Essentially my role in the company is to perform sales and to help manage the growth of the company through sales, client relations, referrals and exploring new markets. This was not necessarily the career path that I had envisioned while enrolled at UMD; however, it has been a great fit for me ever since. I came into this opportunity through networking. There have been ups and downs, however this is where I envision myself staying in my career.
Growing up, History was always my favorite subject to study. As far back as elementary school I would often read books or watch documentaries on historical events and figures. Entering college, I had some thoughts about wanting to be a lawyer, and I was aware that History was a great degree to get prior to Law School. After some self-reflection on what I believed were my own strengths and weaknesses, I quickly pivoted away from this career path. Despite this change in plans, due to my passion for the subjects and great initial experiences with the courses offered, I wanted to continue to take courses in History. During my freshman year, I took the courses "Dawn of Modern Europe" and "Science and Society" with Dr. Matthews. The following year, I continued studying under Dr. Matthews in his "History of Christianity" course as well as beginning to take courses with Dr. Rop.
By the end of my college career, I had taken every course offered by both Dr. Rop and Dr. Matthews, and another highlight was my History Seminar under Dr. Laderman. I truly enjoyed my time taking these courses, but the biggest benefits came from the relationships I was able to have with my professors. I went to Dr. Rop, Dr. Matthews and Dr. Laderman directly numerous times for advice on the courses and for guidance on career options. The primary takeaway that I learned from them was that you can take a history degree and market it into anything you want if you pursue it. Funny enough, it was largely due to how I spoke with my professors that got me into the career I am in today. Several months after graduating I approached someone in my personal network who is eight years older than myself and had begun a successful career in business after they themselves had graduated with a history degree. Going to them in the same manner that I would approach my professors resulted in a swift job offer.
In regard to direct knowledge, the primary skill that I utilize in both my career and other facets of life is the ability to gather and use evidence to structure an argument. The exact subjects may be different than writing a paper for a class; however, these skills can be great for implementing business plans or when structuring deals with my potential clients. All in all, I highly value the time spent in the UMD History program and even keep in touch with the professors to this day.