English At 50 | University of Waterloo

“I liked writing from a young age,” remembers Mr. Paul Moser (BA 1985, MA 1988). He was interested in pursuing a career in journalism, thought highly of UW’s co-op program, and could not wait to take advantage of the wonderful opportunities it offered.

Two of Paul’s favourite classes were an introductory English course taught by Dr. Helen Ellis and a history class on Canadian foreign policy taught by Dr. John English. He also enjoyed his class on American literature, taught by Dr. Bill Macnaughton, because, he says, “I hadn’t studied American classics before. It was an eye-opener.”

Paul was involved in many campus activities. He wrote for Imprint (UW’s official student magazine), often went the Stratford Festival with his classmates, and was a member of the English Society. During his downtime Paul enjoyed going to the old Grad Club house on campus. He says the UW campus was “one of a kind. It was great; I just loved to be there. I loved taking the courses, writing, and hanging out with friends. Just being on campus was a thrill.”

Paul found his experience as a co-op student to be everything he had hoped. He spent three work terms at CTV, and after graduating from UW, he says he “pretty much walked into a full-time job.” The atmosphere of the newsroom was exciting. When Brian Mulroney visited the Concordia Club in Kitchener in October 1983, Paul was the reporter who covered the event and led the six o’clock newscast. “Co-op really gives you a sense of the so-called ‘real world.’ Learning things in theory and doing them in practice are two very different things.”

After completing his MA, Paul worked for 19 years with CTV, a career opportunity for which he credits the co-op program. Having taken an interest in teaching during his time as an MA student, Paul attended The University of Western Ontario, where he completed a Bachelor of Education in 2001. He took a job as a summer school teacher at a high school, but says he quickly realized “it really wasn’t for me. Teaching those kids gave me a new understanding and respect for teachers who do that every day.”

Shortly after, Paul got a job at Clarica, now Sun Life Financial, in Waterloo. He has been working there for the past 9 years, and today is a Media and Public Relations Specialist. He says it is exciting to be behind the scenes managing messages for news media after spending nearly 2 decades in the forefront, gathering and preparing stories: “It’s a very interesting perspective.”

Paul says he learned many important lessons as a UW English student. He developed strong organizational skills which he says are crucial in meeting deadlines in his current work. He also credits former professor Dr. Ellen Shields with helping him master his grammar skills. “I thought I knew a lot about grammar, but she taught me that there was so much more to it,” he says. He credits the UW English program with strengthening his critical thinking skills. He took a course on argument that he “still thinks about when creating speeches.” A grounding in English has helped him tremendously in a 30-year career that has demanded much in the way of practical writing.

Paul’s experience as a UW student was “amazing.” He adds that being a Liberal Arts student is also an incomparable experience because it “opens your mind to so many disciplines.” He found it enriching to be able to take courses from many departments including English, history and philosophy. “Looking back, I wish I could have squeezed in more classes because it was all so interesting. Trying new things is important and as an Arts student, you’re able to do that.” He adds, “I’m very proud to be a UW graduate and see how far [the discipline] has come since the 80s.”

Photographs shown here are of Paul working at CTV Kitchener during work terms in 1984 and 1985.