Alumni Stories

Choose an entry below to read more about the real life experiences of STaC graduates. Thanks to Linnea Knoespel for sending out emails and collating this information.

Wendy Cown - " STaC...gave me the theoretical foundations which
helped me be able to think more freely in graduate school."

James Doeden - "I appreciated the versatility of the STAC degree because it allowed me to combine interests in engineering, Russian culture, and Web design."

Andre'a N. Lewis - "Do what makes your heart smile, otherwise you're going to be miserable."

Gin Bacon - "Know what STaC is and make it your own. It's a flexible program so pick a direction and run with it."

Dara O'Neil - "Your GPA matters. For getting a job and getting into grad school. You may not think you want to go to grad school now, but if you do in the future, the grad school will use your GPA to decide whether you can get in."

Mary Frances Russell - " STaC would be more powerful paired with a master's degree, or for someone who double-majored. It does allow enough flexibility to move into a variety of master's programs. If you want a degree in STaC you need to be prepared to get your master's. If you find that you really enjoy STaC classes and it's very interesting and you'd like to major in it, but don't want to get your master's, I would suggest taking advantage of internships and other in-school jobs related to the major to help you define your skills, otherwise you might have a hard time finding a good job immediately out of school."

Zak Elliott - "Don't be in a rush to 'get out.' Sample all that Tech has to offer and actively search for new experiences."

Tobias Stanelle - "I should have co-oped."

Sara Willson - "My STaC degree made me a more effective communicator and that is a skill that will serve me well far into the future."

Catherine Link - "Try to get some sort of office experience, no matter how minimal, because even a little experience goes a long way. Skills are great, but experience seems to get you in the door better."

Anonymous - "My STAC degree has actually been wonderful in preparing me for a job in education. All of the math, English, and computer courses have really equipped me to teach a broad range of subjects and grade levels."

Joshua S. Dyer - " My advice is to start thinking about what you want to do after college as early as possible. With a degree as flexible and diverse as STaC, it can be hard to decide on a definite career path. Until my senior year, I was constantly thinking, "Maybe I'll do this. Maybe I'll do that. Maybe I'll do this other thing." I didn't decide on teaching until three months before graduation. This isn't to say that it was a poor choice, or a choice that was made too late. However, I think that it will be easier to make post-graduation plans sooner rather than later."

Kendra Parker - "I strongly encourage STaC students to Network, Focus, and Intern."

Holly Mallett - "You are your best salesperson, don't be afraid to verbalize why you are the best candidate for anything you seek to accomplish."

Joy Glover Walters - "[The STaC degree is] very helpful in composing essays and communicating. It also helps you to think outside of the box. I liked STAC because it was well-rounded. You got a little of each department at GT."

Ashley Jennings - " Get leadership experience. Don't just join committees. LEAD them. This is excellent for your resume -- especially when you can use long-term leadership experience as job experience on your resume. College provides so many ways for you to lead that are not available at your typical internship. Also, use your resources. Carol Senf, Elizabeth
Miller and the GT Career Center are VERY helpful. I would not have been
able to do the job search without them. Also, when looking for a job,
start early."

Gwen Ottinger - " STaC was a very useful preparation in the field of STS--and one graduate programs in STS found very attractive because at the time there were very few undergraduate degrees in the area."

Michael Kastellac - "Just try not to get discouraged, you never know what's around the corner. Don't be afraid to start at the ground floor, but ONLY if you thinkit's a job that you'll love. It sucks to be stuck doing something thatyou don't care about."

Molly Williamson - "I think that STaC helped me to become anon-traditional scientist, which in turn makes a good science teacher formiddle school. Before I came to Tech, I did not enjoy science. Through STaCI found a different perspective and try to impart that on my students inhopes that they can lose the same cynicism about the subject that I once had."

Elizabeth Ruffin - "The media classes thatSTaC offers helped me gain an understanding of many aspects of advertising.Overall, though, STaC has just helped me to look at situations and try tosee the bigger picture, which is crucial with my work. STaC has prompted meto ask "why", and has thus helped me to gain a better understanding of theentire system in which I work."

Candace Chandler - "If you are really wanting to do multimedia, know your stuff. It should be a passion not something you dread. If you don't get stoked about your projects and find yourself working on your own projects in your off time, you need to find a new field. There will be times in the real world when you won't sleep until the project is done, just like school. If you're lookin gfor those days to end, go be something else."

More Info

Watch this space for announcements and spotlight information!