Featured TWC Student: Q&A with Jack

Congratulations to Jack (he/him), the most recent recipient of the Coakley Ames Writing Excellence Award! Jack is a senior in the TWC major and focusing on the biological and health sciences sub-plan. Learn all about Jack’s experience in TWC and his advice for new students below. 

Why did you decide to major/minor in TWC?

After graduating high school, I originally was interested in computer science or kinesiology. However, neither subject interested me too much, and after doing some research, I found that technical writing was a career. I liked how it combined writing, something I already really enjoyed doing in my free time, with a variety of subjects. From there, it seemed like the obvious choice for me. As I have progressed in my studies, I have found many more reasons to be interested in the field other than those found in my original research.

What is your favorite part of the TWC program?

My favorite part of the TWC program is the wide variety of classes and subjects that can be incorporated into the major. When starting the major, I chose to follow the biological and health sciences sub-plan because it overlapped with my pre-existing interest in the medical field. Since TWC is found in many different industries, it is a strong suit of the program to be able to choose between several different sub-plans to accent the main classwork. 

What has been your favorite class so far and why?

One of my favorite classes was WRIT 3701W: Rhetorical Theory for Writing Studies with Professor Graff. I really enjoyed learning the history of rhetoric and how it connects to the field today. Outside of class I enjoy reading classics, and it was interesting and cool to see the connection between thousands-of-years-old traditions and the technical writing of today. This was one of the first classes where I felt like I really had to grapple with nonfiction literature in a more critical and expansive way. 

What is one project that you've particularly enjoyed and has supported your professional development?

An important project of mine was the report we had to create for WRIT 3562W: Technical and Professional Writing. I chose to write my report on the state of bike infrastructure around my high school, aiming to use pre-existing literature, qualitative data, and quantitative data to create a persuasive argument on why more infrastructure was needed. I felt as though this report exercised nearly all my technical writing skills in one project, including research, document design, writing, and editing. I felt as though at the end of the project I was left with a high-quality document that I could present unabashedly to any professional. 

What do you enjoy most about the technical writing and communication field?

My favorite part of the technical writing and communication field is that it allows for an interesting intersection between technology and people. For example, with AI becoming more and more popular, there has been pushback against "AI slop" from many people. However, if you were to ask most of these people what technical writing is, they would not be able to tell you (or even be aware of the field). Nonetheless, technical writers are the very people who might be most knowledgeable in the subject of effective communication and how AI changes the interaction between technology, companies, and customers.

How do you hope to use your TWC degree in the future?

I hope to work in the medical device industry, working to create quality documentation to further help specific audiences. I am also interested in content management systems and how AI and other technologies can improve documentation for end users and technical writers.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue an undergraduate degree in technical writing and communication?

I would recommend to anyone who wants to pursue this degree that there is a lot more that goes into it than you would initially expect. For example, many technical writers are expected to do more than just write and edit docs. Companies expect them to manage knowledge bases, create multimedia content, and keep up with new technologies. However, this shouldn't discourage anybody from getting into the field. In fact, I think it makes the field a more exciting place with plenty of opportunities to develop and grow professionally in ways you might not expect. 

What is one fun fact about you?

I enjoy mountain biking in my free time; I especially enjoy mountain biking at Cuyuna and Duluth in Minnesota.