Whittier College’s Philosophy majors pursue a wide range of fields post graduation.
Some have pursued higher degrees in a range of fields in higher education and law. Many Whittier College Philosophy graduates work as attorneys and in government positions, earning JDs from such schools as Columbia Law School, Temple University Beasley School of Law, and Loyola Marymount Law School. Others have gone on to earn PhDs, and an alum of the Applied Philosophy major is even working in Hollywood as a set designer.
"My Whittier education helped me hone my critical thinking skills, which have been essential in my professional, creative, and civic life. As a writer, I bring the same curiosity, reflection, and empathy to my work as I did when I was a student cultivating those sides of myself."
Art, Philosophy
Gender & Women's Studies (now known as Gender Studies)
Phi Sigma Tau (Philosophy Honor Society)
I was attracted to Whittier College because of its small classes, individual attention from professors, and the well-rounded liberal arts education it offered.
I had taken a few classes in the minor, such as ‘Women in the Visual Arts’ and ‘Gender in Politics,’ just out of interest. I have always been interested in gender inequality and finally had a chance to dive into the topic at Whittier from different angles.
My favorite class at Whittier was Feminist Philosophy. It was the most challenging but also the most relevant to my own life and in interpreting the world around me. There were some very memorable intense class discussions, since feminism can be so polarizing. It encouraged me to bring my best arguments and ideas to that dialogue.
Currently, I’m a writer and researcher, working in narrative podcasts, TV, and film. With a master’s in journalism from the University of Southern California, I have worked for outlets like The Huffington Post, ATTN, and KPCC. After being staffed on the educational TV show Adam Ruins Everything, I left journalism to pursue telling my own stories through screenwriting. Some highlights so far include attending UCLA’s TV Writing program, reaching the semi-finals for NBC’s Writers on the Verge fellowship, and participating in Women in Film’s mentorship circle for emerging talent.
My Whittier education helped me hone my critical thinking skills, which have been essential in my professional, creative, and civic life. As a writer, I bring the same curiosity, reflection, and empathy to my work as I did when I was a student cultivating those sides of myself.
I would tell them not be scared about the future. It’s okay to be uncertain about how you’ll leave your mark on the world. No one tells you this, but after college, there’s a wandering phase that is inevitable. Instead of pressuring yourself to figure it all out right now, enjoy the process of figuring out what you want to do – even the failures and missteps. You’ll eventually get to where you want to be.
my time at Whittier has shaped who I am as an adult for the better.
“I cannot separate my experience at Whittier from my professors. My relationships with professors like Praetorius, Kjellberg, Furman-Adams, and Adams changed my life. I think that's the real value of a liberal arts education, particularly when you study philosophy: it provides a unique opportunity to examine complex ideas about life, and, in so doing, learn how to think about yourself and the world.”
I knew a few people who went to Whittier who seemed like they knew what they were doing, and having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, I liked the idea of living in California.
My first day at Whittier, I met Professor Michael Praetorius, who was the faculty master attached to my freshman dorm and a professor of philosophy. He was probably the first adult I had met who I wanted to be like. Talking with him, reading philosophy together in and out of classes, and just being around an adult who clearly loved what he was doing—it was like feeding on something I was starving for my whole life, but hadn't known about it till then. Professor Praetorius passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at the end of my freshman year. Remembering him and the impact he had on me almost 20 years ago still brings tears to my eyes.
I cannot separate my experience at Whittier from my professors. My relationships with professors like Praetorius, Kjellberg, Furman-Adams, and Adams changed my life. I think that's the real value of a liberal arts education, particularly when you study philosophy: it provides a unique opportunity to examine complex ideas about life, and, in so doing, learn how to think about yourself and the world. The relationships you have with your professors drive this process. They not only teach you different ways of thinking, but more importantly, they show you why critical thinking is important by embodying it in the classroom and their relationship with their students.
The most memorable part of my time at Whittier was not a moment, but the feeling of my life opening up to me for the first time and realizing that I could do anything if I wanted it bad enough and was willing to work for it.
After I graduated from Whittier, I took a year off to apply to Ph.D. programs in literature. Graduate school took me to Chicago, where I realized after a handful of years that I did not want to be an academic. I then taught high school for a few years and tried to figure out what I wanted to do. I started volunteering at various places, which eventually led me to community organizing and advocacy work around poverty reduction and criminal justice reform.
Today, I'm the executive director of the John Howard Association of Illinois, which is one of a small handful of organizations in the country that monitors their state's prison system and advocates for safe and cost-effective criminal justice reform. I don't really have a job description for what I do because I do a bit of everything, from writing op-eds on the need for prison reform to managing staff, from raising money to lobbying for legislation. Whittier prepared me for this work, which I absolutely love, by teaching me how to be curious about the world, to follow my passion, and, ultimately, to have the confidence to attack big and seemingly intractable problems.
Discover what you love and find a way to do it until you die.
Whittier taught me how to how to change and take control of my life.
