Jennifer Englert-Copeland, Freelance Grant Writer
By Kate Mackay
What can you do with your English degree? Travel; help
people; write; make your own schedule. These are some of the
things that Jennifer Englert-Copeland is grateful to be able
to do with her English degree.
Jennifer Englert-Copeland graduated from Western Carolina
University in 2004 with a B.A. in English literature. She
began freelance writing out of Greenville, South Carolina,
in January 2009, shortly after her daughter was born.
She writes grant proposals, fundraising appeals, and marketing
materials for nonprofit organizations.
Bread and butter
Englert-Copeland's undergraduate English degree prepared her
for her current career path because of the amount of writing
and research it required. "The skills involved
translate well to careers in development and fundraising,
especially in the area of grant writing," she added.
When asked how important writing is to her job, Englert-Copeland
replied, "Writing is my bread and butter!"
After graduation, she took a low-level job at an international
nonprofit organization and was able to move up to communications
director in a few months because of the writing skills she
developed at WCU. Englert-Copeland started doing contract
work for the nonprofit when she began freelancing.
It's about time
Working as a freelance writer has enabled Englert-Copeland
to spend precious time with her one-year-old daughter.
Freelancing provides her with a flexible and varied schedule.
When asked what a typical day is like for her, she responded,
"I don't know that I have a typical day really. Because
I am a freelancer, my days vary depending upon the project."
A few words of advice
Englert-Copeland thinks that the best piece of advice she
can give to students who have graduated or are graduating
with an English degree is "to remain open to different avenues."
She stresses that "the sky really is the limit" in regards
to what you can do with an English degree. "Since childhood,
I've always loved reading and writing. I've also always
been somewhat of 'do-gooder,' adopting one cause or another.
Today, I really feel I have the best of both worlds. I continue
to do what I love through writing, but I also use writing
to help with causes close to my heart."
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