After Puget Sound for History

Jean (Cameron) Tudor ’56, an artist specialising in vitreous enamels, writes, “My happy life spent in my studio has been so enriched by my history background.” Throughout her studies and travels in various parts of the world, Jean has immersed herself in historical enameling and metalworking traditions, finding inspiration in Celtic and Native American styles and objects. Examples of her beautiful work may be seen at www.jeantudorenamels.com.

Following graduation, Dale Wirsing ’58 earned his M.A. in journalism from Stanford and worked as a reporter for the Palo Alto Times and Madison Capital Times before returning to Tacoma to join the staff of the News Tribune, from which he retired in 2000. He has been active in historical education and preservation, serving as President of the Tacoma Historical Society and on the boards of the Washington State Historical Society and Job Carr Cabin Museum among other commitments. Dale writes, “I've always been appreciative of the depth and perspective I gained from my history classes at Puget Sound, and I should mention in particular the influence of Prof. Stan Shelmidine, a stern taskmaster when it came to clear and accurate prose.” Dale has found many ways to put these skills to use as a journalist, copyeditor, teacher, and author.

Tom Winter ’87 worked as a research historian at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and studied history at the University of York before changing gears to pursue a career in journalism and photography. Tom’s articles and photos, many related to his passion for skiing, have appeared in many publications, including the Los Angeles Times. He writes, “I’ve been very influenced by historical methodology as a journalist. The tools I learned at UPS, such as how to research and where to chase down information, have been invaluable. Understanding the human experience, being able to put it into context and add meaning is a huge part of the storytelling I do as a journalist when creating feature-length stories.” While continuing to work as a freelance journalist, Tom has built another successful career in marketing and brand management, and currently serves as the Americas Manager for the elite Freeride World Tour, overseeing all North and South American communications, sport development and media partnerships.

After earning his M.Div. and spending thirteen years in the ministry of the United Methodist Church, Bob Rector ’66 went to work at Western Sintering Company, Inc., becoming a Certified Powder Metal Technologist and teaching powder metallurgy to design engineers and at colleges and tech schools throughout the Northwest. He quipps that he effectively became an engineer by memorizing “The average thermal expansion of basic steel is three millionths per inch per degree; one degree equals .017 per inch; and one Micron is one millionth of a meter.” Bob writes, “The most rewarding thing in my career was working closely with very intelligent top engineers in hundreds of big companies.” History – what he calls his “fast track to wisdom” – has continued to be a part of his life, informing his reading habits and his view of current events. He reminds History majors considering a career in business of the value of “learning basic psychology and knowing the accounting cycle,” as well as continuing to read widely.

For Terry Parsons ’67, participation in an exchange program in the Netherlands led to a career a financial firm trading silver and currencies, which allowed him to travel all over the globe for a rewarding three-and-a-half decades. “My History major,” Terry writes, “helped me appreciate the places I visited and the financial world history I was working in,” and well as making me “a well-rounded person.”

Gordon Cooke ’67 earned an MBA from the University of Oregon and embarked on a successful career in advertising and marketing, working first at Bon Marché, Macy’s, and Bloomingdales before taking positions as President of Interative Merchandizing at Time-Warner and CEO of DM Management, a publicly-traded retail direct marketing company. He continues to serve on the Boards of Directors of several apparel companies and to do consulting work, while indulging the love of travel that has taken him to over 90 countries. Gordon writes, “The biggest impact the study of history had on my career was the knowledge I gained as to how to approach and analyze problems, issues and challenges. I find that reviewing past events has provided me with significant insight into how to make more effective business decisions, as well as a process as to how to approach them.” He notes that studying history also taught him “to ‘think outside the box’ and converse effectively with people from different professions and walks of life.”

After a stint teaching in Saipan through the Peace Corps, David Crutcher ’68 earned a master’s in Public Administration at the University of Washington and worked for county and city governments in Washington and Oregon before moving into marketing and going to work for Deloitte and the State of New Jersey, where he “helped pave the way for the smart use of web and social media.” In all of these positions, David has drawn upon the strong critical thinking and communications skills he gained at UPS, and notes that studying history helps to “hone a perspective that understanding that what came before us is essential to addressing the challenges of the future.”

Jim Wilcox ’81 transferred from WSU to UPS in 1957, and graduated in 1981 after a hiatus spent working in his family’s business, Wilcox Family Farms. He writes, “I was privileged to study under Profs. Lyle Schelmidine and Warren Tomlinson, both giants in their fields, and was a classmate of Walter Lowrie (later Prof. of History).” Studying history, Jim says, “gave me a basis for understanding how world events unfold. It also gave me an intellectual link to folks I interacted with, outside of my business activities. I believe a liberal education provides a strong basis for one’s life work. In my experience what one studied in school is less important than what one does with it after graduation. In hiring folks I always looked at performance, rather than prior course of study.”

Stan Sorensen ’86 worked in admissions at UPS for four years after graduation, then went to work as a recruiter at Microsoft and has now spent more than two decades in the technology industry. During this time he has specialized in software product management and marketing for B2B companies, working for and consulting with a range of companies from travel giant Expedia to small startups. Reflecting on the History major’s impact on his career, Stan writes, “As a marketing professional I have had to do a great deal of research and writing, so having that experience is particularly useful. I also have to create and present cogent arguments for strategy, planning, and budgets so the active exchanges we had in the classroom carry over.” He notes that History majors considering tech careers can draw upon their research and writing skills, but will also “need to have a strong interest in technology and spend time developing knowledge of trends, markets, customers, etc. I know humanities majors who say that they are not technically minded (or worse, technology adverse), but in most cases that’s just not true - learning technology is no different than learning history, it is simply a different subject matter.”

After graduation, Dan Carey ’89 got an M.A. in History from Washington State University while going through Army ROTC. He served as an active duty officer in the supply field from 1993-2000, in Korea and at Army bases on the East Coast, then took a job as a purchasing agent buying steel. After returning from service in Operation Iraqi Freedom with the Army Reserve, Dan joined Boeing’s 777 program. He writes that “studying history at UPS prepared me very well for graduate work at WSU, including writing a thesis. Studying history at UPS also helped me to be a good writer.” His career trajectory has convinced Dan of the importance of flexibility and remaining open to learning new skills. As he says, “Whatever job you go in to you will have to learn a lot about the particulars of that job and career field. So having a History degree does not hurt. There is a lot to learn and taking the time to do so is what matters in the long run.”

Alex Parkhurst ’90 got started in the tech industry at MCI, where, he writes, “I taught myself how to do a variety of IT related tasks from desktop support, database maintenance and development, call center support and just all- around technology stuff,” eventually ending up as a Senior Manager. After getting an Master’s in Information Systems from the University of Colorado, Denver, he worked in mobile application development and did consulting work before taking his current position as Senior Manager of Data Transformation Strategy at ClickFox. Alex urges current students to develop their critical thinking skills and learn to deconstruct problems to define clear solutions. As he says, “This is a key skill for any profession, not just IT, and the number of people who can actually do it is far outweighed by the number of people who think they can do it. Whenever I find someone who has this skill I do my best to ensure we do whatever is necessary to keep them as an employee and foster their growth.”

Chris Jacob ’93 earned an MBA from Portland State (a program which “encouraged non-business majors, especially in History and engineering, to enroll because of our different approach to thinking”). From there he was recruited as a Quality Assurance Manager for Copper & Brass Sales, a Division of ThyssenKrupp Inc., where “he ushered the company through a successful ISO 9001 certification audit for both the Portland and Seattle branches.” Chris writes that “it was my business degree that got me the interview, but it was my History degree that allowed me to excel at the job...thinking critically, writing well, communicating clearly, speaking with confidence.” Since the late 90’s he has worked in outside sales at various companies, most recently at PAC Stainless. Chris wants current students to understand the professional value of the undergraduate history degree in conjunction with the MBA.

After graduating, Kyla Burnet ’08 tried her hand at fundraising, sales, non-profit work, and design before moving into her current role as an Associate Project Manager in the IT department of a biotech company. She writes, “While the jobs I've held haven't been directly in the History field, majoring in History was indirectly very practical,” since History students learn “to communicate clearly and persuasively through writing, to read between the lines and draw a conclusion, and appreciate the complexities of mistakes made in the past to prevent them from happening in the future.” She suggests that current students hone their public speaking skills, as these are invaluable in the workplace, and use informational interviews to network with people at companies they admire.

History faculty remember Jason Schumacher ’10 as an office assistant extraordinaire, and he has gone on to put his organizational and communications skills to excellent use in the computer software field. After working in healthcare marketing, Jason discovered a talent for business process and analytics through his work at the Tableau Foundation, where he now a Program Manager. Looking back, he can see how his undergraduate work with digital tools like the research management program Zotero laid the foundation for his current work, and encourages History students interested in tech careers to gain readily applicable technical skills as a supplement “to the more qualitative, problem-solving background I assume History majors automatically bring to the table.”

Katie Wheeler ’11 writes, “After being out of school and working for over two years, I decided to pursue an advanced degree abroad. I was accepted into the MSc International History-Empire, Colonialism, and Globalization Program at the London School of Economics. While my program was a continuation of my interest in history, I also took courses in economics and accounting as I hoped to show an interest in subject matter outside of history too.” Upon returning to the US, Katie was hired as an Accounting Technician at the Oregon Health and Science University Foundation, a non-profit organization in Portland, OR, where she now works as a Risk Management Analyst.” For her, “the most rewarding piece of my current career is that I am always learning new things. Additionally, many of my colleagues have more traditional accounting backgrounds whereas I have the opportunity to add a more well-rounded perspective.” As Katie reminds current students, “Having a degree in History is about much more than knowledge in a particular subject. If you’re looking to enter a career that does not obviously relate to history, emphasize the many transferable skills you have (e.g. critical thinking, research, ability to make connections and argue a specific point of view.). Network with people in the industry and find opportunities to show employers you’re invested in that career path.”

Hugh McMillan ’50 was working on a doctorate in International Relations at the University of Washington when he was recruited into the Central Intelligence Agency. Overseas assignments in Japan, India, Egypt, France, and Turkey in the 1950s to 1970s brought many memorable experiences; for instance, he recalls being moved by the outpouring of sympathy by citizens in India, Hong Kong, and Japan when President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. In 1967, as Chief of the Consular Section and Security Officer at the US Consulate in Alexandria, Egypt, Hugh oversaw the evacuation of all Americans from Egypt during the Six Day War, and was later falsely reported dead after a mob attack on the consulate. Hugh particularly enjoyed opportunities for cultural immersion, language study, and travel during his years abroad, and writes that studying history helped him put his experiences in perspective. Hugh writes, “I was born with an inquiring, ‘gotta know’ mind which CPS’ History Department pushed into higher gear. I did a paper on the Battle of Trafalgar which compelled me for the first time to dig and dig for every detail – a trait still with me and absolutely integral to the business of espionage.” He urges students interested in intelligence work to acquire fluency in a second language, such as Arabic, Mandarin, Russian, or Spanish, to “learn about the history, economics, cultures, music, foods of other countries.”

C. Mark Smith ’61 writes that while studying history didn’t directly influence his first career in mortgage banking, his interest in history led him to join the Washington State Historical Society and to become active in local politics, which in turn led him into public service and economic development consulting. After serving as the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Western Regional Director of the Economic Development Administration in Washington, and taking on leadership positions in economic development in Pierce County, Birmingham, AL, and Richland, WA, he ‘retired’ to a new career in historical research and writing. Over the past several years Mark has authored four articles and three books on Northwest history and public figures such as Senator Harry P. Cain and the late Prof. Stan Shelmidine. At UPS, he writes, “I developed interests that have remained with me the rest of my life, such as the history and peoples of the Middle East, which has made it easier to understand what has, and is, happening there. It helped me to understand the need for context and to be able to better see the ‘big picture.’ These helped me in my work, my community activities, and more recently, with my writing.”

Janet Bogue ’75 writes, “After two years of trying out public sector and private sector ‘starter’ jobs, I went back to graduate school in history at the University of Oregon, taking a Master's degree there and beginning a Ph.D. program. I interrupted that to take up an offer to teach in remote communities in Alaska, which was a terrific adventure. An even more interesting adventure took me from there to the United States Foreign Service, where I spent 24 years as an American diplomat -- no longer studying history formally, but making a bit of history in the Balkans, South Asia, and Central Asia.” Janet believes “studying history is the perfect preparation for diplomats, who need to be able to think, write, and speak clearly (in multiple languages); analyze complex situations; and understand context and perspective. Knowing history also enriches a diplomat's life – a grueling business trip on bad roads becomes a charming voyage along an ancient salt trade route between Tibet and India.” She has this advice to aspiring diplomats: “learn to organize your thoughts and write them clearly. There is little time for a diplomat to learn these skills on the job. I once sent a young officer home because he could not write a simple declarative sentence or a well-organized paragraph. With a Balkan war raging, I had no time to teach him. Second, study broadly. Take at least one living foreign language. Learn the principles of economics. Study the fundamentals of science. Develop an appreciation for the arts. Read world literature. Enroll in statistics. You will use all of this background to be a successful diplomat.”

After five years working for an insurance company serving the Washington forest industry, Mike Patjens ’77 began his career with the State of Washington. He writes, “As a Tacoma native with a History degree in NW History, and a great amount of civic pride, public service seemed like a good fit. I have now worked for the State of Washington for 30 years, 25 of which have been with the Department of Labor and Industries, Third Party Section as a Tort Claims Investigator/ Adjudicator. This position has been challenging, rewarding and provided a steady income even through recent economic downturns. Looking back, my advice to any college student would be to understand, pursue, and live. You can achieve any goal with persistence and determination. Add passion and you will always be a success!”

Jane (Galloway) Demaray ’79 worked for 25 years as a special education teacher, after which she and her husband spent several years operating a real estate office in Helena, MT. In 2012 Jane was hired by the Montana Secretary of State’s office, where she now serves as Deputy Secretary of State and Chief of Staff. She writes, “Working on behalf of the citizens of Montana in the fields of business registration, elections, records management, administrative rules, and notary is the one the rewards of my job. In addition, I also enjoy facilitating a stable work community for classified staff (about 50 employees) who are here no matter who the secretary of state is.” Jane has also continued to do history: she is the author of Yellowstone Summers (Washington State University Press, 2015), a book about her great-great uncle, Will Wylie, who led camping tours in Yellowstone National Park in 1882-1905. She offers this advice to students: “I suggest a balanced approach. Study history and have a safety net to make a living – some way to practice those skills in a healthy work community. Respect the lessons of the past and be open to the opportunities of the present and future. Some of my best experiences have presented themselves serendipitously.”

After graduation, Kathy Guerra ’01 taught social studies for three years at Evergreen High School in Burien. She writes that this “was an eye-opening experience. I had students in my classes from countries around the world - Iraqi and Sudanese refugees, second-generation Vietnamese and Cambodian immigrants, and Mexican and Salvadorian students. Their amazing life stories, as well as 9-11 (which happened while I was in grad school) inspired me to find a way to see and learn about the world firsthand while continuing to serve others. After passing the written and oral exams and what felt like a million different clearance processes, I joined the State Department in 2005. I've served in Singapore, Bogota, Guatemala City, and am currently serving in Guadalajara as the Public Affairs Officer at the Consulate General here.” Kathy credits her study of history with “the ability to think, write, explain and decide. Those have all been crucial to every job I’ve ever had, whether it was demonstrating to high school students the importance of reading primary sources, adjudicating immigrant and non-immigrant visas in Colombia, discussing U.S. foreign policy with Muslims in Singapore, or convincing D.C. bureaucrats to fund educational programs in Guatemala. Research has changed dramatically since I did my history thesis on the Panama Canal; I remember sitting in the Collins basement looking at microfiche for hours on end! But that ability to sift through information and find the data (and cite my sources) to construct a compelling argument concisely is something I use every day, and I would argue is even more relevant in the age of Google and information overload than ever before.” Kathy’s advice to current students to preparing for the Foreign Service exam is “to read The Economist, cover to cover, every week. The exam is so wide-ranging it’s almost impossible to study for, but if you’re familiar with everything in The Economist for a few months running, you’re probably pretty close to prepared.”

Peter Braun ’08 is a police officer with the Oregon Health and Science University. He writes, “I have had a strong interest in working in law enforcement since before I graduated, but getting there has been an adventure. In the 7 years since I graduated from UPS, I have worked in finance, as an automotive journalist (something, in fact, which I still do part time), in campus safety, and gotten a law degree from Lewis and Clark. For much of that time I have been applying at different police departments, with a focus on getting into my dream career.” Peter reflects that the critical thinking skills he developed through studying history enabled him “not just to learn content, but to think for myself and make sense of complex materials,” and have helped him “be an effective student of the world.” For students considering a career in law enforcement, Peter notes, “There is a surprising amount of carry-over between the type of independent and critical thinking needed to be a historian and to be a police officer. The best advice I can give is be patient; the process takes time and can be frustrating, and most people have had to apply to a lot of departments before being hired.”

After a stint as a combat pilot in the Air Force, James Leggett ’67 earned his M.S. from the University of Southern California and his J.D. at the University of Washington. He then embarked on a successful career in law in Washington State, culminating in his work as Senior-Managing Partner at Leggett & Kram. Until 1989 he served in the Air Force Reserve and was regularly called upon to assist with training at Norton Air Force Base and the Institute of Aerospace Safety at USC. James writes, “My studies at UPS prepared me for my career in the Air Force, for graduate school at USC and finally Law School at UW.” Now retired, James is delighted to “finally have time to complete the preparation of my Honors Thesis in History at UPS with illustrations by another alumnus, Ernie Meisner. Our History of Mt. Rainier National Park is timely with the recent renaming of Mt. McKinley to Mt. Denali. Mt. Rainier’s original name was not Mt. Tacoma or even Mr. Tahoma, as has been bandied about; its original Indian name was Tatoosh which means ‘breast,’ as it was the source of all nourishment for the Puget Sound.” He encourages current students “to keep their horizons wide to take advantage of opportunities beyond the field of History.”

Following graduation, Sarah Cole ’86 worked for a year at the UPS Law School library before enrolling in the University of Chicago Law School and receiving her J.D. with honors in 1990. After clerking and working at firms in Seattle and Chicago, Sarah moved into teaching law at Creighton University School of Law, the University of Oklahoma College of Law, and the Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law, where she is a tenured professor and Director of the Program on Dispute Resolution. Sarah writes, “Studying history prepared me well for law school and my career in teaching. History courses taught me to read critically, write logically and think analytically. All of these skills are essential to success as a lawyer and legal scholar. Professors like William Breitenbach and Jama Lazerow taught me how to give students constructive criticism. They were devoted to their students and enthusiastic about the subjects they were teaching. I try to follow their lead when I teach.” She suggests that current students contemplating law school “consider taking a couple of courses in statistics and economics as well – but learning to write clearly and concisely will be invaluable to you as you pursue a career in the law.”

Scott Orr ’83 obtained his J.D. while working as a law clerk at a civil litigation practice where he “was exposed to and learned how to assess, research and develop a case, draft legal correspondence and pleadings, handle litigation, and manage client relationships.” While awaiting the results of the California Bar Exam, he started working as a quality analyst with a medical management company, an experience which cemented his desire to use his legal training in a medical-related business setting. He writes, “Now, almost 27 years later, I’m still with that same company as Senior Vice President and General Counsel. What has kept me with the company for all these years has been the mission we serve (veterans) and a passion for the law, problem solving, enterprise building, and the opportunity for personal growth and development.” Scott writes that studying history honed his research and writing skills, but “most importantly I learned to persevere and never quit, no matter the obstacle.” He credits two inspirational professors, Terry Cooney and David Smith, with “having faith in me and helping me focus.” Scott wants current students to know that “studying history has great relevance to many differing career paths, whether medicine, business or law,” and hopes they will “focus on finding a passion or a mission in life, something you love and can see yourself doing for a lifetime. If you’re passionate about your career, you’ll likely be very good at what you do, which in turn typically leads to making a very good living.”

John Moore ’05 spent 3 years with Teach for America in inner city Miami schools before earning his J.D. at George Washington University. “After law school,” John writes, “I had a temporary contract position before getting my current gig at a litigation law firm. Now, I spend my days defending personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. What I find most rewarding is when a plaintiff is lying and I prove it.” History classes at UPS prepared John well for the classroom; among the highlights of his time with Teach for America, he cites the opportunity to teach the Civil Rights Movement, a subject he had studied with Professor Nancy Bristow a few years earlier. John says, “History also prepared me well for law. I tell stories, backed up with facts, to judges, arbitrators and mediators. When I write to the court, every sentence I write stating a fact requires me to cite to something, be it a medical record, deposition transcript, or photograph. I am writing about the past all the time. The difference is, in the practice of law, the lawyer plays a larger role in shaping the historical record.”

After graduation, Valerie (Dutton) Kahn ’07 worked in recruiting before going to law school at Santa Clara University. Valerie spent three years as an Associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in Palo Alto, CA, working on securities litigation and government investigation matters, as well as doing a lot of pro bono work. She is now enjoying practicing labor and employment law at Drinker Biddle & Reath, and writes, “earning a degree in History is excellent preparation for law school and a career as an attorney. Lawyers (and law students) spend a great deal of their time writing. Although anybody can learn to be a great legal writer, it is very useful to come to law school with the advanced writing skills one acquires from writing essays, research papers, and a thesis. Law students and attorneys also spend a tremendous amount of time doing legal research; although this is somewhat different from historical research, many of the basic principles are the same and having experience with the latter makes it easier to learn how to do the former.”

Chris Van Vechten ’07 has worn many different professional hats since his time at UPS: among other experiences, he has worked for State Representative Dennis Flannigan, managed a Washington State Senate race, started an online magazine, and run for the Tacoma school board. Chris writes, “I eventually became a lawyer and started my own firm in Tacoma, which is a path I wouldn’t recommend for most people, but seems to be working well for me. My first month, I earned only $75. By my fifth month, I earned roughly $4,000 - which was still below the market average, but enough to make payments on my debt and justify my independence. Being a solo practitioner means being your own office manager, accountant, tech support, paralegal, marketing director; goffer, and occasionally being an attorney, among other things. Having done so much work in so many fields before has helped me meet these challenges.” He wants current students to know they will need to be entrepreneurial to succeed in the legal profession, and offers the following advice: “Don’t go directly from undergrad to law school. Get some years of experience in an in-demand field before enrolling in law school. Most law firms and clients hire attorneys with experience in their industry, and if your only experience is in the classroom, you’re not competitive.”

George Kaai ’12 is finishing law school at Seattle University School of Law, after taking a few years off to “get a taste of the real world” by working at Annie Wright School in Tacoma. He writes, “My law school experience has been great thus far. The classroom experience is much more challenging than I ever imagined, but as I near the end of my last year, I feel a great sense of accomplishment. In my first summer, I interned for a Justice on the Washington Supreme Court and, in my second summer, I worked as a summer associate at a law firm in Seattle. I was fortunate to receive a job offer at the end of my summer, so I will return there once I am done with school and take the bar exam.” George has found that History classes prepared him well for law school: “Lawyers write a lot, and much of the writing that a lawyer does involves taking a position, finding support for that position, and making persuasive arguments. While legal research and writing is quite a unique skill, the baseline research, writing, and analytical skills I learned as a History major at UPS was invaluable. And the fact that UPS pushes its undergraduate students to write a thesis has been helpful in my resume and as a talking point during job interviews. In fact, I’ve talked many a times about both my senior thesis that I worked on with Doug Sackman, as well as my History 200 paper that I worked on with Nancy Bristow.” George encourages current students to “visit schools, sit in on classes and talk to students and practicing attorneys before deciding to go to law school.”

Andrea Gray ’05 earned her M.A. in History with a minor in Public History from North Carolina State, where she discovered a love for documentary editing. After a stint at the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond, VA, she began working on The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series, headquartered at Monticello in Charlottesville, VA, first as as editorial assistant and now as assistant editor. In addition, Andrea is working towards a Ph.D. in History at George Mason University. She writes, “My time at UPS fostered my interest in American history, and I learned that I really enjoy research. I wanted to find a career that would allow me to continue doing historical research and helping others do the same, hence my professional interest in archives and making manuscript sources accessible through documentary editing.” Current students should know that “the documentary editing career field is rather small. Most projects want editors who have advanced history degrees, and editing experience is always a bonus even for entry-level positions.” Andrea encourages students considering this career “to try and incorporate editing primary source documents into their research projects, or work with faculty on editing sources related to their research.”

Tiffani Egnor ’06 isCurator of Education at the Chandler Museum in Chandler, AZ. After graduation, Tiffani began the MA in Public History and Museum Studies from Colorado State University, while also working at the Fort Collins Museum in collections and exhibits, and with History Colorado as a Family Programs Facilitator. After completing her graduate degree, she stayed on at the Fort Collins Museum, working in a variety of part-time roles before landing a permanent position as School and Public Programs Coordinator. In 2012, Tiffani moved to the Chandler. She writes, “My passion as a local history museum educator is getting local primary sources into the hands of learners. I created our Use Local, Teach National Lesson Plan Series which uses local primary sources (like Dorothea Lange photographs taken here in Chandler) to teach national history. Another project I really enjoyed was creating an interactive Cattle Drive exhibit.” She credits small classes and challenging professors at UPS with helping prepare her for success in graduate school, and writes that “Doug Sackman's History of the American West course sparked my passion for history, and the senior thesis sparked my passion for primary sources.” Those interested in a museum career, Tiffani suggests, should “volunteer and intern as much as they can, as early as they can. I've watched many people (including myself) start as volunteers or interns or part-time employees and work their way into full-time positions.”

Stephen Somerville ’07 worked with several Seattle-area museums after graduation, with the aim of building a career in collections management. He writes, “While it was a cool environment to be in, it can be a rude awakening to find how much time and work goes towards cultivating donations and membership versus promoting, preserving, and sharing their collections.” After several years managing donor databases, Stephen earned his Masters of Library and Information Science and became a Taxonomist with Corbis Images, a company that licenses photos and other media. He writes, “Our collections cover everything from daguerrotypes to paparazzi snaps, and my work revolves around trying to make the millions of images accessible. My experience as a History major helped me develop a more global perspective that has been quite handy as I try to keep tabs on organizing every subject that might be depicted in a photograph!” He encourages current History majors to take a broad range of courses: “The requirement that history courses be taken from a variety of geographical regions can be a real blessing in disguise. Learning about a variety of places can help set you up to succeed in our global society, regardless of whether or not you ultimately end up poring over illuminated manuscripts, sunken treasure, etc.”

Joan Ilacqua’s ‘10 is a project archivist at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, one of the largest medical libraries in the world. Joan writes that her first job after graduation, as an intern at the Yosemite National Park Archives in El Portal, CA, “reminded me of why I decided to study history, I want to help protect and preserve historical resources so that others may utilize and enjoy them. After this first job, I went on to work for three other national parks, a presidential library, a living history museum, and a university archives, and ultimately went to graduate school to study Public History.” Looking back at her undergraduate years, Joan remembers, “I always had fun studying history, but I became passionate about history while at Puget Sound. Studying under professors passionate about the past and willing to discuss and debate historical interpretations transformed me into an active historian, as opposed to a passive history enthusiast. Puget Sound also gave me a strong writing background and a fearlessness to tackle history I found interesting. I spent a summer as a Chism Research Scholar studying the Boston Busing Crisis, and then wrote my undergraduate thesis on Northwest Regionalism and Sasquatch. I now work as an medical history oral historian, and I create and run LGBT history walking tours for a volunteer-run community archives.” She regrets not volunteering or interning while still in college, and encourages current students to make the most of opportunities to get experience and network before graduation. “Volunteer with a museum, join professional organizations, and go to conferences, workshops, and other meet ups. You can also connect with museum professionals online, through listservs, Reddit boards, and Twitter hashtags. Find out what people are excited or concerned about and put yourself in that conversation.”

While completing a Master’s degree in Museology at the University of Washington, Danielle Acheampong ’11 became fascinated with audience research, which led to a role as the education manager at USC’s Fisher Museum of Art. Danielle is currently Coordinator for Assessment, Research & Special Projects at UCLA, a job that involves collaboration with numerous university departments. Her talent for evaluating learning experiences has led to speaking engagements at several conferences in the U.S. and Canada, as well as independent projects for Los Angeles-area museums and community colleges. Danielle credits her success to key skills she honed as a History major at Puget Sound, particularly the ability to conduct research, analyze different types of sources critically, synthesize large quantities of information, and present findings clearly. She notes, “I have gotten consistent feedback that my unique perspective from my liberal arts background has strengthened our department,” and encourages current students to “Know your skills, and know how to describe them persuasively” so prospective employers will know how much History majors have to offer.

Alex Carr ’11 pursued her longstanding interest in journalism and earned an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism, interning to get vital experience “with writing and reporting across print, online and broadcast platforms.” Not sure she wanted to become a traditional journalist, she applied for communications jobs that required these skills, and landed a job as Digital Media Coordinator at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma. After two years in this role, Alex was promoted to the position of Communications Manager, and has since taken on additional public relations responsibilities at the museum. She writes, “Being able to practice my multimedia skills within a small organization has been incredibly rewarding because I get to collaborate with other departments, meet world-renowned artists, learn about the history and craft of glassmaking, and communicate with the public on a daily basis. And I'm not always tied to my desk! I could be down in the museum's glassblowing studio taking photos one morning, then providing press tours the next. I'm always busy at work, and I wouldn't have it any other way.” Alex credits the strong writing and research skills she gained studying History with helping her succeed in graduate school and her career. As she says, “Researching, writing papers, and citing sources also gave me an eye for detail. In my current job I'm constantly writing material that gets deliver to the public, press, community partners, and museum members, so accuracy and credibility is essential. I also work with a lot of images of artwork, which needs to be credited appropriately - not unlike citing sources in a research paper!” Current students should know that “a History degree can definitely be applied to a job in the communications field because of the writing, research, and presentation (both oral and written) skills you gain” by studying history.

Julia Miller ’11 has pursued a career in museum education as a way of combining her love of research, teaching, and working with children. After spending a year interning at museums and teaching preschool, Julia enrolled in the Museology M.A. program at the University of Washington, where she “learned about the theory and role of museums in society, researched methods of informal learning and evaluation, and held a ton of museum internships in education and evaluation.” After graduation in 2014, she worked for a year at the Woodland Park Zoo and Burke Museum in education roles before finding her current position as the Youth & Family Education Coordinator at the Bellevue Arts Museum, where she “oversees everything from summer camps to teen programs.” Julia writes, “The most rewarding part of my job is working with kids and families to ignite their curiosity and passion for learning! In museums, there are always new objects, exhibits, stories, and themes to explore, and I love figuring out different ways to connect people to objects and each other. For me, it’s especially exciting to see enthusiasm and creativity in young children when they are learning about something new, making art, or working together to solve a problem.” Three skills Julia took away from studying History at UPS have been vitally important in her graduate studies and professional life: the ability to write well, listen actively and respond thoughtfully, and develop arguments based on critical assessments of information. She encourages current students interested in museum work to “test-drive” the career by interning or volunteering, doing informational interviews, and reading museum blogs like Museum 2.0. She says, “The museum field is pretty small and the nonprofit world can feel frustrating at times, but it is full of people who are really passionate about learning and preserving knowledge for future generations. Incorporate your own passions into your career and be open to opportunities that don’t seem like the perfect fit – that’s the best way to figure out what path is best for you!”

After graduation, Rachel Thomas ’11 went on to earn an M.A. in Early American and U.S. History from the College of William and Mary, where she also had the opportunity to work as an Archives Apprentice while completing her studies. After a break to be a stay-at-home mom to her two children, Rachel took up her current position as an archivist at George Fox University in Newberg, OR. At GFU, Rachel is the University Archivist as well as the Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends Archivist, and so is responsible for managing an important collection of materials related to the Quaker Church. Rachel writes that her work is “wonderful and fulfilling,” and identifies her undergraduate work in Collins Library’s Archives as a key experience that set her on the path to her current career. She advises current students interested in archival work to “check job postings for positions in your field, then try to gain the experience they require. Seek an internship in archives and go after a MLIS degree with an archival concentration. An MA in history won't hurt!”

Marissa Friedman ’14 spent the year after graduation tutoring and teaching while preparing to graduate school by volunteering at a local history museum, where she gained essential archival and digital skills. She is now pursuing a Ph.D. in History with an emphasis on Public History at the University of California, Riverside, on a Chancellor’s Distinguished Fellowship. She is especially interested in pursuing museum curating and education, but is enjoying learning about the various other public history career possibilities. She credits faculty mentors like Nancy Bristow with “inspiring me to combine my talents for studying history with my desire to help enable social change and to work for social justice,” and says, “writing a senior thesis was an invaluable experience for someone like myself who is undertaking graduate studies. I learned the nuts and bolts of constructing and deconstructing arguments, composing succinct and well-written papers, undertaking historical research through a variety of mediums, and using citations.” Marissa notes that public history careers “generally require an advanced degree – usually a master’s in related fields such as history, public history, museum studies, etc., although a Ph.D. is necessary for certain jobs,” and the field can be hard to break into, so “gaining practical experience is key – my advice would be to intern or volunteer in as many different kinds of organizations and institutions as you can. The more diverse your skills are, the more desirable you will be to almost any institution, but particularly the smaller ones who need people who can perform in multiple positions. And acquiring digital skills would be a big plus!”

Soon after graduation, Sarah (Mather) Lyon ’48 married fellow UPS graduate Robert Jay Lyon. After Robert’s ordination as a Methodist minister, Sarah writes, “he served as an active pastor for 40 years, during which time I supported him as an active pastor's wife. My other degree at UPS was in Music, so I served however I was needed in the churches he served, as well as giving piano and organ lessons.” In retirement, Sarah has continued to be engaged with history, “especially Genealogy and Family History: I seem to be the family historian and archivist. I have written several sketches of our ancestors,” Sarah writes, drawing on the 50-plus binders full of old family documents and photographs she has compiled.

June Fothergill ’78 has served for 30 years as a pastor in the Oregon-Idaho Conference of the United Methodist Church, and currently is pastor of Ebbert United Methodist Church in Springfield, Oregon, where she oversees a meals ministry that serves over 200 meals a week. After graduation, she writes, “I took my first full time job at Sunnyside United Methodist Church in Portland, OR as a Church Community Worker and part of the US-2 mission program of the church. After those two years I took graduate Social Work classes at Portland State University and then decided to go to seminary and pursue a calling to serve as a pastor. I graduated from Pacific School of Religion with an MDiv degree in 1985 and have served United Methodist Churches in Oregon and Idaho ever since.” June has put the writing and critical thinking skills she learned at UPS to good use, and continuing to do historical research as a way of better understanding the churches she has served. She reflects that participating in the Pac Rim program at UPS “has given me a global perspective to my life and work. I think the study of history, especially the history of cultures different from my own has given me a broader, less judgmental perspective that helps me deal with a diverse world, diverse human perspectives and do so with a sense of delight and openness. “

Michael Smith ’02 writes, “I followed up my undergraduate work with some full time youth ministry volunteering, philosophy studies, collegiate ministry internships, a Watson-fellowship-like trip around the country, and finally earned my MDiv at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, CA.” Now Director of Religious Education and Youth Ministry at a Catholic parish in San Francisco, Michael values the opportunity to “help students and their parents reflect on their deepest values and how they will love those out in their specific social, political context,” and enjoys “exploring the historical context of the Catholic religious tradition.” Michael draws on his historical training to contextualize everything from Bible readings and church documents to statements in the popular press. “My UPS training helped me to recognize the argument and evidence (or lack thereof) in a text, and helped me gather and articulate my own. This is crucial in passing on the propositions of the Catholic faith as well as in developing the strategies and methods for sharing that same tradition.” He urges current students “ to pay attention to the religious currents and traditions in every era they study. We ignore religion at our peril. An uneducated religious faith or an uneducated rejection or disrespect of religious faith leads to extremism and increasingly violent conflict in our society.”

Since he was an undergraduate, Scott Jackson ’80 has “believed that part of my own commitment to this world is to have a positive impact on the history of the future and perhaps even more importantly our future history makers,” and this commitment has guided his career in global development, fundraising, and marketing. After graduation, Scott earned an MBA from the University of Edinburgh School of International Business, and went on to found TRADEC, a firm specializing in international trade promotion, technology transfer and market access. Scott then served as President and Managing Director of APCO Seattle, and Senior Vice-President at World Vision US before joining Global Impact. He writes, “As President and CEO of Global Impact I am currently engaged with many others to change the course of history for Syrian Refugees, joining many others to ensure that something positive happens for the largest humanitarian crisis of our time. A decade earlier I had the privilege to be a part of the chorus to turn the tide of HIV-AIDS in Africa.” In 2010 UPS recognized Scott’s achievements with an honorary doctorate. He has this advice for current students: “Be proud of your major and know that the capacity to affect history starts with the capacity to know that history exists not just for the historian but for each and every one of us as we dare to continue our journey and share our story.”

After graduation, Sara Hallvik ’07 spent a year in Sidney, Montana, working at the county health department through the AmeriCorps *VISTA program, “conducting an environmental health assessment, organizing community meetings to learn more about their health and public health concerns, and combining this information with data from local, state, and regional epidemiological studies.” The following year, Sara returned to Washington for two years as an analyst with the Kittitas County Public Health Department, then earned a Master’s in Public Health from Oregon Health Sciences University in the biostatistics and epidemiology program, while working as an analyst in Multnomah County’s mental health and addiction services division. In 2013, Sara moved into her current role with Acumentra Health as senior healthcare analyst. She writes, “The most rewarding part of my career is seeing the results of my work impact healthcare policy, medical provider behavior, and ultimately improving the population's health.” She credits the History major with making her a better writer, and cites her daily reliance on the research skills she gained doing History at UPS. Current students should know that public health “does require a masters degree if you're interested in going into epidemiology or biostatistics as those are very specialized fields. In the end that's a good thing, because as an employee you become invaluable to your company. Most jobs are in government, which will not make you rich but do pay enough and have nice benefits. The people that are attracted to the public health field tend to be very kind and willing to share ideas and resources, and to work collaboratively, which makes my day-to-day work enjoyable.”

Graham Taylor ’07 joined AmeriCorps in 2008 as a Volunteer Coordinator with the Tahoma Audubon Society, a non-profit organization focused on bird conservation. After working with Audubon for two years, he moved to the Sierra Club as a Conservation Organizer. Five years later, Grant transitioned into a new position as the Northwest Field Representative with the National Parks Conservation Association. He writes, “My work has me engaging the public and our organization's membership to advocate for our national parks in the Pacific Northwest. I am most rewarded by the people I get to work with, and the issues we get to address. I've had a chance to work on everything from oil spill prevention, to supporting grizzly bear recovery in the North Cascades.” Studying history, Graham says, “helped me understand multiple perspectives on many issues, which has proved critically important as I work to engage people on controversial issues, improved my writing skills, and also helped me determine the authenticity of information that I encounter. Thus, it gave me some key tools to separate fact from fiction and recognize the nuance and complexity of the world.” He suggests that students interested in conservation careers should volunteer for a conservation organization to network and gain an understanding of current issues in the field. “Many conservation groups are looking for young people - the next generation to fight for our public lands, waters, and wildlife. Identify your strengths - whether it is scientific fieldwork, grassroots organizing, fundraising or online advocacy support. All of these roles are key to the conservation field.”

After writing her History thesis on Margaret Sanger and the American birth control movement (plus an IPE thesis on the economic effects of AIDS), Linnea Johansen ’09 work in hospitals and traveled before getting her Master’s in Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. After graduating, she writes, “I was awarded a fellowship with Providence Health & Services in Anchorage, Alaska, where I worked After two years in Alaska, I relocated to Portland, Oregon, where I currently serve as a Senior Project Manager for Oncology Services throughout the Providence System.” She reflects that “the skills I gained from my UPS history degree in analytical thinking, writing, and research prepared me well for grad school, and serve me every day in the work I do now.” History students interested in health care policy or administration should volunteer at health care facilities, Linnea suggests. “Spend time in hospitals, federally qualified health centers that serve the underinsured and underserved, and specialized clinics, such as Planned Parenthood. Educate yourself on health care policy, Medicare and Medicaid. Reach out to health policy organizations and do informational interviews with people whose jobs you find interesting to get a broad-spectrum view of the health system.”

After getting his MAT at Puget Sound, Rob Wellington ’11 returned to Colorado and joined AmeriCorps, which placed him with the ‘I Have a Dream’ Foundation. Finding that his favorite part of the position was not teaching or tutoring but “the administrative behind-the-scenes stuff,” Rob moved into a Volunteer Coordinator role at the foundation before landing his current job as a Case Manager with a non-profit called the Developmental Disabilities Resource Center. Rob writes, “A large part of my position is making decisions about children's eligibility for Medicaid Waivers. These Waivers can give families up to $37,000 in state aid. Since this is a lot of taxpayer money at stake, I have to be able to defend any decision I make in my post-meeting write-ups. The writing skills that I developed in the History Department have been invaluable for this! I learned to make a clear argument, defend that argument with specific examples, present and refute the counter argument, offer potential alternatives and describe future implications. That's probably 80% of my job now, except that I write about people who are still alive and the sources are medical records, interviews, and my own observations. I get compliments almost weekly from the State about how well I write up my decisions and I attribute this largely to UPS!” Rob encourages current students to spend time networking, noting that he found his current position through a chance meeting while on vacation. He notes, “There also UPS alumni chapters in cities across the country and we're all eager to help recent grads in any way we can. Also, once you land an interview from networking, be sure to highlight the communication skills and critical thinking that UPS develops in all of its students.”

Robert Abelsett ’65 earned his M.A. in History at ASU, where, he writes, “I was at the top of my class due to the tutelage of Professors Coulter and Thomas. Their preparation and personal demands of students gave me an edge up on other students from around the country. I had really learned how to write!” He went on to teach history and economics at high schools in Riverside, CA and Medford, OR. After retiring in 2001, Robert writes, “my wife and I travel when we can. We’ve taken several trips to Europe and the Caribbean. We also have a large 5th-wheel and have visited all the National Parks west of the Mississippi and many along the East Coast. I can’t get away from that history.”

Jeff Chamberlin ’92 attended the MAT program at UPS and became a middle school teacher in South Tacoma. He writes, “I taught History, Social Studies and other subjects for nearly 10 years and then became a school administrator for the Tacoma School District. Four years later I became Principal of a large junior high in University Place in 2006. I am now serving as Deputy Superintendent in the University Place School District, and continue to enjoy making education the central focus of my life and work. Helping to create and maintain educational environments that allow students to thrive is very rewarding.” He remembers that his Hstory coursework at UPS “was rigorous and required lots of reading and writing,” and the excellent writing skills he gained in college have been invaluable in his career. Jeff wants History majors interested in pursuing careers in education to know that “more recent requirements to be highly qualified in specific areas are important factors in employability for teachers. Prospective teachers should take courses in several other departments such as English to ensure that they have coursework that will allow them to be highly qualified in multiple subjects.”

Anna (Davenport) Herron ’96 came to college knowing she wanted to work with children, and since graduation has worked as an educator in Tacoma. After college, she helped create the first Metro Parks summer program for children, then worked as a substitute in Tacoma public schools before getting her MAT from the University of Washington-Tacoma. Then, Anna writes, “my husband and I created our own afterschool tutoring program known as the 7th St. Learning Center for kids in our Hilltop neighborhood who needed extra support. This program served children from Bryant Elementary and Jason Lee Middle School. I directed this program for five years until 2003, receiving funding through private donors and a Vision Youth grant from World Vision and becoming a program of the non-profit Northwest Leadership Foundation.” After dedicating herself to raising her two children for a few years, Anna returned to work as a co-op preschool teacher and gained Montessori certification for her current role as a pre-K/Kindergarten teacher at Bryant Montessori. Anna often uses the skills learned in her History classes “to think, write, glean information quickly and communicate well,” and says, “I still enjoy history a great deal. I consider myself a historian and love to read it and watch documentaries, and reflect on the world today and how it has been shaped by the past.”

After graduation, Mike Moeller ’97 completed the MAT program at UPS and immediately got a job at Eatonville High School, where he has been working ever since, “still using much of what I learned in college to teach the high school students of today.” Mike teaches History, Government, and Contemporary World Problems at Eatonville, where is he also the History department chair, senior advisor, head baseball coach and assistant football coach. He writes that the History major “is a great start for lifelong learning,” and reflects that for those who go on to careers in education, “Studying history, researching, and learning never ends.”

Cherilyn Inouye ’03 also earned her MAT at UPS, then returned home to Hawaii where she taught middle school Social Studies and Language Arts, and worked in the AVID program in Oahu from 2005-2010. Next, Cherilyn began working on her doctorate in Educational Policy at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, where she worked as a graduate assistant, as well as for the Hawaii Energy Policy Forum and the non-profit Kanu Hawaii, before finding her current position as Vice Principal at Waimanolo Elementary and Intermediate School. Cherilyn continues to work on her doctorate, with a new focus on Educational Foundations. She writes, “I absolutely love my job as an administrator because I get to work with students on a daily basis and help them be more successful; I get to mentor teachers to improve student learning and achievement; and I get to influence policy at a school level to improve our school for our students, parents, and community.” Cherilyn’s undergraduate studies, including her experience studying abroad in Australia, informed her commitment as a teacher to showing students multiple historical perspectives. “My dissertation also has a historical component,” she writes, “and is focused on the history and culture of the community I work in, and how the community perceives the school, which represents a colonial structure that marginalized the Native Hawaiian/indigenous people in the community.” For students considering a career in education, Cherilyn advises enrolling in a strong teacher preparation program. “In my experience,” she writes, “teachers who lack strong preparation are less successful in the classroom early on, as they may only have the content and not the pedagogy to effectively prepare their students for success. Teaching is harder than ever in this era of high stakes testing and accountability, and though history is not a ‘tested’ subject, it is our responsibility as educators to prepare our students for 21st century learning and citizenship.”

Ashley (Merwin) Wilwayco ’03 is another alum of Puget Sound’s MAT program. She fell in love with history in high school, thanks to an inspirational teacher who eschewed exams for close readings of primary sources, and prompted students to consider the “hows” and “whys” of history. “Every history class I took at UPS was taught in the same constructivist way,” Ashley writes, “and I decided that was the type of teacher I wanted to be, a teacher who asked students to think and construct meaning.” She is now a National Board Certified Teacher who has taught Math, Science, and Reading for the Clover Park School District, as well as third grade for the Department of Defense, and currently teaches fifth grade at an IB Dual Language School in Texas. Ashley enjoys using interactive historical timelines to show that “History isn't isolated: Important events happen in every field. Patterns and varying perspectives occur in every field, and the ability to make connections and construct meaning is what ties everything together. Those are the skills I learned as a History major, and the skills I give my students opportunities to practice every day.”

Ashley Wearly ’06 began the Master’s program in History at Portland State with the intention of going for a Ph.D., but after some soul-searching decided to shift gears and do an MAT back at Puget Sound. She writes, “During that year, I became a certified English and History teacher and met the man who is now my husband. A win-win! We moved to Seattle and taught in the area for 5 years (my husband is a chemistry teacher). I have taught 7th and 8th grade my whole career; I never imagined teaching that age group but absolutely fell in love it.” Last year, “ready for another adventure,” Ashley and her husband moved to Quito, Ecuador to teach at an international school, and are enjoying their time abroad. Ashley reflects that studying History as an undergraduate prepared her to handle a heavy professional workload, and gave her the strong communications skills needed to teach writing-heavy subjects. “Finally,” she says, “it fostered a lifelong interest in history that I do my best to pass on to the younger generation. How many people can say they get paid to spend their days talking about what they love? Even after 7 years of teaching, I continue to feel grateful that I stumbled upon a profession where I feel challenged, intellectually stimulated, and needed.” She writes that students who are thinking of going for a doctorate in History should also consider K-12 teaching. As she writes, “teaching middle school I'm not able ‘do history’ at the advanced level I did in college, but instead pass on the more basic and practical knowledge of history, economics, and politics that is sorely lacking in our society.”

Another alum who received his MAT from Puget Sound, David Tanaka ’06 has taught elementary and middle school Math, Reading, and English on the island of Maui since 2007. He’s excited to be returning to his roots as a Social Studies teacher this year! “The best part about being a teacher,” he writes, “is the impact you can have on a kid's life. The academic and life skills they learn from you have a profound impact on their lives. It's a daunting task, but also very rewarding.” David remembers that during his undergraduate years he “went from being a kind of ‘slacker’ to a motivated, independent learner.” Professors like Doug Sackman motivated him to improve his work ethic and hone his writing skills. “When I taught English,” David writes, “I focused on teaching my students how to write as historians and to develop arguments and back them up with evidence.” He wants would-be teachers to know that they shouldn’t expect to be able to focus on a single subject: “To be a successful teacher you have to know more than just history, or math, or science. You have to know how to connect with students, how to empathize with them, and how to care about kids who don't care about your class.”

Daryl Wythe ’08 originally planned to go to medical school and studied history thinking that would look good on med school applications. After realizing that medicine wasn’t the right path for him, he concentrated on preparing for a teaching career. Daryl earned his MAT at Puget Sound, after which he worked as a substitute in the Tacoma and Clover Park School Districts before joining the ‘Twilight’ Program at Lakes High School. Daryl spent two years working with students who were at risk of dropping out, “teaching them valuable social skills, how to manage money when they got a job, helping them earn back credit they had not received through credit retrieval classes, and working to get them into Northwest Career and Technical High School.” In 2014, Daryl added an endorsement to teach English to his Social Studies qualifications, and moved to Lochburn Middle School where he has been teaching English and Social Studies, and enjoying revisiting some material he studied in U.S and European history classes at UPS. He writes that he enjoys “teaching younger generations the skills they will need to be successful in life and be prepared for college,” and passing on the research and writing skills he learned as an undergraduate.

Since graduation, Katine Nielsen ’11 has volunteered as a tutor for AmeriCorps and earned her MAT at Saint Joseph’s University, becoming certified to teach middle school and high school social studies in both Pennsylvania and Missouri. She is currently a substitute teacher at Waynesville R-VI School District in Missouri. Katrine writes, “ Studying history helped me be a much more perceptive and comprehensive educator. UPS helped me hone many skills that are essential in the professional world, most significantly my ability to notice and identify seemingly disparate events as parts of much bigger issues.” She advises students to get some experience teaching before committing to a Master’s program, since “budget cuts have hit schools hard and they usually don't want to pay individuals with no job experience on the average Master's degree scale.”

A double major in History and Classics, Will Roundy ’12 went to work for Google after graduation, where, he writes, “the skills I built as a writer in my history courses served me well.” Missing academia, Will enrolled in a Master’s program for Latin educators at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. In grad school, he remembers, “I had lots of writing to do, and my research skills were essential to my success.” After receiving his MAT, he was hired by Amherst Regional Middle School, an ideal position which will enable him to maintain ties with the Umass Amherst Classics Department and eventually mentor students in his former MAT program. Will says, “I have greatly enjoyed my experiences as a Latin teacher. While many teachers are stuck with state and district-mandated curricula, I have the opportunity to design my own units of study that relate to the history, literature, philosophy, religion, art, architecture, technology, culture and politics of the Ancient Mediterranean.” Will is always looking for opportunities to “teach students to be historians themselves” by examining primary sources. He suggests, “History majors who are considering a career in teaching ought to start teaching as soon as possible. Teaching is a skill that requires lots of practice. One way to begin practicing would be to apply for a job at the CWLT,” as Will did as an undergrad, or tutoring in the Tacoma community. He also suggests “taking notes on how their professors are teaching them and ask to discuss teaching methods in their office hours.”

Peter Vleck ’13 spent a year after graduation working in private industry before signing on with WorldTeach and moving to American Samoa to teach at Manu’a High School on Ta’u, an island with a population of 750 where most families live on less than $14,000 per year. Now in his second year at Manu’a, Peter finds his job challenging and rewarding in equal measure, and has enjoyed exploring a part of the world whose history fascinates him. Peter, whose passion is the Pacific Theater of World War II (the subject of his senior History thesis), has found that his students (75% of whom are in the JROTC) often share his interest in military history, but many lack the resources and support that would allow them to excel in school. He has been delighted to find that some of his students are incredibly committed to their educations in spite of these obstacles. As Peter writes, “They will stay for hours after school to get help, even it if means that they have to walk several miles home later on in the afternoon because they missed the bus. These students understand that focusing on their education gives them an opportunity to get off of the island, and out of poverty.” Peter notes that his research experience, and especially his History 200 project and thesis, gave him vital skills and have impressed potential employers. He has the following advice to current students: “Keep your eyes open, and be willing to be adventurous. I had 27 days between my first interview and the day that I arrived at Pago Pago International Airport. I landed this gig because I was interested in travelling and teaching, even if it was outside of my specific area, and lucked into this position teaching history and government. I turned a semester-long volunteer position into a potential career, and even though I'm planning on coming back home and going to grad school rather than teaching here long term, I'm gaining a lot of important experience that I wouldn't have been able to get back in the U.S.”

After working as a clinic technician and an administrative assistant, Evan Wimberly ’13, writes, “I realized that I wanted to use my degree to become a teacher. This was a thought I had been toying with since I was a freshman. Eventually I got an amazing opportunity to teach in Cairo at a Christian School.” For Evan, “the most rewarding part of the job is just watching the kids learn and grow, and it’s definitely been a blessing and a place for me to grow and learn more, even about myself.” Reflecting on his undergraduate studies, Evan recalls, “I purposefully branched out into different areas of history so I would have a well rounded base of information, and now I use that to teach history to middle- and high- schoolers.” Reconstructing the perspectives of different historical actors, he writes, “has helped me learn to put myself in other's shoes and empathize with them, which has been especially important when working with students from all walks of life.” Current students considering teaching as a career, Evan suggests, should be sure to get some experience working with kids before committing themselves: “Even if you know all there is to teach, if you don't have the passion for the position, you will be ineffective.”

Phyllis Jestice ’82 originally intended to teach high school music, but found a new path in the History department under the mentorship of the late Prof. Walter Lowrie. She writes, “I had a good background in research and writing before UPS, but faculty members there helped me hone those skills, and certainly pushed me to a level of analysis that I had never even imagined was what historians did. Every member of the department had a faith in me that I didn't have in myself.” After graduation, Phyllis earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in Medieval History and Humanities at Stanford, and taught at several universities before joining the College of Charleston’s History Department as professor and chair of History in 2013. Phyllis finds her current career rewarding in many ways, but writes that “the number-one thing would have to be the many wonderful relations I've had with students over the years, and the feeling that I've had a positive impact on so many lives.” She cautions students to consider the decision to pursue a Ph.D. in History very carefully, given the scarcity of tenure-line university jobs for historians: “Don't try to become a professional medieval historian unless you simply can't imagine having a happy life any other way. If you do go down that path, learn languages, cultivate accessibility, and find a support network.”

Amy (Hoard) Kinsel ’82 earned for M.A. and Ph.D. in History at Cornell University. In 1993 the Society of American Historians awarded Amy the Allan Nevins Prize for best-written doctoral dissertation in American History, for “’From These Honored Dead:’ Gettysburg in American Culture, 1863-1938.” In 2004, after several years as an active independent historian, Amy joined the faculty at Shoreline Community College, where she is now Dean of Social Sciences, Library and Parent Child Center. She has also been active in Shoreline’s American Federation of Teachers union (SCCFT Local 1950), as well as in the leadership of the Organization of American Historians.

John Ott ’91 earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in History from Stanford, and in 1999 joined the History faculty at Portland State University, where he is now a full professor. He reflects that his experience writing an Honors thesis under the supervision of the late Prof. Walter Lowrie, as well as “with the broad based liberal arts education I received at UPS in my major and minor fields, prepared me extremely well for graduate school.” For those considering a Ph.D. in History, John writes, “Passion and perseverance are prerequisites!”

Sara B. Pritchard ’94 received her PhD in History from Stanford and held postdoctoral fellowships at MIT and the University of Pennsylvania before landing a tenure-track jobs, first at Montana State University-Bozeman and then at Cornell, where she is Associate Professor of Science & Technology Studies. While she arrived at Puget Sound planning to become a high school teacher, she writes, “Learning in the seminar environment of a liberal arts college and taking courses in environmental history and the history of science and technology transformed my career goals,” and working closely with professors in History, French, and Honors kindled her passion for scholarly research. She wants students considering careers in academia to know that “positions in higher education are extremely few and far between these days. It’s imperative to love what you study and do – first and foremost – and go to graduate school because of your insatiable curiosity."

Mike Read ’05 writes, “Wherever I’ve been, whatever I’ve done, I haven’t been able to shake being a major in history at Puget Sound.” His history training has informed all of his postgraduate experiences: “Directly after graduation, when I took a job in Minnesota as a camp counselor and resident lawn mower, I had Bill Breitenbach’s Transcendentalists to keep me company, taking me beyond the day-to-day. Later, as a substitute teacher and world wanderer, I had Nancy Bristow and her engagement with issues of justice, inequality, and the persistence of the conservative spirit to keep my mind a-turning. Later, when I headed out to the rivers of the Colorado Plateau as a river guide, I had Doug Sackman urging me, unbeknownst to him, to hone my interpretive knowledge of humans and nature in the Southwest.” Now pursuing a Ph.D in History at the University of Rochester, Mike continues to carry the lessons of his Puget Sound education with him as he explores the political implications of captivity narratives in early American history.

Christina Baker ‘06, a double major in History and Spanish, earned her M.A. in Latin American Studies at UC-San Diego, then spent a year teaching English in Spain. She is now finishing up her doctoral dissertation on contemporary Mexican performance in the Ph.D. program in Spanish at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She continues to keep in touch with UPS professors, and was recently back on campus to present her research at the Spanish Matters Colloquium. She writes, “studying history has given me an research advantage that is unique to the discipline. Being able to write a thesis at UPS, though it seemed daunting at the time, prepared me for longer research projects, critical thinking skills and the opportunity to make professional contacts.”

Kurt Kalanz ’09 spent a few years working on the West Coast before moving to Germany (where he had spent his junior year of college) to get his German language certificate in 2011. In 2013 he enrolled in the M.A. program in European-American Studies at the University of Regensburg, where he has worked as a research assistant, translator, and proofreader while writing his thesis, tentatively entitled “Memoirs from the Battle of Hubbardton and the Transnational Experience of the American Revolution.” He writes of UPS, “The small class sizes of our department, the level of participation required, and the focus on primary sources prepared me for the work load and expectations of a graduate level seminar.” He encourages current students contemplating graduate school in History to “think long and hard about whether it is really what you want to do, and if so, create a clear plan for your career path. The humanities in general are facing decreased resources and funding, and finding graduate positions and jobs in academia is extremely competitive. My advice would be to focus on emerging academic fields and methods, such as material culture studies, and not to limit yourself to the U.S. in either the location or topic of your studies, as the digitizing of information and the overall increased communication facilitated by the internet is making international cooperation between universities and academics increasingly possible.”

Michael Denman ’14 worked as a tutor at the College of Southern Nevada’s writing center before entering the M.A. program in History at SUNY-Buffalo, where he is back working as a writing tutor in between studying and doing his own research. He writes, “Being in the History department was really helpful because of the seminar/discussion style of classes (which most graduate classes are designed to be like) and the amount of writing that one had to do at UPS in general. If one hopes to do anything in academia, the ability to write and think critically about writing is absolutely necessary.” He encourages current students to keep pushing themselves to improve their writing ability, and to study at least one foreign language, something most graduate programs will require.

Michael was recently awarded the New York Conference on Asian Studies (NYCAS) 2016 Marleigh Grayer Ryan Prize for best graduate paper. Michael will be presenting that paper, "Identities from Shaolin: Identity and Culture in 1970's Hong Kong Kung Fu Genre Movies," at the NYCAS annual meeting in September 2016. Michael will begin work on this M.A. thesis this fall, exploring the sword as a tool with religious power and significance in Daoist theory and practice.