From English major to the Coast Guard
This story is part of an occasional series, Why Liberal Arts, that explores how a liberal arts education helps people grow as thinkers and leaders and opens doors to meaningful careers.
Courtney Woodley ’05 uses her English degree every day as a contracting officer with the U.S. Coast Guard, where reading, writing, and critical thinking guide multimillion dollar decisions.
“I tell people all the time, if you don’t like reading or writing, this field might not be for you,” Woodley said. “That’s why my English degree has been one of my greatest assets.”
Discovering English
When Woodley arrived at Virginia Tech in the early 2000s, she wasn’t sure what direction to take. Enrolled in university studies, she gravitated toward English courses. After an academic advisor pointed out that she had already accumulated enough credits for a minor, Woodley turned to her love of reading and writing and declared an English major in language, literature, and culture.
“I had no clue what I wanted to do,” she said. “I just knew English was something I could succeed in. I’ve always had a strong love of reading and writing, so it just made sense.”
Teaching English
After graduating, Woodley returned home to Hampton Roads, Virginia, to teach English. She spent about seven years teaching in classrooms, first at a high school in Virginia Beach and later at a middle school in Portsmouth.
Although she loved teaching, Woodley began to feel the strain of burnout.
“I couldn’t see myself making a whole career out of it,” she said.
Pivot to contracting
Both of Woodley’s parents worked in the contracting field and encouraged her to consider federal service. To qualify for contracting positions, she needed additional business coursework. She returned to school and earned her MBA from Averett University in 2013.
That degree led to her first federal role with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She began as a GS-9 contract specialist, an entry-level position, and advanced to GS-12, supporting government projects through contract review and management.
From there, she joined the Military Sealift Command, part of the U.S. Navy, where she advanced to GS-13 and managed multimillion dollar contracts supporting Navy ships and operations.
Woodley later became a supervisor at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, overseeing a team of contracting professionals for two years before moving to her current role with the U.S. Coast Guard.
As a contracting officer, she reviews, negotiates, and awards contracts from start to finish making sure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly.
“Some people describe our field as always putting out fires for the government,” she said. “Urgent needs can come up fast, and you have to act.”
One of her proudest moments has been seeing the results of her work firsthand.
“I’d hear updates about major carriers like the USS Truman or the Ford or the USS Bush and know the contracts I worked on helped make them,” she said. “It made me feel like we had something to do with that."
The English advantage
Woodley credits her English background for her success in contracting.
“Even when I first started, I undervalued English because there were so many voices saying, ‘What are you going to do [for a career.]' People don’t see how valuable we are until they need us,” she said. “Contracting requires a lot of reading and a lot of writing. That’s why my English background was so helpful.”
Her reputation for strong writing and editing followed her to graduate school. While earning her MBA, her classmates quickly realized her skills were indispensable.
“We had a lot of group projects, and at the end of the day, they always sent everything to me because they knew I could put it together,” she said.
Even today her colleagues joke about her meticulous editing.
“They tell me all the time, when something goes through me for review, they expect all the red squiggly lines and track changes," she said. "It’s daunting at first, but they appreciate it.”
Advice for students
Woodley encourages current students to remain open to possibilities.
“Keep an open mind, because I had no idea I was going to go this route,” she said. “English majors are prepared for more than they realize. Every field requires you to know how to read, write, communicate, and be creative. This major makes you well‑rounded. It allows you to branch out and do just about anything.”
By Hannah Baum, a triple major in Professional and Technical Writing, Creative Writing, and English Literature
