In this episode, we talk with Tara Nugues, Community Engagement Manager at Reading Partners in New York, about her path from studying languages, history, and economics to building a career in nonprofit community engagement. Tara shares how working in hospitality, completing an AmeriCorps service year, and drawing on what she learned in college helped her grow as a communicator, problem solver, and relationship builder. This episode may be especially helpful for those interested in nonprofit work, education, community partnerships, public service, or people-centered roles that require adaptability and strong judgment. Listeners will come away with a clearer sense of how broad academic interests can connect to meaningful work and long-term professional growth.

SNHU Communication alum Olivia Hatley is an executive assistant at an international insurance organization whose role has grown to sit at the center of organizational communication and philanthropy efforts. She reflects on the importance of choosing a path that's true to who you are, and why aligning your gifts and values with the right program is the foundation for a career that can weather any challenge.

SNHU double alum Zac LaPoint shares how creative writing became the unexpected foundation for a career fighting poverty in his community. He makes the case that liberal arts is the underpinning connecting a range of fields, including human services, making it a legitimate 'related field' when applying for roles that might not immediately seem like a fit. He also weighs in on AI's growing presence in human services, and why it can never replace art, human caring, or the critical thinking that liberal arts graduates bring to the table.

SNHU alum Gabbi Hall shares her journey from coordinating the university's iconic bus tour campaign to reporting on Olympic skiing and ultimately leading creative teams as an advertising director. She illuminates how curiosity and openness shaped her path, and how her liberal arts background deepened her understanding of human experience, making her a better marketer.

In part two of our conversation, MFA alum and entrepreneur Brittany McMunn shares the steps she took to channel her passion for writing into a thriving career as an editor and publishing partner, and how that decision helped her transcend a difficult period of her life. She describes how the value of tenacity, and creative writing skills of storytelling and landing a message set her and her clients apart in roles across industries.

Our guest Aimee Terravechia shares her “zigzag” career journey from a bachelor’s in English literature to roles in sales, marketing, journalism, nonprofit leadership, and advocacy. She illuminates how academic skills like critical analysis and storytelling became professional strengths that help her navigate complex legislation to make real community impact.

Alycia Harris presents “Eco-Icons and Green Signals: Examining the Visual Language of Sustainability.” Alycia Harris and Helen G. Hammond present “Sustainable Minds: Teaching Conscious.” Lisa Jacovsky presents “Sustainable Futures: Green Innovation and Entrepreneurship as Agents of Environmental and Social Change.” Kathy Spencer, Linda Savage, and Kiley Church present “Reimagining Environmental Justice: Addressing Past Injustices, Present Conflicts, and Future Solutions through Policy, Property, and Cultural Perspectives.” Kayla Stoll presents “New Hampshire Environmental Education Bill.” Luvuyo Batyi presents “The Miracle of the Diverse Portulacaria Afra Bushel: An Evaluation of Local South African Flora on its Potential Ecological Impact Through Carbon Sequestration.”
Posters can be viewed here. 

Patricia Weeks presents “Imperfectly Perfect.” Mac Scotty McGregor presents “Reclaiming the Earth: How Positive Masculinity Can Reshape Environmental Conservation.” Alena Shellenbean presents “Wild Home: The View from the Tent Flap throughout American History.” Georgena Luiso “Waste Not Want Not: How Cultural Perspectives Towards Plastic Implementation Hinder Large-Scale Plastic Waste Mitigation Techniques.”

Saikat Pradhan presents “The Past, Present and Future of Environmental (In)Justice in India: A Bioregional Reading of Orijit Sen’s River of Stories.” John Bessai, Independent Scholar presents “Reclaiming the Toxic Sublime: Environmental Witnessing and the Aporia of Canadian Public Memory.”

Lisa Jacovsky presents “Framing Change: Artistic Expressions of Environmental and Social Transformation.” Scott Courtney presents “The Silk Road and the Sound of Exchange: Musical Instruments as Environmental and Cultural Artifacts.”