Students of the humanities, the study of human culture, have long appreciated the rich rewards of pursuing such a degree. Although statistics point to a drop in the number of students choosing to major in the arts, communications, culture/ethnic/gender studies, English, foreign languages and literatures, history, philosophy, and religion in recent years, these areas of study are attracting a new generation of students interested in reaping those rewards.
Humanities students master crucial skills in reading, writing, communication, and problem-solving—all skills that are critical in the workplace. Many argue that these areas of study foster empathy and critical thinking, provide a broader perspective of the world, and help students learn to navigate the complexities of our global society in an ethical way.
The five students profiled here enthusiastically back these claims. After completing their undergraduate degrees at ¶¶Ňő̽̽, each chose to take their humanities studies to the graduate level and into their careers—where they plan not just to make a solid living but to thrive while following their interests and passions.
Shuvan Shrestha ’21
Undergrad major: Religion
Graduate school: Duke University
Degree and concentration: M.A. in religious studies
Expected year of graduation: 2024
During his time at ¶¶Ňő̽̽, Shuvan Shrestha (pictured above) says he found the best people, texts, and course offerings in the humanities. “Professor Kevin Trainor’s engagement and enthusiasm with the Buddhist tradition within the academic study of religion was inspiring,” Shrestha says. He adds that he is forever grateful for being able to take Dr. Trainor’s “The Wheel and the Cross” class his first semester. He never knew that class would spark such great interest in taking other religion classes, leading eventually to graduate study in religion.
Most of Shrestha’s humanities coursework at ¶¶Ňő̽̽—about different religious traditions, Shakespeare, and even paremiology (study of proverbs)—dealt with the human condition at its core. “Seeing Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains enriched that experience of studying so much more,” he adds. “¶¶Ňő̽̽ is just the best place for studying humanities.”
It was most rewarding for him to explore the multiplicity of human experiences. “We all will encounter these questions sooner or later in our lives,” he says. “As we are born, we all suffer, and death is not far away. There is no ultimate solution to these conditions; not even the humanities can solve them. But those in the humanities gain close familiarity with many such human emotions and know how to engage with them, all thoughtfully and with care.”
Leading classroom discussions is a major part of Shrestha’s graduate training, and his experience inside undergraduate humanities classrooms provided a solid background for this. “During my time at ¶¶Ňő̽̽, I was able to see professors in the religion department facilitate discussions so well,” he says, adding that this set a great benchmark for his own interest in the field.
Shrestha, whose latest research is about mangoes in different ashram communities across South Asia, encourages any students interested in pursuing a degree in the humanities to take some time to see where their interests reside. “Think of engaging across disciplines,” he says. “Start reading widely. Never lose sight of your own research and interests and find ways to enrich them.”
Alice Matthews ’19
Undergrad major/minor: Art history major, history minor
Graduate school: Williams College Graduate Program
Degree and concentration: M.A. in art history
Year of graduation: 2021
Alice Matthews just knew she wasn’t done being a student when she completed her degree at ¶¶Ňő̽̽. “Somewhere in the grueling but rewarding process of writing my undergraduate thesis, I realized I wanted to continue thinking deeply about art historical topics alongside a cohort of peers and continue writing original research papers,” she says.
Matthews gravitated toward art history because it reminded her of her dad’s abilities as an arborist. “I loved going anywhere with him, because he could always explain the trees around us,” she says. When she took her first art history survey class, she learned to identify artworks and associate them with a particular person, time, or place based on their details, which made her feel like her dad.
Pursuing a graduate degree in the humanities taught Matthews how to be curious and how to trust that curiosity. She says she also learned how to build and support an original idea or argument and how to be receptive to critical feedback.
Matthews believes that studying the humanities teaches students how to be stronger, more informed thinkers and makes them more empathetic. The humanities “make us better readers and writers,” she says, “which translates into becoming more informed digital citizens, more engaged in the social and political movements that matter to us, better prepared to challenge assumptions, and better able to advocate for ourselves and others.”
As for life beyond the classroom, Matthews says she wants to engage in work that is exciting to her, that feels good to do every day. She currently holds a fellowship in public programs at the Yale University Art Gallery where she is doing just that. “I absolutely love it,” she says. She leans on her background in art history to program both the permanent collection and special exhibitions.
Matthews, who grew up in the Greater New Haven, CT area, leveraged her master’s research to spend a year in Vienna on a Fulbright award to continue work on an Austrian-American artist. “But the fact that my degree has also brought me back home means more to me than anything else,” she says. Being able to use the skills and background she’s worked so hard to acquire to contribute to the cultural ecosystem of the community she comes from is a privilege for which she will always be grateful.
Aidan Seipke, ’22
Undergrad major/minors: Japanese major, Asian studies and reporting and documentary storytelling minors
Graduate school: University of Washington
Degree and concentration: M.A. in Japanese Language and Literature
Expected year of graduation: 2026
When Aidan Seipke reached the end of his undergraduate career, he knew he wasn’t done with his education. “After I wrote my thesis for the Honors College, I realized I wanted to keep doing that kind of in-depth research and learning,” he says. He chose an M.A. program that centered on Japanese language and literature because of his career and research interests in translation, modern Japanese literature, and wartime/postwar experience.
Continuing to study in this area was important to Seipke because it gave him the opportunity to explore literary subjects he found under-discussed in American discourse and history, such as the minority experience in Japan, Japanese war memory, and why the current relationship between the United States and Japan is the way it is. “I hope to satisfy my own curiosity about these subjects and be better equipped to teach others about them,” he says.
Two of Seipke’s main goals are to work in professional translation and to return to work in research or academia in some way. He advises undergraduate students interested in a humanities degree to try out all kinds of things. “I was a Japanese major at ¶¶Ňő̽̽, but that doesn’t mean I only studied Japanese language and culture,” he says. He took a variety of classes in different subjects that were not only enjoyable but also helped him learn about different disciplines and skills, which came heavily into play in writing his thesis.
Seipke believes the humanities are essential to any well-rounded education. “They teach valuable skills in being able to develop, articulate, and defend ideas,” he says. He truly values the critical-thinking skills he developed from his own humanities education. “Being able to question why a text or video or anything says what it does, and examining the methods and tools it uses to do so is so important to understanding the world around us,” he says. He adds that “classes and programs in the humanities broaden your worldview, which is something I think everyone benefits from, especially in an increasingly globalized world.”
Katie Wynn ’22
Undergrad majors: History and political science
Graduate school: Boston University
Degree and concentration: Ph.D. in history, with a focus on modern Britain
Expected year of graduation: 2027
Katie Wynn decided to apply to graduate programs in the fall of 2022 following her graduation from ¶¶Ňő̽̽, but it had been on her radar since the spring of her sophomore year. That semester, she took History Methods with Professor Paul Deslandes and wrote a paper on Queen Victoria. The paper was a success and, more importantly, captured her interest. She ultimately decided to pursue graduate work because she would rather study history than do any other job. She made the decision because of the relationships she made at ¶¶Ňő̽̽ and the experience she gained conducting historical scholarship.
The humanities “require us to encounter, understand, and appreciate the complexities of the human experience,” Wynn says. She adds that the open-mindedness, empathy, and ethical rigor that are called for in this area of study are also necessary skills for living in any society. “Especially today, these critical thinking skills are sorely lacking in our country, towns, companies, online spaces, and so on,” she says, “resulting in an inability to communicate with each other, make decisions, or solve problems.”
Ideally, Wynn would like to be a professor of history, but she also plans on applying for internships in publishing and archival work to give herself as many options as possible when she’s done with the graduate program. She advises undergrads interested in a degree in the humanities to lean into relationships with professors and fellow students, noting that friends and classmates are a great sounding board to talk about research and careers in academics and humanities.
Wynn believes that the humanities provide the space to reflect on the “Why?” of human experience, offering a spark of interest and creating capable citizens, businesspeople, scientists, and community members. The most valuable things she has learned from studying the humanities are the critical-thinking skills, she says—“how to read something, how to approach a topic with open-minded curiosity and engage my findings with my existing knowledge and beliefs, how to have discussions with others, how to write persuasively, and, above all, how to ask questions.”
Korinne Hensley ’17
Undergrad majors: French and classical civilization
Graduate school: Stanford University
Degree and concentration: Ph.D. in French literature
Expected year of graduation: 2028
Korinne Hensley decided to pursue graduate work after defending her undergraduate thesis in French Literature at ¶¶Ňő̽̽. She was inspired by the process of literary research and by the guidance of her advisor, Joseph Acquisto, Ph.D. “He showed me the potential joys of working in such a field,” she says. “The importance of a wonderful guide in such matters cannot be overstated, and Professor Acquisto was just that for me.”
In addition to Dr. Acquisto’s guidance, the work of Marcel Proust ultimately moved Hensley to pursue graduate studies in French Literature. She remembers being so shocked that an author was able to put into words a feeling she previously thought only she had experienced, and that he was able to do it with words she would never have thought to string together.
While pursuing her graduate degree, it became clear to Hensley that the most important aspects of life are those spent in the company of others—sharing a mutual love for a certain author, mutual confusion over a certain concept, or mutual frustration over a shared experience. “I have found that working in the humanities has provided some of the most uniquely delightful conversations and shared moments,” she says, “and the most valuable thing I have learned is the importance of other people in our lives.”
Of primary importance in studying and working in the humanities, Hensley believes, is that you’re never out of touch with the core of what it is to be, well, human. “It makes the reality of being a person unignorable,” she says. She adds that works of literature in the humanities stand as testaments to the importance of human qualities and aspirations such as love, friendship, honesty, and contributing to the lives of others in meaningful ways.
Hensley, who plans to become a professor once she completes her Ph.D., advises students interested in a humanities degree to read everything. She also recommends “following what you love and what inspires you. Doing so will enable you to inspire others and will make your dedication to the work largely unwavering.”