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Allison Clayton

  • Class

    Class of 2022

  • Program

    B.A. in Rhetoric & English ( College of Liberal Arts )

  • Quick Intro

    Allison has been digging deeply into messages since her childhood as a voracious reader in Blue Springs, Mississippi. By majoring in Rhetoric, with a second major in English, she has sharpened her skills in analyzing all types of texts and discovered a passion for crafting her own. She is a recipient of the McCullouch-Greer Writing and Rhetoric Scholarship.
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  2. Allison Clayton

Alumni Spotlight

Since graduating, Allison Clayton has been working at the digital marketing agency Lizard SEM. She began as a content writer just two months after graduation and has since advanced to the role of content and SEO specialist. In this position, she creates search engine-optimized blog content, manages social media for clients, writes copy for digital campaigns, and works to improve web visibility—often helping pest control companies land on the first page of Google search results. Though she never imagined writing about bugs would be part of her career, Allison has found a real passion for the field of SEO. She credits the Community Writing and Collaborative Communication courses in the Department of Writing and Rhetoric for preparing her to succeed in a fast-paced, client-focused industry. From creating engaging content to developing strong communication skills, she says the program gave her the tools she needed to thrive. Grateful for her time at UM, she proudly shares her Ole Miss experience with her remote coworkers and continues to be an enthusiastic advocate for the Writing and Rhetoric program.

Why did you choose to major in rhetoric?

Rhetoric, simply put, is the art of discourse, whether in an academic setting or in everyday life. I see studying it as an opportunity to enhance my understanding of why and how rhetoric influences an audience and how creators either fail or succeed in their rhetorical endeavors. Doing so enables me to potentially learn and apply these techniques myself.

What was it like taking a combination of speech, writing, and theory classes?

It felt very eye-opening to see how seemingly different courses overlap. These classes really inform each other and help fill in the blanks to a bigger picture you perhaps didn’t realize was missing.

Has your study of rhetoric had value outside of your academic and professional worlds?

It has made me realize the power that words wield when you know who your audience is. If you have informed intentions, you can truly persuade an audience to see your perspective and maybe even agree with you. In fact, you are seeing many companies today face this struggle as they attempt to have remote workers return to the office.

What are your plans for the future?

I mainly plan to go into the writing industry. I want to be open-minded and allow myself to try out a variety of jobs within that industry such as public relations, paralegal, journalist, copywriting, etc.