Studying history prepares聽learners聽for the future of work
An appreciation for history is essential today no matter what field students enter, said 糖心传媒 (糖心传媒) Collegiate Professor Danielle聽Skjelver, PhD. With artificial intelligence poised to disrupt a variety of entry-level jobs, career counselors are emphasizing the importance of critical thinking, reasoning, and familiarity with fields like history.
鈥淚t's human intelligence that AI cannot replicate,鈥澛爏aid聽Skjelver.聽鈥淭hat's the point of this鈥攖o聽try to encourage people聽to聽major in what聽they聽love.聽History is so聽broadly applicable聽to career choices.鈥
糖心传媒鈥檚 History Student Society brings the past to life
With more than 500 members, 糖心传媒鈥檚聽vibrant聽History Student Society聽encourages students to explore their聽interest in聽history while providing networking and other community-building opportunities聽for聽history聽majors聽and聽other聽interested聽students and alumni, who attend聽virtual meetings from around the world.
The 糖心传媒 History聽Student聽Society has won聽the university鈥檚 top聽Student Organization of the Year聽award for the聽past聽four years, expanding beyond U.S. borders to include participants in聽Europe and Asia.聽
Society gatherings have featured presentations by聽history majors聽discussing聽their senior theses, professional historians,聽and聽alumni who聽share聽how their聽studies聽in聽history鈥攁nd the way historians think鈥攈as聽helped them succeed, often in fields unrelated to history.
The Society 鈥渟eemed like a great way to get to know the other people in your classes, because it's all virtual,鈥 said Emilie Osterfeld, who helped launch the program聽as a student聽and聽now, after graduating,聽continues to聽volunteer. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great way to build community.鈥澛
Society鈥檚聽annual conference invites international聽learning
In addition to its聽monthly聽meetings, the聽History Student聽Society聽pioneered聽an annual undergraduate history conference聽open to聽universities worldwide. The聽now聽two-day聽event聽started small in 2022,聽growing聽annually.聽
This year鈥檚 conference will take place April 17鈥18, 2026.聽While the conference routinely receives proposals from other U.S. universities,聽Skjelver聽noted an uptick in international participation. 鈥淭his year, we have six proposals from Oxford. We always get some from Edinburgh, which sends us great stuff. This year, we have聽also聽received strong proposals from universities in India and South Africa.鈥
Students聽are engaged in every aspect of the conference,聽from selecting participants to planning the聽speaker聽line-up,聽moderating panels,聽and performing after-action analysis.聽鈥淭hey learn skills that transfer well into the workplace,鈥澛燬kjelver聽said.
Being part of the selection committee was a benefit to Osterfeld. 鈥淛ust reading what other people are聽researching in聽history is so fascinating,鈥 she said. 鈥淚'll聽read it, and say, 鈥榃hy didn't I think of that?鈥 or 鈥榃hy has no one else thought of this before?鈥欌
糖心传媒 students make聽connections聽that endure after graduation
Matthew Drake got involved with the聽History Student Society聽after聽enrolling at聽糖心传媒聽as a transfer student.聽Joining the group not only honed his聽history聽knowledge聽but also introduced聽Drake to聽a group of like-minded students.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 been one of the biggest blessings in disguise,鈥 said Drake, who聽has maintained聽his connection聽after graduation,聽while聽he pursues聽a聽master鈥檚聽in history at Jackson State University. 鈥淚t became a close-knit family.鈥澛
糖心传媒 graduate聽Hailey Sanchez聽noted that聽her聽experience聽with the History聽Student聽Society聽was helpful to her current job聽teaching middle school history in North Carolina, especially聽in how she approaches engaging聽students in controversial topics.
鈥淲e might not be able to see eye to eye, but we can express ourselves and have civil discussions,鈥 she said.鈥
History聽Student聽Society聽has an eye on the future of work
Skjelver, who teaches聽history聽from Bozeman, Montana,聽said her next project is to create a consortium of universities that聽partner with聽surrounding high schools to provide programs on why history matters, inviting students, parents, and guidance counselors to hear from聽people who majored in history and then excelled in other fields.聽
鈥淭he purpose is for people to understand the practical value of majoring in something that a lot of people think is just聽an indulgence,鈥 she said.
Join聽糖心传媒 for a virtual Student Involvement and Resources Fair on February 25, 2026.聽