For Liam Rogers ’13, it was the personal connections that drew him to Shenandoah University, he credits the professors he met here with shaping him into “a better writer and a more empathetic and thoughtful human being.” He was originally introduced to Shenandoah through a high school classmate, who was already a Hornet, and family members who lived in Winchester. Rogers chose Shenandoah in the hopes that he would be able to take some conservatory classes in addition to his degree classes, but it was the professors in his English program who left a lasting impression on him.
“There were some ups and downs, but [my professors] helped me chart a course for my career and… instilled in me the importance of a keen awareness and understanding of the obvious,” said Rogers. During his four years of study, he forged strong friendships with incredible people and worked closely with some dedicated and extraordinarily bright professors.
Upon graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in English, Rogers was accepted into the Master’s program in professional writing and rhetoric at George Mason University (GMU). After GMU, Rogers worked as an IT Industry Analyst at 451 Research and then S&P Global Market Intelligence. He researched and wrote about a range of different topics related to enterprise IT infrastructure. Rogers has since joined a Silicon Valley startup with over $100 million in funding, working with engineering thought leaders and marketing to tell compelling stories about observability technology.
Rogers’ advice to Shenandoah students is to “constantly ask yourself what you want to do. Figure out how you can apply the skills you have in a way that will help you achieve your goals. Learn new skills to augment what you can already do. Lastly, put yourself in uncomfortable situations that will challenge you; that’s where you’ll learn the most. Most importantly, don’t doubt yourself!”