the RWS department, Breece recalls the process of writing his thesis. “Writing my M.A. thesis was the first time I worked on a long, sustained writing and research project,” he says. “It definitely helped me become a better scholar, researcher, and writer. It also helped prepare me for writing my Ph.D. dissertation.” Not only did writing his thesis help him grow as a scholar, but so did the courses and professors that he interacted with. Breece mentions how his favorite course at SDSU was RWS 600, Reading Rhetorically, which was taught by Glen McClish. Breece says, “I really enjoyed practicing a variety of approaches to analyzing texts from evaluating arguments to examining rhetorical strategies to interpreting figures and tropes. It was a great introduction to the breadth and scope of rhetoric.” This foundational course, along with many others, helped Breece discover his passions in the field of writing – ultimately leading to a sense of newfound confidence for which  he thanks the department. 

Outside of the RWS department, Breece has worked on many interesting writing projects. When asked about one that sticks out in particular, he mentions that the most interesting writing project that he has worked on so far is an article he wrote for Philosophy and Rhetoric titled “Ethical Repetitions: Rhetorical Imitation and/as Algorithmic Judgment.” In this article, he compares classical imitation pedagogy with machine-learning algorithms to examine a rhetorical model for ethical inclusion. With his passions being sparked through the rhetorical foundations and teachings at SDSU, Breece was able to later on find a field that accompanied his interests. Though it is a lot of work, he concludes his interview with the following suggestion for current RWS students and/or those looking to be involved in RWS: “Learn as much as possible and enjoy yourself. The M.A. program is a fantastic opportunity, so get the most out of it.”

Though it has been a couple years since her graduation, Willis remembers the program as always being small and intimate  – this is something that RWS prides itself on as it fosters close relationships with professors and fellow students. Additionally, she always “found the materials to be both interesting and relevant to [her] personal life.” Because of this, she was able to pick up on skills that she would later transfer to her career, and really learned how to understand people in general. For example, although Willis did not have any formal marketing education as her minor was in art, she used her RWS written communication skills to combine her major and minor in a way that was ideal for a career in marketing. She “started out as a marketing copywriter intern while attending SDSU and has worked up to the position [she] is now by using [her] experience and education.”

Willis is thrilled that she has been able to use her skills from RWS in her career today. When asked about her most interesting writing project, she replied that it is her current position that makes her happiest. Willis enjoys writing and working on the marketing campaigns the most as she loves being able to “start with an idea and bring it to life with copy and design, then evaluate the performance to really see what's resonating with our target audience.” Currently happy with where she is in her career and grateful to the department for introducing her to new skillsets, Willis also recognizes that finding a career that is meant for you will take time. Ending her interview with gratitude, Willis offers the following advice for current/future students: 

“Your professional career is not always linear. You don’t always stay with one company for a long time. Sometimes, you might have to jump from company to company until you find a position where you feel like you belong. Also, if you feel undervalued, you should listen to your gut and find another opportunity – despite how difficult it might be to leave. There is no such thing as rejection, only redirection.”

Geronimo reflects on a few courses and professors that impacted her greatly throughout her RWS experience. “An inspirational course I took is RWS 504, Advanced Professional Writing, with Jenny Sheppard,” she says. “I enjoyed this class because it taught me the practical elements of rhetoric. We had the experience of working with a nonprofit organization to help them find ways to build their mission. The application of analysis, research, and persuasion to develop our ideas allowed me to understand what rhetoric is beyond the classroom; rhetoric gives us the opportunity to utilize what we have learned in the classroom to make a difference in our community. 

“My favorite course is RWS 601A with Glen McClish. What I enjoyed the most about this course was seeing the intersection between the texts from this class and law. The dense readings and the writing assignments in this class have elevated my persuasive skills which I know will be useful for law school. The writing assignments in this class taught me how to communicate my point effectively from the preparation and research I had to do.” 

When discussing her thesis, Geronimo was eager to describe the work that she has been doing. “For my thesis, I analyze three landmark United States Supreme Court cases –Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Lau v. Nichols, and Regents of the University of California v. Bakke – to evaluate kairos and narrative through the lens of racial discrimination in education. Her thesis work will directly inform her next step: attending law school in the fall. Although she has not yet decided where she will attend, Geronimo is grateful for the RWS department and for all of the support she has been given. She urges current students to “choose a career path that you are genuinely interested in and passionate about because your determination for it will outweigh the challenges that may come your way.”  

Though he has enjoyed many courses here at SDSU, the one that stands out most to him was RWS 543, Rhetoric of Visual Composing, with Jenny Sheppard. Not only was it “fascinating to learn about rhetoric in non-writing settings,” but “[he] had this class with all of [his] friends! [They] all grew closer in this class and had some good times. This combination made it an interesting, fun, and wholesome class to be a part of!” Additionally, pairing these visual skills with key concepts of rhetoric like tailoring your writing to certain audiences once again reminds Mattison that “there’s no one-size-fits all approach to writing. Each project is unique and requires time to consider the audience, goal, and overall objective. It often takes time and effort to conduct this step, but it will often be the difference between average work and excellent work that stands out from the rest.” Mattison has been able to experience this first hand through applying these skills in projects including academic writing, proposal writing, resume and cover letter writing, research projects, and even grant proposal writing – once again giving him confidence that he will continue to use these skills after graduation. 

With graduation coming up, he is equally thrilled yet filled with a sense of bittersweetness as he departs from SDSU. While he will miss his professors and classmates, he feels prepared to take on new challenges with his several career goals. Eventually, Mattison hopes to be a successful entrepreneur and “start businesses that have a positive impact on people and the planet.” Additionally, he mentions that no matter the type of business, “writing skills are critical when growing a company.” Though his goals are centered around the idea of entrepreneurship, he hopes to be able to explore the creative side of writing as well as he “loves the storytelling element of writing.” 

Mattison expresses his gratitude for everything the RWS program has taught him. Because of teachers and lessons learned along the way, he has been able to hold an internship with an international business organization for two years, developing both friendships and professional relationships, and overall learning how to apply his critical writing and communication skills in areas both in and out of the classroom. 

“Throughout the course of our time here at SDSU, we have been fortunate enough to learn how to greatly improve our composition skills, effectively analyze texts, and overall focus on bettering our journalistic expertise. Through not only the teachings of the RWS department, but because of the direct supervision of Glen McClish and KathrynValentine, we feel as though the development of our professional skill sets have directly correlated to how we were able to grow into ourselves as writers, students, and soon to be graduates. The two of us agree that if we were to see our freshman-year-selves right now, they would be incredibly proud. As two students who used to be scared to raise their hand in the classroom, we feel that RWS has given us the tools we needed to fully find our voices. 

“As we sit in the Love Library writing this as our final piece for the newsletter, a feeling of nostalgia has come over us. We feel so lucky to have had this position for so long, and to have enjoyed it enough to wish that we could keep writing even after graduation; however, we know that it will be in good hands for years to come. Thank you to every professor, faculty member, alumni, and fellow classmate that was a pleasure to interview and write about, and thank you to SDSU for constant encouragement and support. Farewell RWS and SDSU!”