Home > Department of Literature Blog > Oh, the places you can go: Meet Brittany Gates (Alumni Interview)

Oh, the places you can go: Meet Brittany Gates (Alumni Interview)

December 16, 2019

Today’s interview features Brittany Gates, a 2004 graduate. In addition to the work she does in Information Technology (IT), Brittany is also an author of two books and she hosts a blog.

What are you doing now? What paths led you to this point?

I’m currently working at Twitter as a Site Operations Technician. What led me here is my passion for technology. Plus, I’ve done work in several data centers and thought this would fit me well. It does.

Did you major or minor in English? How did your English education shape you?

I majored in English, and my English education shaped my logic and critical thinking skills. With the Internet, we as people are flooded by information. Some information is real; some is fake. My education at GSU helps me every day because I actually think about my choices, and how those affect me short-term and long-term.

What advice would you give to current English students or students considering English as a major or minor?

I’m not of the belief this degree is worthless or you can’t make a living from it. The Technology field needs Liberal Arts majors now, as we work well as developers, programmers, testers and technical writers. I highly suggest that English majors minor in IT.

Can you tell us what’s on your bookshelf? Or, if you’d like, tell us about a book you read–recently or not-so-recently–that you would call a “favorite.”

I’m currently reading an old hardback edition of “The Short Novels of John Steinbeck” I bought from a used bookstore from my visit to Washington, D.C. in 2018.