On Tuesday, March 25th, the English Department hosted its inaugural Griffin Alumni Lecture Series. The event featured three Notre Dame English major alum, Matt Hudson ‘00, Jeremy Burke ‘98, and Sarah Cahalan ‘14. Matt Hudson graduated from Notre Dame in 2000. He is currently the director of publishing and publishing services at GeoScienceWorld in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Jeremy Burke graduated from Notre Dame in 1998. He currently works at Johnson & Johnson in Medtech helping to optimize their orthopedic implant global supply chain. Sarah Cahalan graduated from Notre Dame in 2014, and is a freelance journalist based in Chicago. This group of panelists was curated with the diverse interests of English majors in mind, touching on business, science, and journalism-related career paths. Each of the three panelists began by giving a 10 minute presentation on their experience at Notre Dame and their career trajectory. Junior Kate Healey noted that “all the speakers were engaging and it helped that they all had very different paths to their current jobs. It was really interesting to learn about individual career trajectories.”
Seamus Walsh, a first year English student, remarked that “Mr. Jeremy Burke harkened on the analytical mindset of the English major contributing to his success. Also, he urged us to be patient. It took him decades to secure his last degrees and fit into his current field. Mr. Matt Hudson mentioned how he reads to understand cultures and interests, thus allowing him to deeply acknowledge the works he is editing: whether it's entomology, geology, or even coal mining!” Griffin Fellow and junior English major Emma Vales expressed her appreciation for Sarah Cahalan’s presentation, saying “hearing Sarah’s story gave me the encouragement that I needed for starting my career – always say yes, because you never know where each opportunity will take you!”
Following the presentations, Q&A session, and networking reception, the alumni and select participants enjoyed a dinner at Rohr’s, where they got to engage in casual conversation with the alum and one another. Attendees unanimously agreed that the event was interesting, informative, and that it was wonderful to hear their advice!