English At 50 | University of Waterloo

Michelyn Siple (MA 2000) sees English as a dual-natured subject: It is the study of language use and conventions in literary works and in the world; it is also the examination of language as a tool of persuasion and change.

All the aspects of language fascinate Michelyn, leading her to enter the Master’s program here at UW after earning her BA in English Literature at McMaster so as to explore her newfound interest in “rhetoric, semiology, structuralism, and psychoanalysis.” In an attempt to combine the traditional study of literature with a contemporary study of language, she entered the innovative Rhetoric and Professional Writing stream of the program. Michelyn’s favourite class was “The Rhetoric of Narrative,” which was taught by Dave Goodwin (now a professor in the Department of Drama and Speech Communication at UW). It was a fantastic course because it “was the perfect convergence of my two passions: how language works and works of language.” She recalls that taking the course was life-changing for her, and to this day she continues to use the theories she learned from it.

Michelyn enrolled in the Master’s co-op program, which gave her the chance to apply what she learned from the classroom in the workplace. She had two co-op terms at a financial software consulting firm called Second Foundation, one of which allowed her to work on internal policy and technical documentation. During her second co-op term, Michelyn supported the sales and marketing team. “I found my niche,” Michelyn says, and she believes that marketing is the perfect outlet for the rhetoric student in her.

Michelyn’s social circle also expanded as a result of her choice to attend UW, and she still keeps in touch with people she met here. In some cases, she has even had the chance to “attend their weddings, watch their children grow, and support their career changes” even as she and her friends changed locations.

Immediately after graduating, Michelyn began working in marketing, initially for private industry, subsequently moving into positions at non-profit organizations, and later landing a job in the public sector. Today she lives in Ottawa with her husband and three-year-old son and works for Canada’s Department of National Defence. Her work, she says, “directly supports the recruiting efforts of the Canadian Forces.” Michelyn attributes her level of personal and intellectual satisfaction directly to the lessons learned at UW; she does not believe that she would approach her job with as much creativity or strategic insight if it were not for the Rhetoric and Professional Writing program.