Andrew Testa
Andrew has been on his post-graduation path and has been in academia. He earned a master’s degree in rhetoric and writing studies from San Diego State University (SDSU) in 2018. At SDSU, he taught first-year writing and was nominated as a “Favorite Faculty” member in his first year of teaching. Currently, he is applying to PhD programs in English, education, and rhetoric.
How has your professional writing minor benefited you?
The professional writing minor has benefited me in a number of ways. I pursued rhetoric and composition because of my UWP classes, where I also first became interested in the teaching of writing. Along with showing me how to write across a variety of disciplines and professions, the minor also demonstrated excellent teaching and writing instruction, which I have modeled in my own classes.
Why were you interested in pursuing the professional writing minor?
I was interested in pursuing the professional writing minor because of the positive experiences I had in UWP 1 and UWP 18. Aside from the superior quality of instruction in both classes, I really appreciated being able to write on seemingly trite topics that interested me as a teenager, such as sports, shoes, and video games. Perhaps most importantly, though, and what was really unique about writing as an undergraduate at UC Davis, was the looming appeal of submitting essays to Prized Writing. When I was a freshman in UWP 18, Professor Boe told us that he wanted us to write just one thing that we didn't want to throw away after we got it back. He said that throughout his time at UC Berkeley, he would throw away papers immediately after he received his grade, which was the same experience I had in my life with high school essays. So, it really appealed to me to be able to possibly write something that could be put into a physical book, something that wouldn't just become eventually lost online.
What advice do you have for current UC Davis students considering or currently completing the minor?
My advice would be to set up the internship early and to try to intern in a field that you are passionate about.