Liberal Arts Majors: History and Russian
Liberal Arts Minor(s): Business and the Liberal Arts, Political Science, and Russian Area Studies
Hometown: Tinton Falls, NJ
Current Location: Eatontown, NJ
What enrichment activities did you participate in as a student?
As an ROTC scholarship cadet, I attended an eight-week "Advanced Camp" at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, during the summer between my junior and senior years at Penn State.
What was your first job after graduating from Penn State?
Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army in Garlstedt, Germany
What was your favorite class and/or who was your favorite faculty member?
History Senior Thesis seminar with Dr. James Ross Sweeney. In this class, I learned how to effectively research data and primary sources, analyze the primary source information and data to draw conclusions, and clearly write my analysis and conclusions. This prepared me for my career in intelligence analysis.
How did your liberal arts education and skills prepare you for life after graduation?
As an intelligence analyst, my core competencies are critical thinking, writing, and briefing. As an Army officer, I have to think and solve complex problems. I developed these skills as part of my liberal arts education at Penn State.
What networking advice would you share with current students?
I believe career advancement is a combination of skill, luck, and timing (being in the right place for the right position). Networking helps you better focus all of these, by building skills, getting luck in your favor, and having a group of contacts that may be on the team that selects you for a promotion or tells you about a career opportunity.
What role have mentors played in your career progression?
Mentoring has been very valuable in the Army, as you learn skills as much by interacting with more experienced soldiers as you do from training and professional self-development.