If the philosophical markers of a young job seeker in the 21st century are reading, thinking and experiencing life widely to prepare for opportunities, Whitney L. Skippings, C’2012, has a solid foundation.
Since matriculating, the philosophy and religious studies student has leveraged the emphasis on enhancing students’ critical and analytic reasoning skills in several different internships. She has worked at the U.S. State Department and the American Red Cross and spent her 2011 summer in the private sector at JPMorgan Chase & Co. “It seems somewhat random when one cross references my resume with my interests, but I'm really happy to have rounded out my collective workplace experiences,” said Skippings, who also majors in international studies.
Students with questions about religion as a significant phenomenon of human life may engage in the academic study of religion in an interdisciplinary context.
Religious studies major Sarita Smith, C’2013, was interested in learning what “would help to break down some of the resistance people may have when it comes to looking at religions other than their own.” For her thesis project, Smith examined founders of Buddhism and Christianity. Her research compared the two founders and used a focus group of persons from both traditions to test the possibility of changing perspectives. “I have been very interested in learning more about this topic since I began college,” Smith says, “so this research allowed me to gain knowledge in this area and find possible answers to many questions I have.”
Smith, who was contemplating graduate work in religious studies, used the senior thesis project to test the waters of a career in the academy. “I would like to explore what it would be like to pursue a career in religious studies,” Smith says. “If I were to take up religious studies on the graduate level, research like this would be done very frequently.”