LA&S alumni return to talk careers with current students

“We know that today’s graduates are likely to have several jobs before they retire,” said Laura Barrett, dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at SUNY New Paltz. “Job satisfaction requires a sense that we’re doing something meaningful, and providing a service to society. Degrees in the liberal arts not only open up a wide array of career opportunities; they prod us to challenge ourselves and continue to grow.”

So began a recent panel discussion, “Classroom to Career: The Value of a Liberal Arts Degree,” featuring five alumni of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Each speaker represented a different major and a different career path, but all agreed that their degrees, and the educations they stand for, have proven tremendously valuable in both their professional lives and in their personal and intellectual growth.

“When people would ask me, ‘What are you going to do with that degree?’ I felt confident in answering, ‘I can do whatever I want with it,’” said Claudette Aldebot ’06 (Spanish), a Marketing and Recruiting Manager at New York Life.

Arber Cobaj ’15 (Philosophy), Director of Program Development at Skytop Strategies, contributed a perspective drawn from his experience as a key member of a Hudson Valley start-up.

“No matter how well-run a company is, when it is this young there are going to be roles and activities that are undefined or not quite understood,” Cobaj said. “The flexibility of mind that I developed as a philosophy major helps me to step into these roles and conceptualize ways I might be able to contribute. From day one at this company, my role has been to build a role for myself. Thanks to my research background, that feels like a beautiful spot to be in.”

Other panelists counseled student attendees to trust and rely on the skills they gain as liberal arts majors when it comes time to seek employment.

“I tell my students all the time, if you learn one thing in college, make sure you learn how to communicate, both via the written and the spoken word,” said KT Tobin ’92 (Sociology), Associate Director of The Benjamin Center. “Effective communication transcends any specialized or substantive knowledge. It doesn’t matter what kind of company you’re working for – employers are going to want someone who can get up and speak on that company’s behalf.”

“It took me a long time to learn how important it is to do your own research when you are preparing to join the workforce,” said Heather Graham ’97 (Black Studies), Digital Director at the Daily Gazette. “Researching the company you are going to interview dramatically increases the odds that you’ll be invited back. Realizing that made me much more confident, because as a liberal arts major learning how to research well and research efficiently was a big part of my education.”

“Classroom to Career: The Value of a Liberal Arts Degree” was organized and hosted through a joint effort of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and Emily Zurner, Senior Career Specialist in the Career Resource Center.