The Value of an English Major in 2025
KEENE, TEX. – In a world where artificial intelligence seems to be taking over, what’s the value of an English major? Here are the stories of our English graduates—stories of humans preparing to teach, preach, write and serve with human-generated words.
Cesar Gutierrez, senior class president and English major with a writing emphasis, discovered his love of reading early and soon decided to write his own novels. As a student, he encountered Jesus in his religion classes and has since dedicated himself to a life of service. He plans to pursue creative writing through freelance work and graduate school after teaching English for a year in Korea.
Reese Gallant, honors student and senior class vice president, earned a standing ovation in elementary school for a poem about a bad hair day. As a teenager, she was diagnosed with cancer. She has written about this painful experience and God’s redemptive work in her life. Next year, she plans to study composition and creative writing at La Sierra University with the goal of becoming an English professor.
Eden Samaniego, a triple major (English, history and theology), is a precocious scholar who translates chapters of the Bible from the original Hebrew in his spare time. During his undergraduate studies, Samaniego served as an intern pastor at the Arlington and Keene Seventh-day Adventist churches and tutored for the English and religion departments. In fall 2025, he will begin working on a master’s degree in biblical languages and literature at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, followed by a doctorate in Hebrew Bible. He hopes to become a biblical studies scholar and professor.
Journey O’Neal, English major with secondary education certification, comes from a family of teachers. Frequent moves in her childhood for her parents’ jobs made her reluctant to follow suit. However, after numerous educators helped provide stability in O’Neal’s ever-changing environment, she was inspired to become a high school teacher. In her own classroom, O’Neal is passionate about providing a safe space where students can find their unique paths.
Gadiel Soto-Maldonado, English major with a writing emphasis, is an aspiring novelist who is quiet—until he opens his mouth and speaks profound things. An avid reader of fantasy and a dedicated Seventh-day Adventist, Soto-Maldonado seeks to bridge the gap between imaginative and devotional literature through his innovative writing style. The department looks forward to seeing what new literature—and new worlds—he will create.
Anthony Caballero, who transitioned from being a business major to an English major with a writing emphasis, demonstrates how finding the right major can lead to a more fulfilling journey. Caballero realized that he craved the personal, creative, scholarly discussions encouraged in English classes and assignments. An award-winning campus library worker and dependable writing tutor, Caballero plans to pursue a master’s degree to further explore and illuminate the human mind—and the human condition—through reading, writing and speaking.
In a world driven by robots, fakes and computer-generated words, our graduates know how to reach and serve other humans—through real and true, human-generated words.
By Lindsey Gendke, Ph.D.
English Department Chair
