What is your job/position?
Marketing Consultant & Graphic Designer / Primary Kiddo Caregiver
Describe the path that took you from your American Studies degree to your current career or life situation.
Volunteered as a graphic designer for the athletics department at the Y & co-started the American Studies journal. Took a marketing job in NYC out of undergrad, then a master's in American History at the U, and then back to marketing in various jobs on both coasts before leaving full-time work to be the primary caregiver for my kids. Have since worked as a marketing consultant and graphic designer for 11 years. I'm starting to consider my next chapter as my kids are getting older.
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?
Analytical writing; ability to look at and understand the world through a larger lens; because the major didn't have a specific career path, 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.
What do you wish you had known as an American Studies student? What advice would you share with current students?
You don't need to know your exact career path. Involve yourself in lots of different things to give yourself an interesting resume and skill set. Be curious about all possible opportunities and you'll be surprised by how many interesting things there are to do in the world.