Madison Magiera ’19

Madison Magiera ’19 majored in English and minored in sociology with a criminology focus. During her time at Valpo, she was a member of the Chi Omega sorority, an admissions intern, a tutor in the writing center, a recruitment counselor, and a member of the dance team. On her time with these organizations and her various positions, Magiera states, “I felt like everyone was really welcoming. Valpo was somewhere that I could see myself really blossoming.”

Magiera was also a part of the University Capstone (CAPS) program. Through this program, she received an internship with Water to Thrive, a nonprofit organization based in Austin, Texas that brings clean, safe water to communities in Africa. Water to Thrive was an amazing opportunity for Magiera to use all the knowledge and experience she gained from her time at Valpo to help other communities. Magiera shares her motivation, “Helping others – I feel like I’ve really found that to be my passion through the CAPS program.”

Following the program, she was offered a full-time position with the organization. This job consisted of outreach and communications, where she wrote communication on behalf of the nonprofit. “I was writing brochures, annual reports, emails, and social media posts … using all of the reading and writing skills that I got from my English degree,” Magiera says. Still located in Austin, Texas, she now works for a marketing agency as a digital marketing growth strategist. Magiera states, “I still do a ton of writing, like copywriting and content creation, and that’s still really my favorite part of the job.”

When discussing the courses she took at Valpo, Magiera thanks her English professors. “All of the courses that I took as an English major, just to really strengthen my writing skills, are still super helpful and super applicable to what I do now,” Magiera states. She highlights one course in particular, a senior seminar class she took with Professor Richard Sévère that discussed themes of intersectionality. She also praises Professor John Ruff and his continuous support and encouragement. Magiera states, “I had a really great relationship with pretty much all my professors, and I still keep in touch with them from time to time, which is really sweet.”

Overall, Magiera thanks the sociology and English departments for fostering environments that offer “eye-opening experiences.” She believes that courses in these two disciplines allow students the opportunity to hear stories they may have never been exposed to. Magiera advises current Valpo students, “Honor what is most important to you. Enjoy your time; don’t rush it. Stay true to what your passion is, and you’ll figure out a way to make that work.”

Written by: Katie Oehmke ’25

Originally published in the fall 2023 edition of The Lodestar, Valparaiso University’s English department newsletter. Since this article was published, Madison has continued to shine – she is currently pursuing a law degree at Arizona State University.