Colin Shea '02

Back to All An Abiding Foundation Spotlights

2002

Which part of your liberal arts education at SMC has been the most valuable to you?

The diversity of a liberal arts education continues to be one of the most valuable parts of my SMC education. Being able to recognize the different backgrounds and cultures of those I am working with helps me tremendously. This can be while helping an employee work through a challenging situation or interacting with members of the public and being aware of how their culture may be influencing their perception of government and authority. I also continue to use the computer science and math skill I learned to help analyze data, whether it is being able to work with a variety of computer software interpreting statistics or helping to support movement and strategic changes within our department.

Was there a particular lecture, course, book, professor, staff member or extracurricular activity that made an indelible impact on your career path or life or shaped who you are now?
Fire & Rescue had the most impact on my career. It was not a career path I had considered prior to coming to SMC, but Fire & Rescue provided me with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to start my career in fire service. Additionally, being an organization with a strong alumni presence, Fire & Rescue provided a strong network of fellow alumni to help me grow and advance in my career. Being active in Fire & Rescue as an alumnus helps keep me connected with SMC and how the college has evolved. Additionally, this involvement has helped my current department to hire two other alumni.