Alumni Coffee House Unites Fresh Faces and Department Grads

by Zoë Roos Scheuerman ’24

On November 16th, 2022, English majors, minors, and department friends gathered on Old Main 4 for another cozy Coffee House – except that this time, their ranks included not just English majors past and future, but also majors past! Several alumni came to share their advice and experiences after Mac, chat casually with students, and enjoy some delicious mocktails, expertly crafted by the department’s student workers. Among the alumni’s ranks were Sophie Hilker ‘20, Miriam Moore-Keish ‘19, Jackson Ullman ’21, Danielle Freshwaters ‘22, and the Word staff’s beloved former editor, Kira Shukar ‘22! Nora Stewart ‘21 also made a surprise appearance, stopping in to say hello at the beginning of the event. 

A running theme throughout the event was the diversity of alums’ post-Mac jobs. Hilker, who is also the older sister of beloved department student worker Winnie and a former department student worker herself, now works in Mac’s Alumni Engagement office. Moore-Keish became a published author after attending graduate school, and she dropped off copies of her newest poetry chapbook, Clearance Philosophy, that can be found in the English office for anyone interested! Ullman currently works in taxes and accounting, Freshwaters is now an assistant coach for Macalester’s cross-country teams as well as a chef at Minneapolis Cider Company, and Shukar, after a stint in legal

nonprofit work, has transitioned to working in podcasting. Stewart, who worked in the Minneapolis Institute of Art part-time before graduation, has started a full time position at MIA. 

Nobody claimed to have everything figured out – when Jan asked if any of the alumni had words of wisdom, several semi-jokingly responded with “no,” which prompted laughter and nodding. However, they were nevertheless able to offer students invaluable advice. Moore-Keish, for example, offered tips on where and how emerging authors can submit their work for publication, and Shukar dished out good advice to this Words author about how to manage a literature honors project. 

A massive thank you to all the alumni who came to Coffee House for their time, insights, and great company! The Words staff can’t wait to see where your journeys take you next, and we hope to see you again soon.