JACOB SANTOS
Special to the Leader
Last year, the idea came to establish a collaboration of various departments at SUNY Fredonia to expose and strengthen the importance of professional writing in the workplace. Members of the University also wanted to allow Fredonia alumni with professional careers to meet with students on the successful benefits to being a writer. The students would also be able to participate in student-run workshops to learn and expand their knowledge in professional writing. Thus, Writers@Work was created.
The collaboration came to comprise support from the departments of English, History, Communication and the School of Business, as well as the offices of Alumni Affairs and Career Development.
“Writing is identified as one of the most desirable skills across all fields,” said Katherine Szwejbka, an English graduate assistant. “It’s exactly what employers are looking for.”
If there’s one thing the people in charge of Writers@Work can’t emphasize enough, it’s that being a writer is much more than writing novels.
“The goal of the organization is to bring attention to the value and importance of writing in the workplace,” said English professor Natalie Gerber. “Many people across careers, even if their job title isnt ‘writer,’ a lot [of] what they do will involve writing, whether it’s email, letters or proposals.”
This Fall, Writers@Work will be having a public talk featuring Gina Browning, a Fredonia alumna, who does public relations for the Erie County SPCA. Browning, who studied English, uses her writing skills to provide important information and social media posts to inform the public on what the regional organization is doing for the prevention of animal cruelty.
She will also speak to teach about ways of writing that many jobs are needed in today’s world, such as social media writing. “Even if you’re not going into public relations,” said Szwejbka, “you can very well find yourself in a position where social media writing is part of your job.”
Browning will be visiting campus to meet with students to expose employment for writers in fields often overlooked. Meeting and hearing from Browning is open to all students, regardless of major, as well as the Dunkirk `and Fredonia communities.
Patricia Feraldi, who is the director of Alumni Affairs, contacts Fredonia alumni who would be great examples of professional writers. “I knew [Gina Browning] when she was a student,” said Feraldi. “When I asked her if she’d be part of the Writers@Work series, the words weren’t even out of my mouth, she said ‘yes, absolutely!’”
Writers@Work will also be having a student-only workshop with a professional writer to further expose and challenge students on the various job fields that involve writing. ‘Student-only workshop’ is the term used by the organization meaning that the workshop will have no faculty or staff in the room.
“We want to create a comfortable space in which students meet with the writers themselves,” said “they don’t have to worry about feeling judged on what they say. It’s an open session.” Last semester, the two events sponsored by Writers@Work had a successful turnout of 40 to 50 students.
Writers@Work will be begin their public series on Monday, October, 10, 2016, in the Williams Center S204ABC at 3pm. It is open to all students. The Workshop is called “#WeDon’tTalk Anymore (So Let’s Write Better!)”
There will also be a public talk later at 7pm, in the Kelly Auditorium, in the Fredonia Science Center, called “I’m Not That Great Out Loud But Boy Can I Write.”