As our Board fondly reminds attendees at each annual Sigma Tau Delta convention, Sigma Tau Delta is a lifelong condition. Your one-time, lifetime membership fee earns you access to Society membership benefits for life. Below are some of the alumni opportunities available to aid members in continuing to engage with Sigma Tau Delta after your graduation.
Going to Graduate School?
Sigma Tau Delta members who plan to pursue graduate school—either immediately following undergrad or after a break from school—can transition their membership seamlessly.
Transferring Membership
Check to see if your new institution has an active Sigma Tau Delta chapter. If so, once the semester begins reach out to your new chapter’s Advisor to learn about any chapter-specific membership requirements like local dues and prepare to dive into your new home.
Starting a New Chapter
If you happen to be transferring to an institution lacking an active chapter, you can reach out to faculty about reactivating an old chapter or creating a new one. However, your continued involvement with the Society is not dependent upon a faculty member committing to chartering a chapter.
Graduate and Alumni Scholarship Opportunities
- Continuing Education Scholarship: Alumni members are eligible to apply for up to $2,500 to further their education on a part-time or non-degree-seeking basis in programs of study that are consistent with Sigma Tau Delta’s mission.
- First-Year Graduate Scholarships: Sigma Tau Delta offers the First-Year Graduate Scholarship to support students who plan to begin a first year of graduate school in the fall. Students who are currently in their senior year of undergraduate study and will graduate this year or members who have previously earned a baccalaureate degree but have not previously been enrolled in a graduate program are eligible to apply for this scholarship.
- Graduate Scholarship: Sigma Tau Delta offers the Graduate Scholarship in honor of Edwin L. Stockton, Jr., Past-President, who served for 18 years. Members are eligible for this scholarship if they will be enrolled in an English-related graduate program during fall of the coming academic year.
Graduate Awards, Grants, and Internship Opportunities
- Scholarly Paper Awards for Graduate Students: Sigma Tau Delta will award up to $250 for the best graduate student scholarly paper presented at a non-Sigma Tau Delta professional, academic conference. The paper must be on an English-related subject.
- Sigma Tau Delta Journals (Publication): The Sigma Tau Delta journals publish annually the best writing and criticism by undergraduate and graduate members of Sigma Tau Delta at active chapters.
- Sigma Tau Delta Journals (Awards): The best writing is chosen, from hundreds of submissions, for publication. Not only do these publications go to chapters worldwide, but they also honor the best writing in each category, with six awards totaling $2,500.
- Hispanic Heritage Month Poetry Writing Challenge: This opportunity amplifies underrepresented voices and fosters inclusive literary engagement that honors the diverse experiences of Hispanic and Latine communities.
- Lambda Iota Tau (LIT) Research Grant: LIT Research Grants are designed to support individual members at the undergraduate or graduate level as they complete original research that furthers the goals of the Society. Grant money of up to $1,000, with up to $500 for runners-up, will support travel to and use of archives or collections important to their research.
- Sigma Tau Delta Journal Internship: A paid three-month internship opportunity is available with the Sigma Tau Delta Journals. This opportunity will provide a minimum of two Sigma Tau Delta student members (undergraduate or graduate) with editorial and publication experience.
- Penguin Random House Internship: Priority Selection Application: The Penguin Random House internship program offers candidates the opportunity to work in the Penguin Random House Adult & Children’s divisions, attend weekly professional development programming, and learn about the world of publishing.
- Community Service Internship Stipend: Sigma Tau Delta offers funding for current undergraduate and graduate student members accepting internships for which their expenses exceed what they will be paid.
Graduate and Alumni Internship Opportunities
Sigma Tau Delta now offers two internship opportunities to alumni members who are no longer students.
- W. W. Norton & Company Internship: Priority Selection Application: Sigma Tau Delta is partnering with the W. W. Norton college division to offer Sigma Tau Delta students the opportunity to gain experience in college/university publishing through a paid 12-week internship program.
- Lambda Literary Internship Opportunities: Sigma Tau Delta partners with Lambda Literary to offer internship opportunities to graduate students and alumni with the organization. Interns currently support the Lammy Awards and the Writers Retreat.
Past Internship Recipient Blogs
Check out blog posts submitted by past recipients of various Sigma Tau Delta internship opportunities to gain inspiration for your internship applications.
View: Past Internship Recipient Blogs
Beginning a Teaching Career?
Sigma Tau Delta offers awards and grants for Sigma Tau Delta graduates who are embarking on a new career as an educator:
- P.C. Somerville Awards for Future Teachers: These awards, named in honor of Sigma Tau Delta’s first President, are for active members who will begin their first year of teaching elementary, middle, or high school English. Applicants should demonstrate academic scholarship, chapter service, and an aptitude for teaching to apply for this $2,000 award.
- Classroom Library Grants: These grants are offered to our alumni members who are early-career English teachers and have been teaching in a Middle School or High School classroom for five years or fewer. That is, applicants may or may not be recent college graduates; the Classroom Library Grant is intended to help new Middle School and High School teachers, whether in their first years out of college or in the first years of a second career, to build a classroom library for their students.
Beyond the Ivory Tower
If your future does not lie within academia, there is still a home for you within the Sigma Tau Delta community and a wealth of ways for you to continue to connect as an alum.
Lambda Literary Judging
Sigma Tau Delta works with Lambda Literary to offer a range of opportunities to graduates and alumni. These include opportunities to judge for the prestigious Lambda Literary Awards.
Lifelong Learning Program
Sigma Tau Delta is thrilled to partner with the University of Cambridge, UK, offering access to Lifelong Learning Summer Courses in the arts and humanities at the prestigious Girton College, Cambridge. The immersive courses are designed to enrich your academic and professional growth while offering a unique opportunity to experience the inspiring environment of Cambridge.
Networking Opportunities
- Discord: In an effort to further extend Sigma Tau Delta community and to promote networking and conversation, the Alumni Representatives, along with the Central Office, have created a Sigma Tau Delta Discord. We encourage recent and upcoming graduates to join our server and begin building community for benefits such as job-searching, talent-swapping, community-building, and fun!
- LinkedIn: The Sigma Tau Delta LinkedIn company page is the perfect environment to share advice on the job market, career opportunities for English majors, suggestions for nailing a job interview, and tips and tricks on indie publishing. Additionally, LinkedIn’s extensive networking platform and job listings make it the perfect resource for entering the job market.
- Alumni Facebook Group: This group is open to all Sigma Tau Delta alumni as a means of maintaining Society ties. The group posts field-related articles as well as updates on Society events such as the convention, job opportunities, advice on the job market, and publishing opportunities.
Publishing
English Careers Blog Series: Consider submitting a blog to WORDY by Nature to share how you are using your English degree with your fellow Sigma Tau Delta members. Sharing real stories from English majors on the diverse ways they are using their degree helps to validate future generations of English majors in their decision to pursue this course of study.
