Philosophy Alumni Network

Introduce yourself! Please include your name, your degree, and the year you graduated.

My name is Emily Sewell. I’m 24. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy (2018) and a Master of Arts in Teaching, Middle-Level Science & Social Studies (2020) both from GSU. I live with my partner Michael and our sweet kitty named Shadow. 😊

What was your favorite or most memorable part of being in the Department of Philosophy at GSU?

It’s an unbreakable tie between serving as the Vice President of the Philosophers’ Guild during my senior year, helping fellow students with Intro to Philosophy (PHIL 2010) material as a Supplemental Instruction leader, attending guest lectures by notable philosophers of our day, broadening my mind in all of the amazing classes the program offers, and simply getting to know fellow Philosophy students and faculty who taught me so much.

What are you doing now? How does a degree in Philosophy help you in your current job?

Right now I hold what they call a ‘desk job’ in the healthcare field that involves constant interaction with patients. In the time of COVID-19, I’m very grateful to be employed full-time.

Put simply, my degree in Philosophy taught me how to think. Its principles are the railroad tracks to my train of thought and my first line of defense in any battle of wits. I’ve learned to process my thoughts in precise sequences, to sort through dilemmas logically to return creative and innovative solutions. I’ve also refined my communication skills. In philosophy and in life, what we say makes all the difference. To do my job, I ask myself daily, “How do I succinctly tell this patient what they need to know in ten seconds?” My philosophy training has my back. The best part is that these skills are beneficial to any job that I (or you!) could ever hold.

 

Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for current or prospective philosophy students?

Be brave and tenacious. Some of you will shy away from philosophy because you’re operating under the assumption that you just can’t ‘get there’ intellectually – that you can’t grasp what some old philosopher was talking about, maybe because you can’t get past the academic language or struggle to unpack complex reasoning. You might think you’re just not cut out for a Philosophy degree, but you’re wrong. Philosophy (done well) has a precise methodology. During your degree, you will be taught to understand and utilize this – whether that be to digest academic literature, craft your own arguments, or successfully challenge your opponent in a debate. Philosophy is a skill, not a natural talent. YOU CAN get a degree in Philosophy. Also, pay attention in Symbolic Logic class. Work through those logic problems whenever you get a chance, then do some more. Then some more. Trust me.

 

Introduce yourself! Please include your name, your degree, and the year you graduated.

I’m Paul Drevenstedt, I double majored in Philosophy and Spanish and I graduated in 1999.

What was your favorite or most memorable part of being in the Department of Philosophy at GSU?

My favorite part of being in the Philosophy Dept. was the breadth of classes on offer. I could learn about Kant, the ancient Greeks, and Eastern Religion in the same semester. The teaching was also excellent and I enjoyed every class I took.

What are you doing now? How does a degree in Philosophy help you in your current job?

I am the Assistant Public Defender for Ventura County, California. I concentrated on Ethics at GSU, and I continue to be interested in “The Good” – how a public agency with limited funding can maximize its ability to serve the community, especially the most vulnerable among us, such as those with mental health issues, substance use disorder issues, and histories of trauma.

Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for current or prospective philosophy students?

Study what you are passionate about! I was discouraged from studying Philosophy because it was not a “marketable” degree. But, I loved the classes and didn’t want to study something boring just to get a job. Later, in law school, I found I was passionate about trials and representing those without a voice and became a public defender. I never went the “marketable” route, and I have nevertheless enjoyed a fulfilling career that rewards my intellectual curiosity and allows me to serve my community.

Introduce yourself! Please include your name, your degree, and the year you graduated.

My name is Todd DuBose.  I graduated with my B.A. in Philosophy Department in 1984.

What was your favorite or most memorable part of being in the Department of Philosophy at GSU?

My favorite experience with the Department was actually working as a student assistant in the Department.  I focused on the philosophy of religion and took many classes with Jamie Price, and my favorite class was the Philosophy of Religion course with Dr. Bob Arrington.  I really enjoyed getting to know many of the professors, particularly Jamie as well as Linda Bell and Bob Almeder.  It was a very meaningful time for me and my life and I had wonderful friendships with fellow students, some of which have become lifelong friends.

What are you doing now? How does a degree in Philosophy help you in your current job?

I am currently a Distinguished Full Professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and teach existential, hermeneutical, and phenomenological approaches to psychology.  I have done extensive international work teaching these subjects.  I am also very interested and involved in the integration of the postmodern philosophy of religion and theology with human science psychology.  I also do a lot of work critiquing ideologies of practices of care in a hunt for who gets left out when we posit who a person is, what it means to suffer, what care is, and what is considered the good life.

Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for current or prospective philosophy students?

I am a believer in the engaged practitioner and public scholar model of education and scholarship, and I am continually looking to how philosophy can help me/us care well for others.  I have found my education in philosophy invaluable and would major again in it without question were I just starting out in college.  The major speaks to everything and is translatable to everything. Just risk allowing it to pulse through your life story and listen to where it calls you to get it expressed.

Introduce yourself! Please include your name, your degree, and the year you graduated.

My name is Counsel McCullen. I graduated in 2011 from GSU with a BA in Philosophy and a BA in Political Science. (I was a dual major.)

What was your favorite or most memorable part of being in the Department of Philosophy at GSU?

My favorite part of the Department of Philosophy at GSU was the community it provided. It felt equal parts social and intellectual. The classrooms themselves fostered such great discussions between all participants, including professors, graduate students, and undergrads. It seemed like those conversations poured into the hallways. I fondly remember the friendly debates at Pizza Fridays, Ethics Bowl, and even in the computer lab that we had. Two fellow classmates, John Michael Yurchesyn and Jamie Bernhardt, and I started the Philosopher's Guild in 2009 to build around this community, and those are my fondest memories.

What are you doing now? How does a degree in Philosophy help you in your current job?

I am an attorney based in Atlanta. I made partner earlier this year at Busch Slipakoff Mills & Slomka (https://www.bsms.law/counsel-w-mccullen). I represent small and mid-sized companies and their investors in negotiated transactions. I typically handle capital raising transactions, business formations, mergers and acquisitions, and direct lending. My Philosophy degree helps me because my job requires creating, structuring, explaining, and negotiating abstract concepts. My job is essentially to take business arrangements and realities and reduce the concepts to paper while adding the necessary legalities. Working with smaller companies usually means more creative deals (and personal connections), which creates challenges for the lawyer. I'm very thankful for my Philosophy degree and background and think it helps me every day. It isn't talked about enough, but philosophy students make excellent transactional attorneys.

Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for current or prospective philosophy students?

My advice for current and prospective philosophy students is to engage as much as you can in your community and college. I strongly recommend studying philosophy because, in my view, it will make you better at just about any career you eventually pursue. In my opinion, the best way to determine what to pursue is to network and take as many opportunities (internships, jobs, volunteering, random projects) as you can to hone in on what you enjoy doing with your time.

Introduce yourself! Please include your name, your degree, and the year you graduated.

My name is Kevin Thurston and I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy in 2012.

What was your favorite or most memorable part of being in the Department of Philosophy at GSU?

I think my first day of class as a Philosophy major is the most memorable and most important moment for me. I had already been at GSU for two years, and I had become a foundering and rudderless college student. I didn't have a career in mind. I took a gamble on Philosophy, deciding it was truly more important to finish school simply feeling and believing I had become a smarter person than it was to have a career waiting for me. My first class was Existentialism with Dr. Rand. I knew I was in the right place. I was instantly excited by it. The fog had lifted on my college career, and it only improved from there.

What are you doing now? How does a degree in Philosophy help you in your current job?

I am a Flight Dispatcher in Network Operations Control at Southwest Airlines. I also currently hold an elected seat in the Dispatcher's labor union. Philosophy didn't teach me about aviation weather or aircraft systems or collective bargaining, but it taught me how to be a good student of those subjects as I climbed the ladder from part-time baggage handler. It taught me to be a good listener, to stay curious and hungry for knowledge. I also believe the challenge of philosophical discussions and debates prepared me to be a confident interview subject, which was crucial on a work-your-way-up type of career path.

Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for current or prospective philosophy students?

Unless you make Philosophy your career in academia, the irksome obligations and distractions of adult life will make it more difficult to maintain a curious and philosophical mind. I very often find myself wishing I could take the classes again and re-live the challenge. I have re-read some of the books since then, but there is nothing like that first day in Existentialism. Don't take it for granted.

Introduce yourself! Please include your name, your degree, and the year you graduated.

My name is Connor K. Kianpour and I graduated with a Master of Arts in 2021.

What was your favorite or most memorable part of being in the Department of Philosophy at GSU?

I loved attending presentations given by visiting scholars to the department, and participating in/watching the Q&As. It was so wonderful to see faculty and students take academic works-in-progress so seriously. It’s a model for how good philosophy is done! I’ve learned so much at GSU.

What are you doing now?

Right now I'm working on a Ph.D. in Philosophy at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for current or prospective philosophy students?

The easiest part of being in a graduate program in philosophy is doing the bare minimum. And even that is really hard. Professors will assign you lots of reading, and you will be expected to know it well. But doing impressive, unique work involves going above and beyond, and budgeting your time such that you can. If you’re serious about philosophy, you should be doing much more than is expected of you by your professors in the program!