Major: English
Andrea Hamler has always been interested in storytelling.
“My mom read stories to us at bedtime, and when I learned to read, a multitude of new worlds were opened up to me,” she said. “Among other stories, I devoured ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ and ‘Lord of the Rings.’ I believe that story can be a powerful way to move people to action, to own your identity and to learn to think better.”
Having earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Wheaton College, Hamler was running a small business for in-person tutoring when COVID-19 hit. This forced her to all but shut down the business and re-evaluate what she wanted and needed in a career.
“I decided to make a career change to work as a writer,” she said. “I had for over 10 years wanted to write for a living, and this seemed like the time to look into what I needed to do to make that happen.”
Hamler had previously taken courses at College of DuPage and was impressed with the quality of instruction and affordability of classes. Some courses, such as art and horticulture, increased her skills for pastimes she enjoyed. Others, like math and science, were for a possible career in STEM that she at one time hoped to pursue.
She also took creative writing classes, which helped as she worked on completing a novel. However, Hamler was aware that even when authors publish their work, most do not earn enough to have publishing as their only income. Hamler decided to investigate job postings for positions that involved writing or editing as the primary responsibility but found that every posting listed a requirement for a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in English, communications or journalism.
The Professional Writing Certificate at COD caught her eye, and the timing was right to sign up.
“When courses at COD moved to remote because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I jumped at the opportunity to take classes without having to drop my toddler off at childcare,” she said.
I learned so much more than I imagined I would when I began my course of study at COD.
Andrea Hamler
Wanting to learn how to write persuasively for a cause, Hamler signed up for an argumentative writing class with Professor Steven Accardi and took to the study of rhetoric.
“I am introverted and not a particularly charismatic person in groups of people I don’t know, so I have felt powerless as I see our country go in what seems like a destructive direction. Learning how to write more persuasively has been empowering for me. I now have a sense that I can make a positive difference in the world as well as being able to better advocate for myself when needed. I think this is because being a writer is not just something that I do, but it is a part of my identity.”
Connecting with her professors also helped Hamler as she completed her coursework. She encourages students to make that connection with their professors, as many are willing to help with their career paths.
“I have found that if I really enjoy a subject and am able to connect with professors and other students, I learn so much more than I would otherwise,” she said. “I am really grateful that I had professors who were willing to invest time and energy into helping me learn to be a better writer and make the connections that I needed. I have people on my team who want me to succeed.”
More Writing Student Successes
After completing the Professional Writing Certificate and staying at COD to take an additional course in digital writing, Hamler is now completing a master’s degree at DePaul University. Her goal is to use rhetoric in a beneficial way to counter abuses that are commonplace in public discourse. She is also considering the possibility of combining her strong STEM background with her writing skills to work as a science writer.
Whatever path she takes, Hamler is happy that she turned to COD for her writing studies and encourages students to spend the time and effort in the classes that truly interest them.
“I felt like the career that I wanted was stalled. Even though I wrote extensively in my free time and was reasonably skilled as a writer, I had no credentials to show that,” she said. “After completing the Professional Writing Certificate and taking other Writing Studies and Creative Writing classes at COD, I have a credential and writing samples that allowed me to not only get into a master’s program in Writing Rhetoric and Discourse at DePaul University, but I also received a fellowship that will pay half of my tuition. I learned so much more than I imagined I would when I began my course of study at COD.”