I wanted to study language and critically think about the issues that other writers have noticed in our world. I wanted the best for myself and to learn in a diverse community during my undergrad years, which will have a huge impact on my social skills after graduation. I wanted to surround myself with others different from my own race, so that I can not only share my personal beliefs, but share the ones of our community.

There are plenty of venues for my field of study and other humanities courses like mine in our community as well as over the United States. The value of humanities have an impact on a student from any demographic or background. There are several reasons why I believe I gained the best education possible, and one is I know I will be more prone to success once I graduate in May. I know you might not want to hear this, but there is research that backs up the importance of studying humanities.

My English degree helps me critically think about social issues and cultural criticism as a black woman in this day and age. Illinois College has a great success rate and out of the 92% of people who responded to the survey on our website, 59% of graduates have a steady job once they leave and 27% of them go off to graduate school.

There are several issues around urban neighborhoods, especially the Chicago area and without people like me going to liberal arts schools and learning about ways to prevent and stop it, there will be no change. In their book about higher learning, the authors, Laure M. Sharp and John C. Weidman had a “study that explored the effects of self-concept, personal goals, aspirations, academic performance in college, and quality of the institution from which graduates received their degrees on the process of early career attainment among humanities majors.”

In reality English majors and other humanities majors are trained for diverse concentrations which sets them in the race for any position that they apply for. While English majors learn these skills while analyzing and discussing literature, entertainment and speeches, there is no reason they or I can't apply them elsewhere after graduation.

According to the World Wide Learn website, not only can English majors apply these skills to everyday life, we can take positions that pay over $100,000 a year. That can include marketing managers, human resources managers, or a regulatory affairs manager, by the way they all pay $106,000 or more just for a bachelor's degree. I can’t say that I would fully have an understanding of those issues if I were studying chemistry.

There is evidence demonstrating the power behind studying humanities and how it benefits the society, the individual, and the community. It has helped me personally learn the significance of conversation between others and their cultures, traditions and languages. I am able to discuss with others who have similar and different views on social issues. I am able to articulate myself well and share the major issues black Americans face and have been facing for centuries. As a student of the humanities I properly urge and promote the social injustices of my people and other minorities in America. I have the knowledge to conduct research and find other individuals who are experts in these areas and see how possible solutions can work for these problems.

Experts show the proper way of looking at the socioeconomic problems in the United States. They give you the proper guidelines to question the “norm” of inequality and prejudices of my own community and others. Here at Illinois College, I have learned from my English professors significant ways to reveal how others view their religious values and how that has impacted their decisions in life also how that connects to education. At this liberal arts institution I have the opportunity to study the languages, literature, history, religions, ethics and the arts. I believe that these are the disciplines of “memory and imagination, telling us where we have been and helping us envision where we are going.”

The humanities have taught me how to deal critically with horrifying situations in life. Humanities is a part, but not limited to, the interpretation of all things around us. The United States Congressional Act encourages the study of ethics, religion, different languages and criticism that will essentially help the human environment with attention to my own personal issues. Learning history through English literature guides me to understanding the issues that we have been facing as black Americans. The courses also directs the discipline of memory and imagination. It is the arts. It helps me envision the possible life that I will have post graduation. Most people understand the humanities as trying to understand the world we live in now, the poverty, the violence, the racism, etc. Humanities are the reason why I can propose a solution to the violent crimes in Chicago.

I have a plan to help young people that want to live above the mean of being black in America. I want to help squash the negative stereotypes of our race and city. Humanities helped me learn that support is all our young people need. I want to be proof to all minority students that it is possible, and here’s how I did it. Humanities is behind that entire idea.