Nyah Bruce

Double Major | Creative Writing & Business

Nyah Bruce had her mind set on studying business at Emory. But soon after coming to the university, she saw many of her classmates working on double majors. Bruce had a little flexibility in her schedule, so she decided to explore her options and get as much out of her academic experience as possible. She tried Spanish. Then sociology. And then the third time was the charm as she took an introductory fiction writing class from visiting creative writing fellow Cassie Gonzales.

“I had written a little in high school, so I expected to enjoy the class,” Bruce says. “But I loved it so much, I found myself rushing to complete the assignments outside of class.” She declared her double major in creative writing that semester. Since then she has taken two writing classes from professor and author Tiphanie Yanique. “Anything she teaches, I wanted to take it,” Bruce says. She’s also had classes with author Tayari Jones and poet Nick Sturm, two additional members of Emory’s renowned creative writing faculty.

Simultaneously, Bruce has been indulging a completely different side of her brain and personality at Goizueta Business School. “I love my business classes in marketing and organizational management, too, but they are very different, very analytical,” she says. Bruce is finding out that her double majors complement each other very well. “My business knowledge helps me add structure to my writing, and my improving writing skills help me become a better business communicator,” she says. “Also, the students in both fields of study offer very different perspectives and I’ve grown from being around such a diverse group of people. In the writing world, in particular, I’ve learned a lot about empathy and its importance in storytelling. Conversely, in business, the analytical skills I’ve developed help me be a better creative problem solver.”

Both majors will suit her well as she plans to graduate next spring and head to New York City, where she’s already landed a consulting job with McKinsey. “Long-term, I see my career being focused in marketing, where I can really pull from both my creative writing and business background,” Bruce says. “And maybe someday I’ll write that novel or book of short stories.”