Allison (Small) Lawruk is a Religion major who graduated from Gettysburg College in 2003. After graduation she spent a year in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, a national Christian service organization, serving as a bilingual case worker at a maternity home for teenage mothers in Washington, DC. Allison spent the next several years working in a variety of writing, research and editing roles for three magazines: Crisis, Prevention, and Runner’s World. She also worked as an online communications consultant for the Washington-based International Downtown Association, a member organization for urban planners in Washington, DC. Currently, Allison is caring for her infant daughter Jordan, doing freelance projects, and going to The Johns Hopkins University part-time for a master’s degree in secondary school counseling. Allison describes the value of her Religion major in these words:
The Gettysburg College religion major prepared me well for my work in both journalism and human services. I majored in religion because it offered me opportunities to explore so many interesting areas of study: ethics, history, sociology, theology, and politics, to name a few. Gettysburg professors asked difficult questions and, in turn, taught me the importance of thoughtful reflection and informed analysis. Asking good questions, examining human needs, and understanding different worldviews formed the foundation of my study of religion. And these three skills have guided my work in both human services and journalism.”
Lauren Passell went straight to Rome after she graduated with a major in Religion in 2006. There she took Italian classes at La Scuola Leonardo da Vinci and earned a Diploma Avanzato di Lingua Italiana. Lauren left Italy to take an internship with Parenting magazine in New York City. At the conclusion of her internship in 2007 she was hired by the magazine as Editorial Assistant. She now holds the position of Assistant Editor of Parenting magazine. Lauren admits:
Unfortunately, I don’t get to apply what I learned studying the Gospel of John or the Book of Revelation to my work at Parenting magazine. But having that religious studies background, I think, has made me a more interesting person. In New York, there are people from all over, with many different religious backgrounds. I love talking to them about what I’ve learned and finding out about their faith and opinions. All the writing that is required in the religion major is very helpful, too. My job requires lots of writing, reading, summarizing, and re-writing. The fact that I can make clean arguments and support my writing is helpful in everything as insignificant as an e-mail to my boss. I'm also a more conscientious reader, thanks to alllllll those books I read at Gettysburg.”