{"id":779,"date":"2019-01-31T18:47:39","date_gmt":"2019-01-31T23:47:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/history\/?p=779"},"modified":"2025-05-22T07:20:17","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T11:20:17","slug":"utc-advisor-theresa-blackman-on-why-you-should-consider-majoring-in-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/history\/2019\/01\/31\/utc-advisor-theresa-blackman-on-why-you-should-consider-majoring-in-history\/","title":{"rendered":"UTC Advisor Theresa Blackman on Why You Should Consider Majoring in History"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Theresa Blackman<\/span><\/strong><\/a> is an academic advisor in the Center for Advisement<\/a><\/span>.\u00a0 She majored in history as an undergrad, and thinks you should consider majoring in history too.\u00a0 Theresa’s experience and advice exemplify why majoring in history is such a smart choice.<\/span><\/p>\n

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About me:<\/strong>\u00a0I am originally from South Florida but moved to the Knoxville area in middle school. I attendee Lee University where I studied Modern European History. My specific area of study was Germany from the turn of the century to post war Europe. My plan was to obtain a PhD in history and teach Modern German History. However, I got involved in student government and fell in love with working with college students in an advisory role. Since History equipped me with excellent communication and writing skills I was able to gain entrance into a graduate program in student development and graduated in 2013 with my Master of Science. My first job out of graduate school was at UTK working in the Registrar\u2019s Office. I spent 3 years working with transfer students and dealing with course equivalencies, AP, and other dual enrollment related situations. Last April I started at UTC with the Center for Advisement advising Social Science majors, when our office redistributed majors I was able to get History. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Theresa Blackman, UTC Advisor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I was a graduate assistant with the history department at Lee where I got my Masters. There I helped run various admissions and recruitment fairs. I also spent a great deal of time giving presentations on why history is the best major in various first year studies courses while in graduate school. I also served as Treasurer and President of Phi Alpha Theta and participated in many recruitment events with them, as well as speaking at the 2009 national conference in Orlando, FL.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why I encourage students to consider majoring in history:<\/strong>\u00a0Most of the students I meet with who love history don\u2019t opt to major in it because they think there is no career in it. The way a college education is publicized to them and how their families talk about it, is that it is a venue for a job. If they cannot rationalize a job in that field they will not major in it. I spend a lot of time talking about careers one can do with a history degree outside of teaching. This tends to get a good reception and gets students seriously considering majoring in history. Some of the careers I highlight are:<\/span><\/p>\n