VALDOSTA STATE MAGAZINE 33 Around 30 students graduate from the Interdisciplinary Studies Program each semester, and their versatile education opens up opportunities in a variety of fields, especially in a job market that places a premium on possessing a broad range of skills. “When you are asked to solve problems, it is better to be able to see more than just one way to solve the problem,” Orenduff said. “We stress collaboration, and in this program you will see how different disciplines can collaborate together to better understand the issue. “Take, for instance, the problem of world hunger. This issue requires economics, biology, sociology, religion, English, math, etc. These are the disciplines found in our core classes, but if you limited yourself to just one of the aforementioned disciplines or majors, you would not be getting a complete picture of the problem.” Quinn Hansen, 33, began attending VSU in 2014 after serving in the United States Air Force for seven years as a C-130 loadmaster. He decided he wanted a college degree to access better job opportunities as he returned to civilian life. The Warner Robins, Georgia, native initially majored in psychology, but it did not seem to fit. He changed to education after his first year and went all the way through the program before deciding he really did not want to be a teacher. Hansen had an array of upper level classes and subjects in his repertoire that he did not know what to do with — until he found Interdisciplinary Studies. The program allowed him to fit his wide range of courses into a single degree. His focuses were English and history, and his research classes were in clinical sociology. “I didn’t like one single thing,” he said. “I liked too many different things, so it was perfect for me.” Interdisciplinary Studies opened up numerous educational opportunities for Hansen, including a study abroad trip to Poland with the Department of History. Hansen graduated in Summer 2018, following in the footsteps of his parents and his sister, who all earned degrees from VSU. The following September he accepted a job as an inside sales account manager with tech giant Hewlett Packard Enterprise in Plano, Texas. He sells tech products and services and manages accounts for K-12 schools and government entities in his sales territory of eastern Florida. “Coming to VSU as a student was fantastic,” he said. “I never really had a bad time. The programs at VSU are top-notch. It’s just a great place to be.” Quinn Hansen Photo: Contributed Dr. Lai Orenduff