Subject: Re: Hello from UMKC Office of Alumni Relations
1. Name, Major, Graduation Year: Andrea Steere, Sociology, 2013
2. Current Position, Company, Location (city): Communications & Program Coordinator, Rosedale Development Association, Kansas City
3. How did the education you received from your department at UMKC have an impact on your personal or professional life? My education with the UMKC Sociology department had a lot to do with the career path I chose. Although I have always loved writing, and started out with a communications major, I realized I could write no matter what my major. What I really loved was learning more about our world and the people in it. By taking classes like Global Health and Social Change, I began to see my world differently. Specifically, I began to see a lot of problems that had previously been easier for me to ignore, and I realized I wanted to do something about it. My major not only helped make me a better person, but it helped me realize what I wanted to do to make the world a better place.
4. What specifically do you love about your work? Give an example. I love a lot of things about my work. I love that I get to do things I love to do (like writing) in a field that I have been pursuing since college (the nonprofit sector). I love that the work I get to do every day is a part of something bigger than myself. I love that I the work I do helps to make life better for people in my own community. I also love that my work is very diverse, but my degree prepared me for that. Whether I need to figure out some statistics, speak with a group with a different cultural background than mine, or write up a blog post or grant report, my sociology degree prepared me to take on almost anything.
5. How did the people you met at the College of Arts and Sciences encourage you to become the person you are today? The combination of faculty and students from the College of Arts and Sciences had a lot to do with the person I am today. Both challenged me, inspired me, and pushed me to be better, to do better. Of course, not every class is perfect and not every classmate becomes your friend, but every person I interacted with showed me a different perspective, and that was enough.
Other thoughts/reflections on your time at UMKC: Like any school, UMKC is what you make it. Fortunately, UMKC and the College of Arts and Sciences has many opportunities for you to learn and grow inside and outside of the classroom. Even better is that the faculty truly want you to succeed. Simply going to class absolutely has an impact on how you grow while in school, but stepping outside of your comfort zone has an even bigger effect.