Katy McClure Chang, B.A. 2005

2005 Major: History

How has being a History graduate from Duke helped shape your professional success?

"Learning how to analyze and interpret events in the past in order to inform my thinking about the future is a key skill that studying history taught me. One of the best parts of studying history is learning to synthesize and understand the often complex situations and contexts of key historical events; learning how to think about my business in the context of an extremely dynamic world has made me a better strategist. Not to mention, studying history at Duke will really hone your writing skills, and that is a real differentiator in the workplace today."

What advice would you give students in History?

"Study a part of history that pulls you in and fascinates you! The skills you’ll learn and develop while learning to distill and analyze historical events are transferable, no matter which time or region you study. No matter what, you’ll use your history degree more than you might think both in your personal life as you navigate our ever-changing world and in the workplace."