The History Department at Wittenberg University makes every effort to stay connected with its many alumni. Professors have been known to stay in touch with students long after they graduate, and many alumni come back to campus for history events, to drop in on faculty, or even to just walk the campus. The department also actively seeks to connect its current students with alumni so that they may see how graduates have carried their degree and education from Wittenberg into their careers and lives beyond college.
We strongly encourage students to join LinkedIn where you may join the Wittenberg University History Department Network and connect directly with our prestigious graduates.
The Global Reach of a History Degree
Name: Kristen Brady
Occupation: Currently studying at Utah State University
Graduation Year: 2017
During her undergraduate years at Wittenberg, Kristen spent a semester abroad at King’s College, London, and had her first taste of archival research at The British Library researching women’s social networks through 16th-century wills and probate documents. She intended to continue down the social and gender history path, but her plans quickly changed after experiencing complicated health issues. During this period, she read a lot of medical journals and, along the way, started enjoying them. It was here that her passion for the history of medicine developed. Shortly after arriving on Utah State's campus, she completed a collaborative and interdisciplinary research project on the first documented case of stem-cell based ovarian cancer.
Name: Jacob Hinton
Occupation: Business System Analyst for PNC Bank in Grove City, Ohio
Graduation Year: 2003
Advice: "Take a break from the computer and cell phone every now and then to write things by hand whether it be a journal or a letter. The accessibility to primary resources only becomes more restrictive as we rely more and more upon technology for communication. For future Genealogical researchers in your family it could be a treasure."
Jacob Hinton is a Wittenberg alumnus who graduated in 2003 with a degree in History and now works as a Business System Analyst for PNC Bank. “I gather and document testing requirements for a given project, then create a plan to test these requirements against code provided by the development staff,” Hinton explains. Hinton currently lives in Groves City, Ohio, but his job does allow him to travel, mainly to Cleveland and Pittsburgh. “Travel mostly centers around the main hubs of PNC’s Corporate & Institutional Banking. On occasion my position requires in-person meetings with project management and vendors.” Hinton has been with the bank since 2005, and he greatly enjoys what he does: “The best part of my job is seeing the product at its worst and watching it evolve into a solid product as the issues I identify are resolved and polished.” Though Hinton works full time, he is currently pursuing a second bachelors in Computer Science to supplement his knowledge for his career.
Name: Mandy Oleson
Occupation: Currently studying at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio
Graduation Year: 2003
Advice: "Embrace opportunity -- to learn, to grow, to travel, to play, to laugh, to cry, and to love -- and be changed by how the opportunity embraces you."
Mandy Oleson is a Wittenberg alumna who graduated in 2003 with a degree in history. Oleson is a candidate for ordained ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and she is currently in her third year in the Master of Divinity program at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio. After graduating from Wittenberg, Oleson was a Fulbright recipient and an English teaching assistant in Salzburg, Austria. She also completed a Master of Arts in European Society from University College London before starting seminary school.
Name: Jessica Zawacki
Occupation: Teacher
Graduation Year: 2003
Advice: "Do not be afraid to go for your dreams or ask for help from professors, co-workers or bosses."
Jessica Zawacki is an alumna from the Wittenberg History Department who graduated in 2003. Zawacki majored in History and was a double-minor in Education and German. She currently works as a sixth grade social studies teacher with courses in Geography, South American History and European History. Even though her job may seem confined to a middle-school classroom at a glance, Zawacki actually gets to travel on a regular basis to teaching conferences. “I get to meet with other teachers learn how to incorporate new ideas into my teaching,” she says. In this way her job extends beyond the classroom and into a vast teaching community.
Name: Steve Byrne
Occupation: Program Coordinator for Exchange students
Graduation Year: 2006
Advice: "Live in the present and enjoy all the aspects you can of a history major."
Steve Byrne is a Wittenberg alumnus who graduated in 2006 with a BA in history and Spanish and now works in a career where he brings cultures together. He currently serves as a program coordinator at AYUSA Global Youth Exchange, an international education program.