National debates about the future of the humanities are nothing new, but have been stoked in recent years by the accessibility of AI technology and contentious politics. For students working towards a degree in history, the path after graduation isn’t always clear. But for the nine alums who returned to their alma mater this November, the degree was absolutely worth it.
On November 7-8, U-M History held its first ever undergraduate banquet and career conference to connect undergraduate alums and current undergraduate students.
The event was envisioned by former chair and current vice provost for undergraduate education, Angela Dillard, back in 2023. Dillard wanted to build on the success of a similar conference for graduate students and PhD alums back in 2019. This time the focus would be on modeling careers with a BA in history, building community, and inspiring current students to establish a lifelong love of the discipline.
U-M History collaborated with the LSA Opportunity Hub on organizing the two-day conference and a series of three career development workshops. The workshops addressed how to craft a personal narrative, how to network, and how to search for opportunities.
For the main events, though, the department brought back nine undergraduate alums who represented a broad spectrum of career fields and a diversity of backgrounds and paths taken.
On Thursday evening the alums, more than 50 undergraduate students, and History faculty and staff gathered in the Michigan League Ballroom for a formal plated dinner and program.
The event kicked off with welcome messages by Brian Porter-Szücs, the director of undergraduate studies, and Will Glover, the department chair. Then Mary Beth Norton (BA 1964), the Mary Donlon Alger Professor of American History at Cornell University, gave a convocation in which she revisited her time as a history major and political activist.
She recalled witnessing Senator John F. Kennedy give a speech on the steps of the Michigan Union in 1960 that would ultimately lead to the creation of the Peace Corps. Norton emphasized how her campus involvement impacted her career.
The focal point of the evening was a conversation between novelist and historian Brad Meltzer (BA 1992) and travel journalist Karen Carmichael (BA 2007), moderated by Dillard.
Meltzer shared stories about his first few years after graduation and how challenging they were. He was open about having faced failures, and reminded students that it’s all part of the process. “But you keep going,” he said.
Carmichael, a travel journalist and expedition leader, spoke about how her history courses prepared her for a career she didn’t know existed at the time. “Every place has a history,” she said. And her time as a history major helped her understand how to tell that history accurately and with compassion.
Meltzer and Carmichael both agreed, though, on what might be the best reason to study history: for the love of it.
On Friday, the alums were put to work meeting with students in a more informal setting. Each rotated through tables of small groups of students who were able to ask questions and receive more personalized advice about how to make the most of their time at U-M—and how to prepare for what comes next.
Two of the most recent graduates, Savannah Stephens (BA 2018) and Madison Horton (BA 2017) shared their paths to success—Stephens is a fan and partner insights strategist for the National Basketball Association, and Horton is a documentary film producer based in Los Angeles
Alexandra Sloan Kelly (BA 2007) and Vivian Flynn (BA 1995) described how they each went on to earn their JDs. Kelly now works as an assistant United States attorney in the Central District of California, and Flynn is a managing director and leads the investor relations and capital raising efforts of Pomona Capital.
Andrea Maines (BA 1991) and Christopher W. Wilson (BA 1989) shared their experiences working directly with history. Maines teaches Advanced Placement World History and psychology at Chelsea High School, and Wilson is supervisory curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
Discussions between alums and current students ranged from the broad importance of diligence and persistence, to more specific details about how to describe the skills gained in a history classroom on a resume or cover letter.
One of the biggest takeaways for students and alums alike was a real sense of community. “I just declared, so it really helped me feel connected to the History community,” said history major Lauren Dertien.
“The experience was truly inspiring and rewarding,” wrote Flynn. “I was impressed not only by the enthusiasm of the students but also by my fellow alumni participants.”
One of the final questions for the alums was what they would have done differently during their undergraduate years.
Sloan was quick to respond: “Went to more events like this!”
