This week with Katherine Ragosta!
Thank you for your support on our newsletter last week with Kay Woods! This week we are talking with Katherine Ragosta (C’19)! She has lots of interesting insights to share. Enjoy!
Did you have any internships during your time at Sewanee? If so, what were they?
“The only internship I had was not art history related at all, but it was with Sewanee! For three years, I interned in Sewanee’s admissions office which ran during the semester and the summer. Essentially, I was the head of the daily visit experience for prospective students for the Arcadian Program. I trained tour guides, and reworked the tour scripts and general strategy for better education of the Sewanee experience. I loved Sewanee and talking to people, so it was a perfect fit! I also had the opportunity to travel and represent Sewanee at college fairs in New England.”
What made you decide to major in Art History?
“There were several things that led me to the decision. First, my oldest brother was an art history major, so I was exposed to the discipline. Second, my mom went to the Rhode Island School of Design to get a degree in Interior Design. She took several decorative art classes that specialized in Gilded Age architecture. I would go with my mom to her classes after school, and it was the first time I sat in a classroom and wasn’t bored.
“When I took Survey of Western Art II, it brought back that experience with my mom and I loved it. I majored in psychology, too!”
What was your favorite art history course you took at Sewanee?
“I loved Dr. Brennecke’s French Art class. I could listen to her lecture forever. I loved the architectural component of her class. During that semester, I also did an independent study where I studied French influences on Gilded Age Newport architecture.’
Where did you go after graduating? What’s your story postgrad?
“After I graduated from Sewanee, I did not do anything with art. My first job was at Oppenheimer & Co., an investment bank doing business strategy work and managing client relationships. It was a solid first job but was not the most exciting. I wanted to do something business focused, but in an area, I was more passionate about.
“8 months later, I blindly applied to a job at American Express, a company whose brand and products I always admired. Three years later, I’m still here. I primarily work on managing partnerships that drive benefits for premium card products. It’s exciting because I get to work with major brands like Starbucks, Delta, Grubhub, etc. I do a lot of marketing with agencies and communicating with those partners. Although it is an analytical role, there is a good amount of creativity, too. It’s a nice balance!”
If you had to give one piece of advice to your college self, what would it be?
“Don’t rule anything out when it comes to options postgrad and professionally. You underestimate what you’re capable of or something that might interest you. You’re not supposed to have everything figured out; you’re so young! Give every new opportunity a shot.
“Also, don’t underestimate the value of your Sewanee degree. In the professional world, you will work alongside people with more technical degrees - don’t let that discourage you. What you learn in a liberal arts setting provides you with soft skills that cannot be learned through a technical degree. Don’t discredit that.”
What’s your favorite museum/ gallery/ exhibit/ work of art you’ve seen recently?
“It wasn’t as recent, but last spring the Met did an exhibition called In America: A Lexicon in Fashion. In each of their exhibitions, they had mannequins dressed in the fashion of the time. It really brought each period to life in a new way. My favorite was the Frank Lloyd Wright house. It’s always incredible to see history in context.”
How has your art history major helped you in your daily life?
“A lot of it is so much more than being able to tell someone about an artist or a painting. It’s more about being able to draw conclusions about what you are seeing in the world, being able to communicate effectively and efficiently, and thinking critically. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize this until you’re out in the workforce putting these skills into practice.”
Thank you so much Katherine for sharing your post-graduate experiences with us! If you are interested in learning about Katherine, don’t hesitate to reach out! Be on the lookout for our newsletter next week with Laura Deleot (C’96)!
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