Mary Kate Cash, B.A. 2013

Diligent Corporation — New York, New York

2013 Major: History

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

"Studying History at Duke allowed me to hone many different skills including research, attention to detail, and learning to approach a viewpoint from different angles. While the content, purpose, and execution of studying history and running projects are ultimately very different, the process behind making a persuasive argument is highly cross-functional. The same skills that I used writing lengthy research papers come in handy in my day-to-day job as a project manager. I've worked as a project manager in operations and marketing over the past two years and it's imperative that I look at problems from the viewpoints of multiple stakeholders and audiences before planning the team's next steps."

What advice would you give students in History?

"Referring specifically to studying History, pay attention to opportunities that the department offers for your own personal growth and edification. As a junior and senior, I took part in the BorderWork(s) Humanities Lab and gained invaluable experiences through those projects. I loved all of the History classes I took at Duke. I followed the path of studying what I loved. However, the History department offers so much more than the standard block of 10-courses-to-complete-the-major, and more often than not, it's those outside experiences that will aid your personal growth and make you a good job candidate."

Mary Kate Cash