Why did you major in philosophy?
I made the shortsighted choice to pick my major based on an article I read showing which majors were best suited for preparing for law school. Don’t let my blind success in this narrow regard fool you—I had no idea what I was doing! I declared before orientation was over, and was one of only two freshman entering with the major. That student eventually left UNH, and while others eventually joined the major, it remained a very small cohort. The primary reason I ended up sticking with it was because I liked the small-college feel of having a small major, at an otherwise large university. This allows the professors to really focus on you, which in the end makes the whole thing more rewarding and much, much easier.
Interesting stuff you did as a UNH undergrad? Thesis, study abroad, favorite class, etc.
Other than taking many great philosophy classes and hanging out in the library I: studied abroad in Budapest, was very active with the THDA program, participating in six different musical productions; wrote my thesis on John Rawls and his incorporation of unreasonable people into a politically liberal society; enjoyed the hockey games (go cats!); spent lots of time walking around in the trails off-campus; and I was heavily involved in UNH’s excellent Mock Trial program, eventually serving as co-captain.
What was your path after graduating from UNH Philosophy? What are you doing now?
I went straight into law school. While I don’t recommend blindly heading into any professional degree, it was the right move for me. With great assistance from several UNH philosophy faculty I spent much of my junior year and most of my summer studying for the LSAT and working on writing samples. Because of my rigorous training (turns out philosophy is the best major for law school!) and some great letters of recommendation (these philosophers faculty can write!) I matriculated to UChicago Law. There, I continued as much as possible to take philosophy-adjacent courses. This was a big draw of UChicago for me, which has some excellent philosophers of its own, and I loved law school. I found that I had an advantage over some of my classmate who, while brilliant, had never had to dissect such difficult writing before. Now, I live in Chicago and practice bankruptcy law, specializing in mass-tort bankruptcies. Exciting stuff!
How has philosophy been valuable in your personal and professional life?
Being a philosopher really is the best preparation for any career path where you are expected to think. I believe practical skills and know-how can be picked up along the way (I did a dual major with three minors) but nothing will prepare you for deep thinking like reading Hume, de Beauvoir, Nietzsche, Kant, Butler, Locke, Nussbaum, and Kierkegaard in your early 20s. The “life of the mind” is not only personally rewarding, but it puts you in a great position to be a valuable professional—uniquely able to solve complex problems, no matter where life takes you.
Any advice for students considering a philosophy major or graduating with a philosophy major?
DO IT! Take some other, non-philosophy classes (I enjoyed some higher level biology classes, minored in French, and took many economics classes at the business school) and let those classes help you build more basic “skills” and help you learn “things.” But nothing can replace the exercise that is working through the interesting, but difficult, material that philosophers deal with daily.
Anything else you’d like to say in this venue?
- Enjoy your time in college, it wont (usually) come again. That being said, I found my time to be most rewarding when I was really giving my schoolwork serous attention. This is not to say I didn’t have a social life, but its great to put lots of energy into everything you do. Because I worked hard in my philosophy classes, professors often reached out to me to provide mentorship opportunities and life advice. I have stayed in touch with a few of them (hi Ruth and Subrena!) and they can really help move your life in an exciting direction. It’s a privilege to have access to such brilliant and caring people, which all the philosophy faculty are, so don’t squander it.
