Featured Alums
Mark Overmann
Asst. Director, Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange
Class of '02
View
To view the video on the left you will need the latest version of Macromedia Flash Player.
Download
This video is available for download in the following formats:
Q: Can liberal arts majors compete in today's marketplace?
A: One of the things that sets Arts and Letters majors apart is that they have this incredible inner drive and passion.
I think that is so important, and I think it is that same drive and passion that is really going to propel Arts and Letters majors into their career fields and that is going to set them apart from so many others.
Q: How did your studies prepare you for work in international education?
A: As a liberal arts major, I learned to be a solid researcher, a solid communicator, a solid writer. And honestly, Notre Dame taught me to be a very well-rounded individual, to not only place a great focus on scholarship and research and learning, but also on community service, on giving back, on cultivating an international outlook to the world.
Q: Did going abroad influence your career choices?
A: The kind of lessons I learned being abroad—interacting in a different culture, learning more about yourself and how you function in completely new and different situations—I think those experiences, on this broad level, really help me in my day-to-day work.
Q: What about the famed Notre Dame alumni network … is it real?
A: Professionally, the Notre Dame network is such a strong, strong network that it astounds me to see who’s out there and what they’re doing.
And especially now with social networking technology making it that much easier for us all to stay in touch, it’s been wonderful to reconnect with people that I knew here at Notre Dame … suddenly we’ve been able to reconnect in a way that I never would have thought possible and kind of share with each other on a professional level.
And that’s wonderful, and that has great implications, I think, not only because it enriches us and keeps us in better contact with this great network at Notre Dame, but it also can have very tangible professional benefits.
Q: What advice would you give current Notre Dame students?
A: Think deeply about what you’re passionate about and match that with your career decisions, because I think that will drive you towards work that you really love and ultimately give you that professional and personal satisfaction that you’re looking for.