What is your job/position?
Currently a lease specialist at an auto finance company, but I just finished my MEd in Curriculum and Instruction so I’m hoping to pursue a career as a business trainer or curriculum designer.
Describe the path that took you from your American Studies degree to your current career or life situation.
Honestly, I started in call centers but was able to use my Spanish fluency and work ethic to get ahead and become a mentor to colleagues.
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?
American Studies promoted critical thinking and using a variety of disciplines and methodologies, all of which has allowed me to get to the root of customer needs. I have also used those skills to find creative solutions when traditional ones have not been available.
What are some of the surprising ways in which your American Studies degree has helped you in your professional or personal life?
Those same critical thinking skills have allowed me to get a better understanding of truth and biases in everything from my masters textbooks and articles to information on social media. The passion of many of my professors has also stuck with me even though I don't remember all the specifics of what they taught.
What do you wish you had known as an American Studies student? What advice would you share with current students?
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.
*You can contact Austin with questions about his American Studies story at awgardiner@gmail.com.