“[UMUC] helped me transition from a career in engineering and allowed me to pursue my real passion—the study of literature.”

- Mary Wearn, UMUC Alumna
English Major
School of Undergraduate Studies

MyUMUC Story:

Mary Wearn Follows Her Dreams To Become Teacher and Published Author

By Stephanie Edwards

UMUC Alumna Mary Wearn had already begun a career in engineering when she realized that following her dreams meant following a different career path. That’s when she turned to UMUC. Today she is the proud author of her first book, and even teaches the subject she loves most.

After deciding to change her career path, she looked into UMUC’s undergraduate English program. She tackled the program head on and excelled at her new-found passion. For her excellence and dedication, Wearn was awarded a Presidential Scholarship to help cover the cost of education. She explained that the scholarship was a real help in funding her education, since she had two small children at home when she began her back-to-school journey.

“[UMUC] helped me transition from a career in engineering and allowed me to pursue my real passion—the study of literature,” said Wearn.

After graduating from UMUC in 1992 with a BA in English, Wearn went on to achieve her PhD in English and to become an assistant professor of English at Macon State College.

In 2007, she published her first book, “Negotiating Motherhood in Nineteenth-Century American Literature.” The book examines maternal figures in the works Stowe, Hawthorne, Jacobs, and Piattt, and examines her career-changing passion—classic literature.

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