Tamara Gluck

Major concentration: Editing, Writing, and Media

Hometown: Altamonte Springs (Orlando), Florida

How did you decide on English-EWM as your major?

When I applied to FSU, I was pre-civil engineering because I had attended an engineering institute for high school after completing an engineering-based pre-IB program for middle school. However, I realized my passion wasn't there. Soon after my first semester, I changed my major to exploratory and attended several workshops and advising meetings about what path was right for me. I was heavily interested in double majoring, but that was not an option with engineering. I went to the "Pizza and a Major" events for undecided students and found myself at the psychology major table. They said it sounded like I like to learn more about people in general than the individual and sent me to the sociology major table. There, they said it sounds like I like learning about how to help people, thus social work became my main major. In high school, I was heavily involved in journalism, and I missed being able to exercise my writing skills and develop that expertise. After considering a few other double major choices (theatre, computer science), I realized I would benefit from a dual degree track with Social Work and English-EWM. Focusing my electives on rhetoric and rhetorical theory courses, I found a great intersection of my passion for helping people and writing, which only makes me want to learn more.

What was your favorite part about being an English major?

Among my favorite parts of being an English major is the added variety of areas on campus I had courses. As much as climbing Mt. Diffenbaugh to the Williams Building got old fast, some days were made better by the views and proximity to Westcott. Beyond that, the rhetorical skills I've learned with EWM are priceless and are something I will carry with me regardless of my future academic and career paths.

You double majored in social work and you are graduating with academic honors--what was it like juggling all of those responsibilities?

Before settling on SW and English, I had made it a few semesters into the computer science major. While doable, my heart wasn't in it and my grades reflected such. Compared to SW and CS, the SW and English-EWM combo was a breeze; there were and are so many interdisciplinary connections to be made and courses from both majors greatly complemented each other and amplified my learning experience. Considering my broad range of interests, it felt more right to find a dual degree balance than stick with just one.

What one memory of your time at FSU do you think I’ll always remember?

With my collective experiences at FSU, one of the most memorable is my study abroad experience. The perspective of traveling to a different continent and still pursuing my studies at the same time helped me realize how big the world is in some ways, yet how small it is in others.

What would you tell a student who is considering English as their major?

For a student considering an English major, I would remind them to think about what they have to gain from this knowledge, which program they want to participate in, and why. An English degree can be just a degree but if you are intentional with your course selection and involvement, you can truly make a difference in your life and the lives of others.

What are your post-graduation plans?

I have been applying to various graduate programs across the country. Ideally, I would like to enroll in a dual master's program for social work and public administration/policy (with applications to the University of Chicago, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and Columbia), yet I'm also considering FSU's master's program for rhetoric and composition.