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Name: Holly Hodgson

Graduation Year: '96 address: 6504 Greenwood Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98103

occupation: freelance radio commercial producer

Email address: hhodgson@yahoo.com

Well, I wouldn't necessarily say that I have found direct application for my Philosophy major, in my post-Williams pursuits. Okay, I wouldn't even come close to saying it at all! Really, how many job descriptions specify "only Philosophy majors need apply?" I have never seen one either. In fact, I double majored in Psychology, which I have found equally useful in opening professional doors.

Admittedly, I have not pursued traditional interests. However, I daresay that any liberal arts degree, unless one applies for grad school in one's major, is as good as any other, in that respect. A B.A. from Williams, perhaps especially in Philosophy, highly qualifies you in the areas of critical thinking, problem solving, and grappling with ideas. Try explaining that to a potential employer.

But perhaps just knowing it will provide confidence for your future endeavors.

Holly's professional history since Williams, if you're interested:

Upon graduation, I abandoned my East Coast roots for the Pacific Northwest. After about a month of enjoying summer in Seattle, I landed a job DJing at a rock station in Bellingham, WA. In my 2.5 years with KISM, I DJed, helped with music programming, and wrote, voiced, produced and engineered radio commercials.

Finally, sick of small-town lack of social life, I moved to Seattle. There, I was fortunate enough to be able to apprentice myself to the premier radio commercial writer in Seattle, Ken Bennett (of Outer Planet, outerplanetradio.com). Really I was hired as the office manager, to answer phones and take care of marketing. But practically speaking, I was Ken's junior writer/producer, and he was an invaluable mentor to me in my year with Outer Planet. Unfortunately, the company turned out not to be able to financially support an employee, so I was laid off (May '00).

Colleagues at Outer Planet saw in me a future owner-of-my-own-business. I guess I have sometimes thought of myself in that respect as well, as something I'd do "eventually," maybe when I am trying to work _and_ raise a family or something, but not at age 25 and only 2 jobs out of college. When I was laid off, they encouraged me to strike out on my own as a freelance producer (of radio commercials). I thought, "I'm too young for that," but after a bit of looking around, and not finding anything I wanted to pursue on a full-time basis, I decided to give it a shot.

And that's where things stand. I have never encountered such a challenge, as starting my own business from absolute scratch. It has been 4 months and I am still just barely starting, having already learned many lessons (mostly the hard way) about marketing and business. However, I believe that part of what will help me succeed is indeed what my parents spent over $100,000 for. (Thanks, Mom & Dad!) --Not the actual Philosophy or Psychology degrees, but the underlying lessons and life-skills learned within that academic structure. That may sound like college-brochure fodder, but it really is true.

Ask me in 6 months how it's going! And if you need any radio commercials produced, or know anyone who might, drop me an email. In this technological age, it is almost as easy to work with someone across the country, as it is to work with someone across the street. Holly Hodgson '96 hhodgson@yahoo.com