UC liberal arts alums share their journeys to success
From CEOs to software engineers, A&S grads carve creative career paths
By Rebecca Schweitzer
As a first-year student moving into your transformative college days, you might find yourself wondering what the finish line looks like.
Alumni from the University of Cincinnati's College of Arts and Sciences have stories to share— and prove through their own experiences that earning a liberal arts degree can unlock doors to countless, and sometimes unexpected, career paths.
Here, discover some of the creative journeys they embarked on to success.
Communication alumna Hannah Ko
Hannah Ko was always inspired by verbal and non-verbal communication. This is why she chose to study communication at UC. Hannah graduated in 2012 and earned a master of business administration and master of marketing in 2016.
Ko currently works as the special events coordinator for UC’s College of Engineering and Applied Science and serves as business administrator of UC's Joint Co-op Institute program.
Journalism alumni Keith Jenkins
Keith Jenkins, a journalism graduate, has always found passion in writing and football. After graduating in 2008, Jenkins combined his passions into his current position as a sports reporter for The Cincinnati Enquirer.
"There are so many other Bearcats here. It is just this really cool family atmosphere where all of us are back home. It's like we took The News Record with us," Jenkins said.
Spanish and Medical Sciences alumna Priyanka Sai Vemuru
Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence recipient and 2021 grad Priyanka Sai Vemuru found UC to be the perfect school to combine her interests. In addition to double majoring in Spanish and medical sciences, Vemuru volunteered in Guatemala as an undergraduate. Vemuru is now a student in UC’s College of Medicine, taking the next step toward her long-term goal of becoming a physician for immigrant communities.
Of her community service as an undergrad, Vemuru says: "Through this work, I was able to see, firsthand, the positive impact that one person can have on their community."
Communication alumna Kelly Hollatz
Kelly Hollatz used her 2006 communication degree to create her own safety signs business, First Star Safety, in Lockland, Ohio, supplying signage to area construction sites and events such as the Flying Pig Marathon.
She says that her communication background helped her develop the business, which is growing.
Interdisciplinary Studies alumna Jelanah Cheatham
Jelanah Cheatham, a 2019 graduate, used her interdisciplinary studies major to craft a curriculum around her interests.
Cheatham’s focus in math, marketing and computer science helped her to launch the career she has today as a software engineer in data science at LinkedIn.
Emily Maxwell, the first UC graduate with a concentration in photojournalism, has credited her success to the Journalism Department.
Maxwell, a 2008 graduate and now an award-winning journalist, works as a documentary producer and multiplatform journalist with I Am Denver, a human rights office project based in Denver, Colorado.
Featured image at top: McMicken Hall on UC's Uptown Campus.
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