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Martha Vickery
Naperville, Illinois

I walked onto campus at WSU knowing exactly what I was going to study: political science. I loved history, politics, government, and philosophy, and this course of study involved all of those areas and more. I believed that for me a good, well-rounded liberal arts education was more important than getting specific training for a specific career, and since I didn't exactly know what I wanted to do with my life after college, this seemed to be the best route for me to take.

Indeed, my poli sci courses taught me about the world and about myself. In pursuit of my general political science degree I covered the whole spectrum from history, law, and politics to philosophy and research. My minor in cross-cultural communication only widened my scope of experience and study. My professors and the coursework taught me to think critically and express myself in written and in spoken form. I still value these lessons and I know first hand how vital these skills are, regardless of career. My fondest memories of WSU center around my classes with faculty members James Eddy, Ahmed El-Afandi, Yogesh Grover, and Frank Morello; the term I spent in England on the studies abroad program; and the many extracurricular activities I took part in, like Amnesty International, WSU-DFL, and working on the Paul Simon for President campaign in 1988.

After four years of studying and expanding my world, I successfully eliminated the careers I did not want to pursue: law, politics, lobbying. But what was I going to do? After moving back home to the Chicago area, I found myself in an administrative position with a stage theater. Not exactly a hotbed of political activity, at least not the kind I was used to, but it was a job. It gave me time to figure out where my professional life was going.

After two years I needed to get out into the world again and find my way. I took education classes at Northern Illinois University, but teaching wasn't exactly what I wanted to do. Then a librarian friend encouraged me to check out library school. I enrolled in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Rosary College (now Dominican University) in River Forest, Illinois, in 1994, and earned my MLIS in 1996. I knew immediately I had finally found my calling. Librarianship involves learning and teaching and keeping up with changes while staying rooted in the standards. Books are still the foundation, but now we also have CD-ROM databases and the Internet to work with. I have to continue to learn in order to juggle it all, and I love it. The thinking and communication skills I learned at WSU are sharpened every day.

I still believe that a good liberal arts background is important, and I know it has helped me throughout my professional life. My advice to students today is to take as many classes in different subjects as you can, especially if you're not positive about which direction you will take. Open your mind to new ideas, new experiences, and learn whatever you can from them. Think for yourself and find your own way. Whether you know you're going to law school and/or onto politics or you aren't sure where you're going just yet, I can't recommend a political science degree more. Just be sure to include lots of interesting electives and a minor that interests you, too. And if you know what you want to do, be sure to do an internship. This can be an invaluable experience that not only looks good on a resume but will also give you insight into your chosen career.

I would like to thank my WSU professors for the skills they taught, the knowledge they instilled, and the encouragement they gave. In addition to Drs. Eddy, El-Afandi, Grover, and Morello, I must also thank Drs. Emilio DeGrazia and Gary Eddy in the English Department and Dr. Susan Hatfield in the Communications Department. Thank you all for everything!

Martha Vickery
Naperville, Illinois

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