Hillary Oberpeul

Capstone 2015
Critical Essay

Looking Back on PW
There is no better way to reflect on my time in the M.A. in Professional
Writing (PW) program at the University of Cincinnati than to talk about it as a
journey. I started this program in the fall of 2014, fresh out of my
undergraduate career at Miami University. Throughout my time in the PW
program, I had the chance to work on fascinating client projects with
incredibly talented classmates and faculty members. Im very proud of the
work Ive done here, and Im also very thankful to have had the opportunity
to spend the last two years as a masters student in the PW program.

Where It All Began

My journey to, through, and out of PW began with a meeting. It was a warm
afternoon during the spring semester of my senior year at Miami (2013). I
had come to meet with MB and a few of the faculty, see the campus, and talk
to a few graduate students, all so I could decide if PW at UC was the program
for me. I sat down with MB, Lisa, and Lora to talk about the program in
general, what kinds of courses I could take, how the program could serve my
interests etc. I honestly dont remember a lot about that conversation other
than that I left with the impression that these were highly educated,
interesting people who were passionate about what they were teaching. And
then I met with a group of three graduate studentsKara Sorrell, Stephanie
Monsanty, and Isaac Thorne.
Walking around campus with the graduate students was great, but I cant say
it was the most memorable part of my visit. It was the moment we sat down
at Catskeller that will forever come to mind when I think of that day. Before I
could even get settled at the table, Kara squared her shoulders, looked me
directly in the eyes, and said, So what can any other school youve gotten
into give you that our program cant offer you? Ill admit that her directness
was a little shocking, but it was also incredibly refreshing. The conversations
that followed showed me that Kara wasnt wrong about PWs ability to deliver
the coursework, skills, and overall atmosphere I was looking for in a program.
As I watched each of the graduate students talk about their experiences in
the classroom, at internships, and with their assistantships, I saw something
that sold me on the program. They talked about the practical experiences I
was looking for, but they talked about it with a light in their eyes. Each and
every one of those students were passionate about the work they were
doing, they were learning top-notch skills, and they were excited about the

future. Thats what I wanted in a program. Thats why I chose to be a part of

PW.

What Ive Learned (and How)

It is not possible to talk about every learning experience Ive had throughout
my two years in the PW programat least in a four-page paper. However, I
will do my best to give an overview of what Ive learned as a PW masters
student. I came to this program to learn the practical skills I felt I was
missing after my career as a creative writing undergraduate student. I knew
that I had a strong writing foundation, but there was room to hone my craft
while learning the valuable technology skills I lacked. Lucky for me, I didnt
only learn technology skills. I learned technology, refined my writing skills,
and practiced the valuable soft skills that are necessary when working with
clients and team members.

Learning the Technology

One of the strengths of the PW program is its ability to turn out writing jacksof-all-trades year after year. Through this program, Ive been exposed to
more types of software and ways to write, edit, display information, design
graphics, and output a product than I thought was possible. Perhaps I was
just living in a creative writing bubble, but PW has broken my idea of
technologyand how I can use itwide open.
My first introduction to the technology-type work Id be doing as a part of the
program was with Online Documentation and Lisa. We were tasked with
creating user guides for the program using HelpNDoc and Madcap Flare.
Between the periodic first semester of grad school freak outs and being a
non-technology person trying to learn two different types of documentation
software, there were moments where I thought I wasnt going to make it.
However, that painful experience taught me that just because I didnt know
what I was doing didnt mean that I couldnt learn. It also taught me that a
large part of learning the technology is about failing. Throughout the
program, I think I learned more by messing everything up and having to fix it
than I did by having everything work smoothly the first time around.
One shining example of screwing it all up and somehow making things
work was in Web Design. When I first started Web Design, I was terrified. It
didnt matter that I had learned most of the creative suite the year before;
starting my second year by learning HTML and CSS was scary. For those of us
that are less comfortable with technology, just the thought of coding is mindblowing. I remember thinking to myself, I have to make a website from
scratch and it has to work?
We read hundreds of pages about the way HTML and CSS works and looked
at examples until I thought my eyes would fall out. But it wasnt until Id

gotten into the code and royally messed everything up that I started to see
how the pieces fell together. I was able to sit at my computer and pair the
theories of web design with the act of moving objects around on the screen.
Our project in Web Design was to create a website for a research group who
had been studying peoples online health information seeking behaviors. We
needed to create a website to display the researchers findings, collect a
group of similar studies, and compile a page of tips to help people searching
for health information online to do so more effectively. Our group didnt have
a lot of coding experience, and we were still able to create a working, usable
website for a real client. That alone was like a badge of honor. I probably
wont end up working in a job that requires extensive knowledge of HTML
and CSS, but because I know the basics, I am able to do things like adjust the
CSS of an existing site. How many writers can say they have the ability to do
that?
An unexpected perk of learning all of this technology was that it brought
some of my other skills to the surface. Ive always been a visual person. I like
beautiful things, I love looking at color schemes, and I draw and paint in my
free time (something I havent had in a few years). I had no idea that through
this program, I would be able to combine some of my artistic skills with my
technical and writing skills. Many of the projects in a variety of classes
required a design element. The projects for Promotional Writing, Information
Design, Web Design, both of my independent studies, and my Capstone class
all did. I designed brochures, logos, infographics, informational documents,
and the layout and design for a 24 page magazine. Through the process of
trial and error, I mastered Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. I also became
known as a design type in many of my groups. This final semester in the
program, I served as the designer in every project I worked on.
I came into the program proclaiming that I had zero computer and
technology skills. I cant do that anymore. Im no tech guru by any sense of
the imagination, but I now have a technological foundation that will allow me
to thrive in any career I choose. I am also leaving with a newfound
fascination for the technical side of professional writing, one that will likely
lead me to keep learning about it.

Refining My Writing
When I started the program, the majority of my experience with writing was
through academic papers, short stories, and poetry. However, I knew that I
needed experience in different aspects of the written word if I was going to
be able to get a job writing in the professional world. As wonderful as my
creative writing experience was, many people in hiring positions doubt the
merits of a creative writer without any practical experience writing serious,
focused communication. PW has given me the opportunity to learn to
analyze an audience, pinpoint its needs, and deliver written and designed
materials that meet those needs.

During the program, I took a variety of writing classes. Not only did I want to
explore the many areas of writing I could make a career out of, I also wanted
to round out my writing portfolio. In Intro, I learned to write a research report.
In Editing Professional Documents, I learned to edit at the substantive and
copy level, and also to work on a longer editing project. In Health & Medical
writing, I learned the conventions of a medical writing press release and
longer article. In Promotional Writing, I learned to write advertising copy and
strategic marketing plans. Then I spent time writing turnover documents,
social media posts, and updating content in an internship. Every writing
class I took taught me something new about the power of the written word.
The combination of these experiences left me with the ability to write
focused, concise communications for actual clients.
I think one of the most important lessons I learned about writing through PW
is that all writing has to serve an audience and fulfill a purpose. There wasnt
a class that went by without a discussion of audience analysis and the
purpose of a particular project. I learned how to search for demographic
information, create personas, and research the needs of a particular group of
people as it applies to the project at hand. Without the ability to successfully
analyze an audience, its impossible to create a project that is effective. If I
left the program with no other knowledge than this, I would be far ahead of
many people. Thankfully, Im leaving with much more knowledge than
audience analysis.

Learning the Soft Skills

While it isnt a formal topic in the programthere were no classes on the
logistics of teamwork, collaboration, or project managementI feel as if it
wouldnt truly be a look at my time in PW without talking about the soft
skills Ive learned as a part of it. In most classes, there was an aspect of
collaboration, whether it was for a short presentation, a brief research
project, or a semester long deliverable. While not all experiences were
positive, there was something to learn from every interaction with my
classmates and the clients we worked for. I am leaving this program with the
ability to work with a diverse group of talented professionals. Ive worked
with people twice my age, with people who have much more technical skill
than I do, and with people who dont always respect the expertise I bring to
the table. I learned to advocate for myself as a professional writer in a
respectful manner, to help integrate my own skills into a team, and to
identify the situations in which I should take the lead and those in which I
should follow.
One of the best collaboration experiences Ive ever had was in my
Information Design class. I worked with Jenna Beall, who is in the PW
program, and Max Winters, who will be graduating this year with his Master
of Architecture degree. We worked well together because each of us was a

strong team member, a hard worker, and had a diverse skill set. Jenna is one
of the most organized people Ive ever met and has a keen eye for editing. I
am a strong writer and designer. Max brought an entirely new perspective
and an exciting sense of creativity to our group. I spent the semester wading
through health data with both of my team members, and I couldnt have
been happier about it. We divided tasks well, made quick design decisions,
and combined our different perspectives to produce creative infographics
and reports. It taught me what an effective team could accomplish, which
made all of the other difficulties collaborating in other groups worth it.
Learning what works and what doesnt in a group atmosphere is a key aspect
of becoming a more successful writer and employee.

Looking Back
Making my way through PW was simultaneously the most terrifying and
rewarding experience of my entire life. There were ups and downs, but I
wouldnt give up this experience for anything in the world. When I started
the program, my goal was to learn the technology that would make me a
better writer and a more well-rounded job applicant. I feel that Ive achieved
that goal. But I also feel like Ive achieved much more. Through this program,
Ive learned to work effectively with people of all ages, experience levels,
and backgrounds. Ive had the opportunity to work with clients and faculty
who have given me new perspective on working relationships and the act of
learning itself. Most of all, Ive learned more about who I am as a writer and
what type of writer I would like to become. Because of this program, the
faculty, and my fellow students, I am well on my way to becoming that
writer. For that, I am eternally grateful.