American Studies Alumni Stories
59 results found
BENJAMIN TINGEY
“Because of my American Studies training, I can approach a business problem or opportunity and consider the multiple viewpoints and interplay of various stakeholders, regulations, financial constraints, clinical processes, technologies, behavioral economics, and more.”
KATIE KRUMHOLZ
“After college, what you studied is often less important to employers than what skills you gained from studying.”
TYLER JOHNSON
“On [my] podcast [The Doctor’s Art], I engage with a wide variety of guests, and my ability to discuss issues ranging from religion to ethics to cultural history to literature is the only thing that allows the podcast to be what it is.”
JOSH DAVIS
“Being a generalist in multiple fields is extremely useful as a lawyer. The cases and transactions that a BigLaw lawyer deals with can span across a number of industries and subjects.”
JULIE JOHNSON
“My American Studies training taught me about people—from the stories we tell in our communities to maintain a collective identity to what we spend money on or how we create art.”
MATT BUNKER
“My American Studies degree taught me how to think critically and consider more than one perspective. Those skills are critical when managing people and decision making.”
MIKE MAUGHAN
“I had to get up to speed quickly, contribute meaningfully, and view the world from many different angles.”
MCKINNEY WHEELER
“The writing abilities I cultivated in the American Studies program are far and away the most critical competency that has set me apart as a law student and lawyer. I appreciated that I developed the ability to write in different styles (the requirements for an English paper are very different than the expectations for history paper or political science paper, for example—American Studies majors have to juggle them all).”
BRADY EARLY
“American Studies gave me many opportunities to write in a variety of forms and contexts. Writing is the lifeblood of what I do every day in my job in addition to research.”
MARYDAWN CHRISTENSON BARNARD
“There are multiple roads that can take you to what you want to do. American Studies was the most fun path for me and may fit your journey just right.”
CHRISTIAN SAGERS
“A holistic view of the American experience was invaluable while writing and editing for Deseret News.”
JACOB MANSFIELD
“The writing skills, ability to listen, and ability to correctly convey a patient's desire are all things I have excelled at thanks to my skills I've developed as an American Studies major.”
SUSIE MCGANN
“I didn't want to specialize in one thing but wanted to understand how everything worked. I now realize that it was this interest in connections and relationships that drew me to the major.”
MARCUS VANDERHOLM
“In my job, I often have to learn how an unfamiliar industry works in just a couple days so I can then start cracking the problem . . . . I’ve been told by supervisors that I’m really good at this part of the job, and I credit my major and how it taught me to learn the essentials fast.”
TC CORLESS
“You will do better in whatever job you are in if you read a lot of varied information.”
JESSICA NELSON
“I think that having a lot of context . . . for the American experience is so helpful. It has enriched my life and given me the lenses to see things that are familiar in a new way.”
LIAM SMITH
“In an interdisciplinary major like American Studies, you have to be quick to learn and master new disciplines. That has helped me immensely as a lawyer.”
CHRISTINA THOMAS
“Let's say American Studies helps cultivate a competency in openness. The major allows almost everything, it seems, to be on the table and worth exploring and studying.”
ZACH WEAVER
“The size of the major offered me a chance to be a "big fish in a small pond" and really distinguish myself from my peers in ways that other, more populated majors just couldn't.”
CHRISTA WOODALL
“American Studies challenged me more than my ‘day job’ major did and kept me more engaged in my education.”
REBECCA CARLSON LANDES
“It has been critical for me to consider many perspectives when working with diverse colleagues and sponsors. I believe that being able to have that shifting perspective has allowed me mobility and longevity within my organization.”
DAVE DIXON
“Of course earning a living is important, but gaining the kind of interdisciplinary education you get with an American Studies degree will give you opportunities that will lead you to interesting and unexpected places in life.”
LINDA EVANS
“Most people in this major want to work in politics or in DC . . . but that's not the only path. Pick the areas in the major you're most interested in and get really knowledgeable in them while developing excellent analysis, research, and writing skills.”
ANONYMOUS ALUMNUS
“The course offerings encourage a diversity of course types across a range of subjects that force you to be comfortable with context switching and employing a wide variety of tools for problem solving.”
NICHOLAS SHRUM
“My American Studies degree has helped me . . . by developing a more keen awareness of class, race, and gender/sexuality, and how power operates and is constructed in society.”
ALEA DUFORD
“I lovingly called my American Studies major the "Lego major" because it is so customizable.”
JASON GROVER
“One emphasis of my American Studies major that resonates in my professional day-to-day is interdisciplinary fluency.”
ERIC DAVIS
“Several people warned me that American Studies wouldn’t offer many career opportunities, but I persisted nonetheless. It was very much worth it!”
SUSANNAH THOMAS
“Be very intentional about taking classes in as many different subject areas as possible. The breadth of knowledge over many subjects will be a valuable asset through the rest of your lives.”
JACOB HAWKINS
“American Studies provided me with a unique language to navigate spiritual and political issues.”
JANIE SANDBERG
“I majored in American Studies because I loved being able to tailor my major to my interests.”
PAUL LAMBERT
“Understanding the inputs or ingredients of American society has been so valuable, not just professionally but also when it comes to engaging with my communities.”
ELIZABETH LARSEN
“My degree gave me valuable critical thinking skills and a greater empathy for the life experiences of others. This benefits me as a mother, wife, friend, and member of society.”
BRYCE NOBLES
“Being able to jump into a new subject matter for a semester and then shift gears to a different topic the following semester from another class teaches you how to get quickly caught up to speed.”
OLIVIA MAYNES
“My American Studies degree helped me realize that I was a good writer and wanted to further my education.”
VERLAN LEWIS
“As an American Studies major, I learned how to synthesize scholarship from a diversity of disciplines, including history, literature, and political science.”
AUDREY PIERCE
“American Studies has given me a vast knowledge of politics, economics, history, and the arts that have helped me connect and network with people in the workplace, which has led me to positions I have had.”
CRAIG YUGAWA
“American Studies allowed me the credit hour leeway to pursue my premed coursework and my humanities work at the same time.”
AMANDA POPPE HORNE
“One thing I like about my degree is that it is lesser known so I am often given the opportunity to explain my skill set in more depth in interviews.”
LAWRENCE TUTTLE
“American Studies had the flexibility to mold my academic path to fit my legal interests.”
ASHLEY ALLRED BURR
“My degree taught me how to be curious and think critically.”
TODD HENDERSON
“American Studies taught me how to read, analyze, and think critically about how people in America behave.”
BRIAN DUKE
“Much of the curriculum in the American Studies degree helps students to order and present their thinking in a clear, concise way.”
EMILY BURNETT
“American Studies was an ideal foundation on which to layer technical skills and made me a stand-out marketer and web developer, and now entrepreneur.”
MATTHEW DELANGE
“My American Studies degree is always a conversation starter and a good interviewing topic!”
CAITLIN CHACON
“My journey definitely was not linear, but I think that every role I took along the way taught me valuable lessons and gave me skills that led me to where I am now.”
AUSTIN CLEGG
“American Studies taught me how to ask the right questions, deeply look at problems and issues, communicate clearly in tough situations, and understand how perspectives are made and tourism culture is formed.”
ALEXA THOMAS
“American Studies gave me a more open mind and a lot of compassion, which helps me have better relationships in my daily life.”
AUSTIN GARDINER
“American Studies is an amazing major that provides tools and information to take the next step in life. I'd recommend confirming that next step so you know the classes and tools you will need to be ready.”
EMILY SMITH
“I do a lot of professional writing and communications in my job. I am often grateful for the skills I gained at university that help me still today.”
CHAD ROWAN
“I feel like my degree has helped me connect with my patients in a way that I otherwise would not have been able to.”
ALEX SMITH
“Legal research is essential for an attorney. As most of my American Studies classes involved research, I essentially use those skills learned at BYU every day.”
CHRIS GEE
“I think the foundation in a well rounded education helps me appreciate the different cultures and life experiences of my patients. It helps me to be more empathetic.”
MARIAN CLAYTON CLARK
“I had to be more proactive in seeking opportunities on campus and in my future career path, which taught me to boldly pursue things that interest me.”
BRIAN DAVIS
“I believe the broad approach of my American Studies degree has helped me keep a big-picture perspective in professional settings (and in life).”
JONATHAN GARCIA
“I came to the major later, after exploring other majors. I wish I would have started with it!”
CHRISTOPHER KREWSON
“The personalized tutoring I received as part of my senior capstone course in American Studies refined my writing and critical thinking skills in important and lasting ways.”
JUSTIN BYTHEWAY
“I have found the class choices I pursued to pop up in surprising ways. I took a jazz history class and have worked with jazz musicians. I took a diplomatic history class and have worked with the Department of State’s Office of the Historian.”
ANONYMOUS ALUMNUS
“American Studies exposed me to countless stories of business, cultural, political leaders re-inventing themselves and constructing new systems & processes.”