Will Donnelly helps students write the next chapters of their lives.
As the career services coordinator for the School of Public and International Affairs, Donnelly ensures that students have the tools and resources to guide them into their professional careers. From information about graduate school programs to connecting students with hiring organizations, Donnelly knows exactly how to help students take those first steps.
“By helping students further their own careers, I’m contributing to help make the world a better place,” he said.
Donnelly has always had an interest in envisioning a better world. In 2000, he graduated from William & Mary University with a bachelor’s degree in international relations and economic development. He later attended the University of Iowa to pursue a master’s degree in fiction writing before graduating from the University of Houston with a doctorate in literature and creative writing in 2013 with a focus on dystopian literature.
After obtaining his doctorate, Donnelly spent almost 10 years at Berry College teaching creative writing. He eventually decided that he wanted to continue working with students, but not as a faculty member. Now, Donnelly finds that his background influences his outlook on his job as the career services coordinator.
“There is a connection between my background in international affairs and creative writing,” he said. “My interest in literature and writing is in dystopian and post-apocalyptic literature, so things like public policy and international affairs play into the way that we imagine a world that we might like.”
Will Donnelly, left, talks about internships with undergraduate student Adam Lee. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)
In his role, Donnelly frequently meets with students, discussing topics such as résumés and cover letters. He also shares advice on the various job markets and graduate school opportunities they may be considering. With many students searching for internships around the globe, Donnelly is able to connect them with programs as close as Athens or as far as Malaysia.
“We have a number of partners here in Athens, but we also have internships in other parts of the state, other parts of the United States and in other parts of the world,” he said. “We’ve got a couple of international internships that are going to happen this coming spring in New Zealand and Malaysia, so I help to facilitate those and help get students paid for the work that they do.”
No matter what stage of their education a student is in, Donnelly enjoys helping them plan for their future. He considers the many changes students are going through like experiencing the new freedoms and choices that come with college and helps them feel more comfortable taking chances.
“In some ways, it’s the first time in a person’s life when the path is not completely planned ahead of them,” Donnelly said. “If I can make a student feel better about their future, I think that’s probably the most important thing that I do.”
When he’s not helping to guide the next generation, Donnelly spends his time watching movies, reading books and writing. He recently took on the task of founding a writer’s workshop called Avid Writers’ Collective, a place for writers to meet once a month to critique each other’s submitted works.
“It’s a lot like what I used to do in the classroom,” Donnelly said. “I like this because there are no grades and it’s a little more freeform and casual.”
Looking back on his own experiences in international relations and literature studies and now working in career services, Donnelly advises students to study the subjects that interest them the most.
“You don’t have to do the thing that you studied in your graduate degree,” Donnelly said. “It doesn’t trap you in a certain field. The idea is to help you learn how to think, how to organize your time and how to move your brain in different directions.”
With Donnelly’s advice and resources, students can feel more confident when turning the page to their futures.
