What is your job/position?
Project manager. I work from home for a state of Utah authority on military and economic development.
Describe the path that took you from your American Studies degree to your current career or life situation.
I have always been deeply interested in politics and government. I remained casually tapped into that space while having and raising my four young children. In 2017, I began a master's degree that ultimately led me to the University of Utah in Public Administration. I met my future boss in my very first class, human resources, and got hired on as an intern in 2019, graduated in 2020 and have been working on the Mayflower Project in Wasatch County ever since.
What are the specific competencies you cultivated as an American Studies student that you now use in your professional life and that set you apart from your colleagues?
Objectivity and the ability to synthesize abstract concepts.
What are some of the surprising ways in which your American Studies degree has helped you in your professional or personal life?
My degree taught me how to be curious and think critically.
What do you wish you had known as an American Studies student? What advice would you share with current students?
Study what you are interested in. Follow the next right step and you will find your way. Just do the next right thing in front of you.
*You can contact Ashley with questions about her American Studies story at aaburr@gmail.com.