Adele Talbot: Tech Comm Graduate Program Studies in Louisiana

Hello! I am Adele Talbot from Louisiana in the United States. I am a graduate student at Louisiana Tech University pursuing a degree in English and Technical Communication and Writing. I began my studies at Louisiana Tech University and continued in Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway during an exchange program in the fall of 2025.

How I Started

Technical communications changed my academic trajectory. At the start of my college career, I hardly knew what program of study I wanted to pursue until I was introduced to the topic of technical communication and writing. My academic advisor and instructor suggested taking a technical writing course and beginning a focused study in Technical Communications and Writing once I expressed my interest in editorial and technical work, and my disinterest in pursuing a literature degree.

I’ve enjoyed so much of technical writing – textual analysis, visual design, editing – and I firmly believe it is what I was meant to do. I’ve always had an eye for detail and strive for clarity in my written work. Technical communication allows me both to hone my analysis skills and to explore trending and complex topics such as AI usage in academics and youth behavioral studies.

Technical Communication Experiences

Though my time as a technical writer and communicator has been brief, I’ve already learned so much from the opportunities provided to me. In the fall of 2025, for example, I participated in the first Technical Communication exchange program between Louisiana Tech and Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway. This exchange provided my first exposure to an international community in technical communication.

My Work as a Technical Writer

I’ve also served as an intern for different U.S. companies. My first exposure to professional technical writing was as an intern for a technology development company where I worked creating and documenting marketing pieces. Currently, I am interning as an assistant editor on a technical communications textbook for an online academic publishing company, and I also work as an editor for my university’s student literary journal.

In sum, editorial and publishing work has become my passion and is the career path I have chosen.

What I Have Learned From My Experiences

My time studying abroad in Norway gave me first-hand insight into how international technical communicators interact and operate. Essentially, we are more similar than different, especially regarding discussion topics. Global trends in the field, for example, have focused heavily on AI and AI usage in various fields and at various levels. Related international discussions range from the positive changes AI might bring about in global business, to the damaging effects AI products may have on human development and the environment. In many aspects, the United States is so different from other countries that I was pleasantly surprised to find so few differences in communication styles.

Community and the Future

From a more local level, I am not aware of a U.S.-based technical communication communities beyond my university program, but with the guidance of an academic advisor, I am becoming aware of career-shaping opportunities, such as writing for this blog. My participation in the Norwegian exchange program has opened global doors for me as well, and I am looking forward to attending conferences nearby and abroad, like those hosted by NORDIC TechKomm.

As a young member of the community, I have much to learn from those shaping the conversation and future of the field. I wish to continue to explore and participate in the community on a global level.