WHY GEOGRAPHY?

That’s the question at the core of this project.* Our student team conducted 19 interviews with former Macalester Geography students in order to explore what drew our alumni to the department. Through these conversations, we uncovered three core themes:

Our Macalester Geography alumni often pursue work that they find personally fulfilling. They enjoy working with others, seeing their impact and feeling part of a larger mission. Learn more about how geography alumni find meaning in the work they’re doing today!

Our Macalester Geography alumni allow a number of values to guide their journeys and life choices. These values are cultivated both at Macalester as well as at other points in their journeys. Learn more about how alumni developed their values after graduating from Macalester!

Our participants look at their world with a place-based perspective. From attachment to a city to changing their work habits based on the environment, alumni are affected by geography in every facet of their lives. Learn more about how place matters to alumni.

Curious where geography can take you?

Check out our alumni story maps to follow the pathways of some of our participants! You can also look at these maps and charts showing where members of our alumni community have gone and what they do after graduating from Macalester!

About the project

Learn more about how we conducted the project.

 

* The GEOGRAPHY ALUMNI LIFE HISTORY PROJECT reflects the semester-long work of students in Qualitative Research Methods (GEOG 377). They conducted interviews with Macalester alums who majored in geography and graduated between 1994 and 2014.