A Future in the Past

This fall, U-M History will host its second annual Undergraduate Banquet and Career Conference. Building on the success of the previous year, this event will bring together students and accomplished alumni for a time of professional networking and community celebration.

The two-day event, open to current U-M History majors and minors, along with undeclared undergraduates interested in studying history, will begin the evening of Friday, November 7, with a banquet at the Graduate Hotel in Ann Arbor. The dinner will feature lightning round presentations by alumni who have returned to U-M from around the country.

The following day, Saturday, November 8, features a series of roundtables allowing students to directly connect with seven U-M History alums: Christopher Wilson, Vivian Flynn, Yezenia Sandoval, Matthew Trieste, Katharine Dubois, Adnan Zuberi, and Emma Kinery. Their career experiences span industries and institutions including the financial sector, journalism, non-profit organizations, museums, and publishing.

"Our alumni have translated the skills and knowledge they acquired as history majors into a range of successful and vibrant careers," said William Glover, department chair.

"At the Undergraduate Banquet and Career Conference, they will help our students understand how their history degree helped enable their own journeys, and share strategies with our students for leveraging the unique skills History provides to make a meaningful impact on the world, whatever careers they pursue."

U-M History is partnering with the LSA Opportunity Hub and the History Club to hold pre- and post-conference workshops for students, focusing on career preparation and networking. 

As the department continues this work in the future, its alums will have additional opportunities to connect with students. One way to do so right now is by joining LSA Connect, an online mentoring and networking platform exclusively for LSA students and alums. The more U-M History alums who join, the more chances majors and minors will have to connect with those who have already put their history degrees to work in the world. 

U-M History will be sharing more about the Undergraduate Banquet and Career Conference's featured guests in the days and weeks approaching the event.