The most important skill I practiced during my philosophy education is the ability to think systematically from first principles. 

When did you graduate from VCU?

December 2021, with a B.A. in philosophy and a B.S. in psychology.

Where did your career path take you post-graduation?

I was fortunate to be hired immediately after graduation by Enterprise Knowledge, the world’s largest knowledge management consultancy. My education in epistemology gave me the edge needed to secure this role!

What is your current role?

My job title is ontology analyst, but my role often changes based on the project I am assigned to. I’ve had the opportunity to try roles as varied as UI designer to data engineer – sometimes on the same project!

I work directly with language AI in my job. VCU Philosophy provided the education I needed to succeed in this field, as my studies in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, mind, language and logic are relevant on a daily basis. 

In particular, I wrote a thesis in philosophy of mind and language seminar about the difference between connectionist and classical theories of cognition. This allowed me to develop intuition for artificial neural networks, the main technology driving today’s AI revolution. 

What is your take on how a philosophy degree prepares students for success in their future careers?

The most important skill I practiced during my philosophy education is the ability to think systematically from first principles. The process of deconstructing a problem, devising a systematic solution, and forming cogent arguments based on the solution forms the foundation of my work. A philosophy education pushes students to practice these skills on a daily basis.