English majors at the University of Wisconsin-Madison come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. Many balance responsibilities and identities that extend well beyond the classroom. Em Dobberfuhl (Bachelor of Science, English Language and Linguistics and Astronomy-Physics majors, Certificate in Science Communication) and Caleb Fliearman (Bachelor of Arts, English major, Certificates in Business and Entrepreneurship) are two students pursuing English majors while also serving in the military through ROTC and the Marine Corps Reserve. We caught up with them to talk about their paths to the English major, balancing service commitments with college life, and, of course, the books they recommend.
How did you land at UW-Madison and what led you to declaring an English major?
Em: One of my fondest memories was the 16-hour road trip from Tennessee to where my grandparents live in northern Wisconsin. When I was choosing colleges, I was drawn to Madison because of the nostalgic value, closeness to family, beautiful campus, and newness in comparison to the life and landscape I’d grown up with. I have always been an English person and knew I would want to study it further as a part of my career. I take a lot of inspiration from novels, writing, poetry, and discussion about such works. I was drawn specifically to the language and linguistics track to better understand language, its uses, its meanings, and how to use it more effectively in analysis and communication. I am also an Astronomy-Physics major that allows me to blend the intersectionality interests I have between the humanities and STEM.
Caleb: I did not plan on college or even believe I had the ability to attend a university like UW–Madison. During high school, I was enamored with martial arts and made that my sole focus, causing my grades to be lackluster. I enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve with the hope of getting a business degree from any university that would take me. Post high school graduation I realized my grades did not meet the minimum requirements of any UW university in the state, leading me to attend Madison College to get my Associate’s Degree in Business and be on the transfer path. From there, I applied to transfer to UW-Madison intending to apply to the Business School. I was accepted to the College of Letters & Sciences, but my attempt to join the School of Business, but was not successful. Looking back, I have been a voracious reader since I was a kid and was told by my English teachers that I was a good writer. Something about the creation and examination of stories has always intrigued me, so I switched to a Bachelors of Arts in L&S with an English major and realized it was my real passion.
How do you see or anticipate your college classes impacting your future career?
Em: I think English classes are incredibly important for career development. For me specifically, I see a lot of writing in my future. In the military, almost all promotions and awards require writing, and a very precise kind of writing that can adequately show off your subordinates’ accomplishments while connecting back to military principles and adhering to an often strict and small word count. Beyond just that, writing is how change happens within the military — it dictates the kind of policies that get implemented at small and large levels. I see the ability to analyze an environment, respond to it in a meaningful way, and communicate that as a very critical skill that is developed by English classes. I also think that English classes do a great job of exposing people to differing opinions, cultivating meaningful discussions, and encouraging complexity of thought that is an overall good trait to have in any career where you aim to inspire and connect with people.
Caleb: As a future Marine Corps Officer, I know that my ability to communicate and understand large bodies of information will be essential in my ability to decide and act as a leader. Officers are tasked with writing and presenting all sorts of briefs and proposals to their senior leaders. As for when I get out of the Marines, I hope to use my GI bill to earn an MBA and become a leadership consultant for businesses across the US.
What has been your favorite English class(es) so far?
Em: My favorite English class so far has been English 379, Postcolonial and World Literature [with Professor Kirk Sides]. I really enjoyed this class because the works we read highlighted pieces written mainly by authors who experienced colonization or postcolonial periods. We had so many great discussions about how important it is to acknowledge differing cultures and how deep the effects of colonization run, even today. We talked a lot about how to manage the feelings of being a part of the western world, the colonizers, while also actively wanting to be advocates for those who are affected by discrimination of all kinds. We worked through our own kind of second-hand guilt for the actions of our predecessors and found connections to different cultures that we weren’t familiar with before, which I think is one of the most important ways to break down walls of oppression.
Caleb: My favorite English class so far was the seminar in the major, English 245. I took this course with Professor Michale Bernard Donals on the topic of Free Speech on Campus: on language and violence.
Do you have any advice for other students who are balancing demanding personal obligations with college?
Em: It can be very easy to overwhelm yourself, especially if you are an ambitious person who likes to do a lot of different things. I feel that way with all that I am involved in from being in ROTC, having a double major, working as a Writing Fellow, and being on the executive board for the Astronomy Club. I am pulled in a lot of different directions with those commitments, plus classes, and personal relationships. My main advice would be don’t try to prescribe yourself to one priority list. Evaluating your priorities is certainly important when you have a lot to juggle, but I’ve found that everything shifts at least every semester, and very often it shifts within semesters too. It sounds counterintuitive, but if you have committed to spending a certain amount of time, energy, or attention on certain subjects and expect that to not change (so you can theoretically not have to plan out that allotment of mental resources), you can end up overwhelming yourself even more when plans inevitably change. Find a timeline that makes sense for you, whether it’s daily, weekly, monthly, or semesterly, and take stock of your commitments.
Caleb: My advice is a well-thought-out schedule with room for flexibility as it is essential for success. Always plan and never plan to fail (life will bring plenty of those naturally). Control what you can and maximize the time you spend on work to make it meaningful; it’s much better to have 2 hours of quality work than 5 hours of semi-productive studying. Don’t let school get in the way of life, maximize your day so that you can enjoy your hobbies in your free time. Take an hour a day to do something you enjoy. Be physically fit because it has been proven in numerous studies that if you are fitter your brain is more cognitively robust (for example, better memory and thinking skills).
What do you wish faculty knew about students who were tackling goals like yours while navigating college?
Em: It can feel a bit weird having conversations with advisors when I already know what my next big career step is after college — joining the military. However, that doesn’t exclude me from other ambitions. I do plan to go to grad school and potentially pursue a PhD, but it will be on a different timeline than the majority of my undergraduate peers. I think it would be great to see advisors still pushing for students like me who are taking a more nonlinear path to still get experience in things that can prepare them for their next goals in education. I personally have sought out research and writing experiences on my own, which has been great, but there can definitely be an impression from within ROTC that getting that experience isn’t necessary since you already know you will have a job when you graduate.
Caleb: Nothing. The UW does a great job of accommodating service members and is aware that training will get in the way of studies at times. I have had no problems with the staff here in my last two years as a student.
What is a day in your life like?
Em: My average Air Force ROTC student day looks like waking up a little before 6am, because I don’t mind rushing in the morning. I get dressed in my uniform, maybe grab a granola bar to eat, and head over to our morning training that starts at 7am. We either do a group workout or have leadership training which encompasses marching, group exercises, or guest speakers and lectures. After that, I’ll head home to shower or go to classes. On Wednesdays, we wear our uniforms all day, so I often end up having some conversations with classmates about ROTC and what I hope to do with it – which is to join the Space Force. Throughout the day, there are usually some updates I get from my fellow ROTC cadets, whether it’s information for upcoming training, checking in on mentors/mentees, or planning the next big event that I get to help out with. It’s kind of a program where there’s always more to be done, so I sometimes have to schedule out my time for ROTC tasks, or I’ll work on them forever. If it’s a day where I didn’t have group physical training, I’ll try to go on a run or hit the gym for a lifting workout to maintain my fitness baseline. Then, I’ll make or grab dinner, work on some homework, and try to be in bed by 10pm to get enough sleep for the next early morning.
Caleb: During the semester, I wake up at 5:00AM and head to the gym, having packed all my things the night before. After my workout, at 7:30AM, I eat breakfast and check my emails. I’ll head to my first class of the day at 8:30AM and then study in the Helen C. White Library or at St. Francis House after class until lunch. At 12:00PM, I’ll eat lunch and take a break. Starting at 1:00PM, I’ll study or go to another class, or continue with doing schoolwork. I’ll transition at 5:00PM to the bus heading back to my apartment to make dinner and prepare my lunch for the next day. I’ll eat dinner and check emails afterwards. At 7:00PM, I’ll do more schoolwork depending on the workload or go to some sort of martial arts practice, like BJJ or kickboxing. I get back to my apartment around 8:15PM and pack for the next day. I start winding down for bed and am sleeping by 9:00PM.
Favorite book?
Em: My favorite book right now is probably Project Hail Mary because it was the book I read in my high school Astronomy class that first got me interested in astronomy and helped me realize its intersection with the other things I really loved — reading and writing. It is also just an amazingly written story, one that has inspired me to pursue research, astronomy outreach, and one that connects me with the wonder of humanity.
Caleb: Thank you for asking me one of the hardest questions you can ask an English major. As my catalog of good books I’ve read is too vast to whittle down, I will give you three distinct genre choices. My favorite self-improvement book is Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins. This book helped me change my life when I was a 17-year-old boy with a 2.4 high school GPA and little options. It cemented in me a love for the philosophy of stoicism, and I highly encourage everyone who reads this to give it a try. My favorite fictional book is Enders Game by Orson Scott Card. I read this book in 6th grade and it still sticks out in my mind as a pivotal piece of literature in my life. Finally, my favorite nonfiction book is The Mission, The Men, and Me by Pete Blaber. His ability to articulate and teach his leadership lessons and concepts such as common sense throughout this book has had a recent effect on my writing style and voice.