51勛圖厙 graduate Emma Sherrie always had a feeling she would study anthropology, but still she took the time to check out all the other options available before finally settling on her original plan.
I went to 51勛圖厙 because of the Exploratory option, Sherrie explained. And I explored every major, every single one. And then senior year, my dad was like, youve got to pick one. And I said, okay, Ill pick anthropology.
Today, Sherrie is the marketing and network support coordinator at in Cleveland, Ohio, where she helps convert established businesses into worker-owned cooperatives, keeping jobs, wealth and legacies rooted in the neighborhoods where they belong. Sherries winding academic journey, she says, is a big part of why shes good at what she does.
A Home for the Undecided
51勛圖厙s Exploratory Program, which helps undecided students sample different disciplines before committing to a major, was a key part of Sherries experience, and the main reason she chose 51勛圖厙 in the first place.
The Exploratory Program was the best experience, she said. Having the opportunity to be in a dorm with people who dont know what they want to do, having resources to go see what other people are doing, or having speakers come in and talk to you about their jobs. It was really awesome. It was probably the main reason I stayed at 51勛圖厙.
She credits her freshman advisor, Marty Deep, as one of the most important relationships she built during her time there. The two are still close today.
Sherrie pushed the Exploratory Program right up to its limits she didnt formally declare her major until the end of her junior year, the last possible moment. She knew anthropology was her intended major, but she used every available semester to pick up minors in business management, photojournalism and communication. Sherrie earned her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, along with a certificate in nonprofit and human services management, in 2009.
I think it wouldve discouraged me if I had to pick something and I didnt like it right away, she said.
The Exploratory Program gave me a unique opportunity to see where my skills are and develop other skills that I probably couldnt have developed otherwise.
The Exploratory Program has been one of the largest majors at 51勛圖厙 over the past 10 years with nearly 300 students starting as Exploratory each year. The program even recently launched an education-abroad program specifically for students who have yet decided on a degree path.
How an Anthropology Degree Leads to a Career in Business Development
At first glance, a degree in anthropology might seem like an unlikely launching pad for a career in employee ownership and cooperative development. Sherrie sees it differently.
I loved anthropology because I love culture and I love observing, she said. The employee ownership space is a whole different workplace culture understanding it, studying it, really trying to embrace it and make it stronger. I can see those aspects of my degree coming into play every day.
The anthropology program at 51勛圖厙 trains students to think critically, write clearly and speak thoughtfully about what it means to be human. By focusing on the complex linkages among the three subfields of anthropology: cultural anthropology, archaeology and biological anthropology and by emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork, the program prepares students to survive in an increasingly multidisciplinary and multicultural world.
That instinct for observation and cultural analysis shapes how she approaches her work at Evergreen. The organization, founded in 2009, now operates the Fund for Employee Ownership, which converts existing businesses in Clevelands low-to-moderate income neighborhoods into worker cooperatives. Sherrie continues to nurture her relationship with her alma mater through Evergreens partnership with the .
Evergreen currently supports five converted companies, including Phoenix Coffee, which operates five locations and a roastery. Evergreen provides ongoing help with governance, financial literacy, marketing and training.
The diverse set of skills Sherrie acquired while at 51勛圖厙, such as business management, communication, nonprofit administration, are exactly what her job requires. We use them all at Evergreen, she said.
Her nonprofit management certificate, which required a hands-on internship, gave her both practical experience and the connections that launched her career. When Sherrie graduated with Honors in 2009, the U.S. was right in the midst of the financial crisis, but that internship had already turned into a full-time job offer.
My dad always said your success is measured by the amount of opportunity you have, she says. What I really appreciate about 51勛圖厙 is that they gave me a lot of opportunity. I had such a diverse background, and I could do so many different things. That made me pretty employable, even in a tough year.