Career

How has study in your major — and your general grounding in the liberal arts — prepared you for success?

Majors: Show All Answers American Studies Anthropology Art Art History Biology Chemistry Classics Computer Science Diversity Economics Education Studies English Environmental Studies Exercise Science Foreign Language Geosciences Government History International Affairs Management & Business Music Nursing Philosophy Psychology Self-determined Sociology Theater

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David Levine '91 (Economics)

"I was an Economics Major and loved it. However, my most memorable courses were probably outside of Economics. I took a number of Education Courses and look back on those classes as the classes that really prepared me for life after Skidmore. The education courses taught me about how to prepare a lesson plan, organize my thoughts and effectively communicate. We also learned the art of resolving conflict."

Posted: 08/10/2012

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Johanna Barr '10 (English)

"While I edit primarily political articles, I also handle stories on business and finance, health and science, arts and culture, and more. Thanks to my liberal arts education, I have the background knowledge necessary to edit most of these pieces and can easily jump from subject to subject.

In addition, I spent three years as a tutor in the Writing Center, working under Phil Boshoff, who was also my advisor. I helped students strengthen and tighten their language and taught them how to effectively structure their papers. Sometimes I feel like the job I have now is like being a writing center tutor on a larger scale. While there are clearly differences between academic and journalistic writing, and between tutoring and editing, both involve collaborating with a writer to improve a piece of work. I interact with the reporters I edit in much the same way as I worked with the students I was tutoring, and the skills I picked up while working in the writing center have proven invaluable in my career. "

Posted: 08/06/2012

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Tina Olsen '65 (Art)

"Skidmore encouraged a belief in myself as a creative person that I had not been very conscious of. In terms of thinking independently, regardless of what the world thought or what other people¹s opinions were, Skidmore bolstered my confidence to trust my own instincts and know that I had within me what I needed to live in a meaningful way."

Posted: 08/06/2012

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Nelle Hotchkiss '85 (Government)

"One-on-one interaction with wonderful professors like Drs. Erwin Levine and Ron Fiscus catapulted by interest in politics and public policy issues. I took their knowledge and spoken experience, applying it to enter the political arena, and excel in my profession as a lobbyist and trade-association manager. Skidmore faculty also taught me how to write and communicate well. That has been invaluable."

Posted: 08/06/2012

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Jill Durovsik '78 (Government)

"I was a government major and really enjoyed the course work and the opportunity to study abroad my junior year in London. Incidently, that is where I met my husband of over 30 years. Today, I am active in the world's largest non-profit for psychosocial cancer support. My work on behalf of cancer patients takes me to Capitol Hill to work with legislators to support continued improvements in cancer care. Government can be a positive force in creating change, and I have seen it work in the area of cancer care. And yes, my early studies at Skidmore did spark my interest and provide a strong foundation in creating change for the greater good."

Posted: 08/06/2012

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Sharon Anglum-Storrs '71 (Foreign Language)

"Nothing that you learn is ever wasted. You don't know what day you're going to need some skill, some course you took. I studied a lot of Spanish culture and I deal in that all the time."

Posted: 08/06/2012

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Zach Gage '07 (Art)

"Games take a lot to make. Games made by a single developer, like any other art, are a reflection of their creator. My games come from all of the inputs and outputs of my life; without that expression, they would be lifeless and boring and like everything else. I think this is the general idea of a liberal-arts education applied to any career."

Posted: 08/06/2012

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Andrea Roman Alfaro '12 (Sociology, Government)

"I do not know if I would call it success. It is hard for me to identify such thing. I think it is all about finding something rewarding for you and I enjoy studying sociology and government. I am excited to learn more about it and spend time discussing the issues that come up in my major. I feel like everything relates back to it.

I find rewarding everything I do because I relate all my experiences to it. Indeed, without the knowledge I have been provided with I would have never been able to know what things are important when giving a speech at the UN about youth females’ empowerment and the importance of individual input in governmental processes.

My major, my pleasurable, and also not so pleasurable experiences at Skidmore have helped me to become the person that I am now and for me that is success."

Posted: 08/05/2012

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Ann Kahl '51 (Art)

"It more prepared me to be a person painting in a room at home than out earning money. There wasn't so much an emphasis on the commercial side of art back then, but I still learned a lot that I used in creating on the jobs that I had. I would say that I learned in two weeks on the job all the basics I needed to know to carry me though commercial graphics. Oh but I loved Skidmore art courses. They were fantastic. "

Posted: 08/01/2012