The Department of History, Political Science and Philosophy sponsored Career Day this past Friday, April 19. History and Political Science alumni came back to Longwood to give current Lancers encouragement and explain their journey in life. Each speaker spoke for five minutes about their major, minor, career and challenges they had to overcome. The first speaker was Marianne Radcliff, the Rector of the Board of Visitors at Longwood, who originally worked toward a major in social work. She was unable to find a job in her field so she went to graduate school for public administration. She has a degree in political science with a minor in history.
Chris Calkins was the second speaker. He became part of the self described “10 year plan” for his degree. He graduated as a double major in History and Geography. During his time at Longwood, he was able to write and publish a book before he graduated, which has been in print since 1980. He was also the first manager at Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park. Many students at Longwood have obtained internships at Sailor’s Creek, with six currently working.
Cathy Haas did not begin her college career at Longwood. She told the current Longwood students to “think about the lifestyle you want to have, if you take a career path that requires you to work full time until the day that you die, if you want to be a wife, and a mother, then don't be ashamed of that. There is no shame in raising children and being a mom, make sure the career path you choose will work for the lifestyle you hope to achieve.” She encouraged students to volunteer where it was the worth the time and energy. She was a Political Science Major with a minor in English. Jon Mikolashek, who is now an associate professor of history, was very enthusiastic about returning to Longwood.
He jokingly told the students, “You are already [better students than he was] when I was an undergrad, and I said I would not be caught dead here.” He emphasized, “If you go to grad school, don't change your topic a million times.” He pursued his masters and PHD at JMU and Florida State, respectively, but said, “Longwood is the only school where you really get to know your instructors.” He mentioned that Dr. Coles was someone who really helped turn his time at Longwood around.
He even mentioned that “Professors don’t yell at you from their car at JMU,” another unique feature of the professors at Longwood. Molly Poisant graduated Longwood in 1997, and she still hasn't decided what she wants to do. She received a degree in Political Science and moved to Washington D.C after graduation. She received a job with the Trade Association working as their legislative aide. After that, she never found a job in the traditional sense; she used the connections she made to stay employed. She urged the students to make connections and keep them. Skip Usury attended Hampden-Sydney in 1997.
He decided in 2005 that it was time to earn his degree and applied to Longwood, from which he graduated in 2007. His advice to the students was, “Save your money, seriously.” He explained, “One of the great things about history is that there's always a story,” and that people always want stories. Bobby Wallace, who drove all the way from Baltimore just for this event, graduated Longwood in 1992. She was a Political Science major with a pre-law concentration and two minors. She thought her current job, in a tax collection firm, should be made into a “Law and Order Tax Collection Unit.” She warned the students, “not to burn bridges in your career.” Terrell Fleming is a teacher who came to Longwood in 2005 and graduated during the recession. He told all the students who were planning on teaching, “You need to have a plan and must be prepared.” He warned, “If you don't have a plan, your students will eat you alive.” He also said that everyone, not only teachers, “should focus on being pro-active and not re-active.” Kathryn Blackwell came to Longwood not to teach history, but “to do history.”
Her first job was an internship at the Library of Congress, and she found her passion at historic sites. She said, “I do what I love to do, and don't be afraid to stay with it.” Megan Bryant, who is also a teacher, graduated in 2011. She did not have trouble finding a job because she stayed proactive. She said, “My 150 students mean everything to me. I do everything I can for my students.” She advised, "Be there for your students; they will be there for you.” After the presentations, questions were raised and a student asked, “On a scale from one to 10, how important are good writing skills?” The unanimous answer was, “11.” All the speakers stressed the importance of proofreading and having good communication skills. The Alumni Association and the department wanted to thank all the speakers for their time and the students for attending the event.
