This quarter, we’re shining a spotlight on Karla Avila, a second-year MA in WRD student who will graduate in June 2020. Karla took some time to share her experiences with the program, the TESOL Certificate, and how she has used her time in the department to explore her interests in both teaching and professional writing. From working as an ESL Tutor to interning as a Content Writer, Karla has exemplified how MA in WRD students can pursue a variety of interests and strengthen their skills across a range of contexts and professions.
Tell us about yourself!
At the moment, I’m working on my master’s degree in Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse (WRD) as well as my TESOL Certificate. I did my bachelor’s degree at Columbia College Chicago in Cinema Arts + Science with a Concentration in Screenwriting and a Minor in Fiction Writing.
Not only am I a full-time student, but I also work as a rock climbing instructor within the Youth and Events Department at a rock climbing gym in the West Loop of Chicago called Brooklyn Boulders. I was once told by a mentor of mine that you never stop discovering new wonders no matter how old you get and you will always find a new passion in your life. Rock climbing was definitely not something I had ever thought would become such an important part of my life, but there is an amazing community behind it. Through this gym, Brooklyn Boulders, I was able to achieve an internship as a Content Writer and Marketing Strategist that allowed me to gain an invaluable experience in content strategy.
In addition, I am also a Community Assistant at a student apartment building where I have to wear a variety of hats every day I come to work. Within this position, I sometimes have to act as an RA to the residents; at other times, I am a leasing agent trying to get people to see what an amazing building it is to live in. Then sometimes, I am an assistant to the rest of the managers within the leasing office, and then finally, at times I am in charge of the content creation online on our social media platforms (which is my favorite part of the job).
Can you describe your experience with pursuing the TESOL Certificate?
From the moment I began the WRD and TESOL programs almost two years ago, every class has been fundamental to my progress as both a scholar and as a student within both areas. I can say for certain, though, that my TESOL courses have had the greatest impact on me as a person because these courses have allowed me to view how the rest of the world perceives other bilingual students and speakers. These classes became the first time that I was taking into account my Puerto Rican origins and how both my Spanish and English were giving me an edge in understanding the struggles that others were going through when trying to learn the English language. For my volunteer experience, which is a requirement for the TESOL Certificate, I chose to work at St. Joseph Services as an ESL Tutor. This experience will undoubtedly help me as a future ESL professor. Also, this program has opened a new interest in linguistics that I’ve never really thought of beforehand until I took a Sociolinguistics course.
Your academic and professional interests have overlapped with both concentrations offered by the WRD program: Teaching Writing & Language and Professional & Digital Writing. How has the MA in WRD program developed both of these areas of interests?
Initially, I entered the WRD program because of my interest to teach others thanks to a personal mentor of mine who took the time to teach me how much writing could really mean to me, but it wasn’t long before these interests changed. As I went through each class and then found myself in my Content Strategy course, I discovered that by the end of it, I was in the middle of two pathways with Teaching and Digital Writing in two separate directions. This course managed to open up a whole new world to me where I could see so many other possibilities and it demonstrated how I could help others by establishing their stories through online marketing and social media planning. It took a bit but now that I’m in my last Quarter, I’ve come to my decision that in my future I will continue on with both because as a scholar, I will continue to follow where my interests lie. Rather than choosing one concentration, I have decided to continue studying and learning about both of those areas.
What types of careers are you interested in?
With only this one quarter left, I have decided to look at careers where I can help others establish their stories online to promote the impact they have on a community or to focus on a position where I can help other bilingual students be the best writers they can be. My current plan for after graduation is to search for where I can do my best work, doing what I love most, and I look forward to continuously challenging myself.