Where will history take you?
Understanding the past prepares you for the future. Studying history teaches you communication and research skills that are valuable in a variety of careers. Discover how our graduates are making a difference in the world.
Where will history take you?
Information management
Cathryn Crocker, Corporate Records Coordinator
City of Vancouver
My Bachelor of Arts — History degree at MRU had a profound influence on my career. In my current work as a Corporate Records Coordinator, the research skills I developed through my degree have been useful in assessing which sources to use, as well as applying advanced search techniques to refine and improve the quality of my results.
Where will history take you?
Public service
Cheice Sorbie, Policy Analyst
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
Through the excellent instruction at MRU and a life-changing Treaty 7 field school, I was able to identify a field and career options that suited my values and interests. I was encouraged to exercise academic freedom and to pursue topics that I am passionate about, including a thesis on Indigenous economic development. Historical analysis affords me the ability to understand the potential impacts of policy and legislative decisions which I am involved in every day.
Where will history take you?
Public service
Lukas Clark, interpreter
Parks Canada, Fort Anne NHS and Port-Royal NHS
When I joined the History Program at Mount Royal University, I had never dreamed that one day I'd find myself moving across the country to work in some of Canada's oldest national historic sites. As an interpreter with Parks Canada, I'm required to be informative and approachable, so I borrow heavily from my Bachelor of Arts — History degree on a regular basis. My degree gave me the necessary skills in research, critical thought and public speaking to excel in my field. Most recently I've been able to apply these skills to develop a temporary exhibit.
Where will history take you?
Teaching
Elia Gindin, Teacher
While a Bachelor of Education degree prepares a teacher for important tasks they need such as how to operate a classroom and interact successfully with students, my Bachelor of Arts — History degree taught me critical thinking skills and provided the foundation for my ability to research topics and present them in meaningful ways. It is these skills that resulted in me being nominated for the Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Where will history take you?
Law
Gavin Wolch, Lawyer
Wolch Watts Wilson & Jugnauth
My time at MRU was a springboard to becoming a criminal defence lawyer. To study history you question the past; to learn from history you examine the answers. Lawyers do the same with evidence, legislation, the origins of both and how they evolve over time. Like History, Law is all about perspective over time and persuading others to accept your interpretation. As a lawyer and a person, studying history prepared me for my present and future. I would do it again.
Where will history take you?
Arts and culture
Rick Duthie, Playwright
It’s been quite an adventure since 2009 when I enrolled in history courses at MRU. Going to that school and that program with the honours project was one of my best decisions. It was such a positive environment. I hope it hasn’t changed. In my career, I have continued to combine my passions for history and theatre and I’m still having fun, meeting great people and find the work rewarding and engaging.
Where will history take you?
Research
Sabina Trimble, PhD Candidate
Winner, 2016 BC STUDIES Prize for “Storying Swílcha: Place-making and Power at a Stó:lõ Landmark.”
Studying at MRU is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I hadn’t considered going to graduate school before, but my experience in MRU History — surrounded by people whose passion to learn and understand the world is tied to a desire to make it a better place — inspired me. I’ll be attending the University of Kent in England in September 2019 for a PhD in Philanthropic Studies — focusing on the intersections of Western philanthropy and Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
Where will history take you?
Administration
Tina Barnard, Program Administrator
University of Alberta
My love of history started at MRU. The rigours of completing my honours thesis were rewarded when I completed the Information Studies Master’s Program at McGill University. While my current role in medical education is a little removed from the field of history, my degree from Mount Royal is the cornerstone of my desire to aid in the continuing education of the next generation. A Bachelor of Arts — History degree taught me the significance of the information life-cycle and the true importance of accurate record keeping.
Where will history take you?
Corporate sector
Whitney McKenzie, Advisor, Community and Aboriginal Strategy
Pembina Pipeline Corporation
I hold a Bachelor of Arts — History degree from Mount Royal University and a Master’s degree in History from the University of Victoria. Currently, I work in the Oil and Gas industry as a Community and Aboriginal Strategy Advisor, where I help ensure my organization is utilizing leading business practices in Indigenous and community engagement. During my history degree, I learned about Canadian and Indigenous histories and, through my studies, I learned key skills, such as critical thinking, research, writing and public speaking that have served me tremendously throughout my career.