Alumni

Nicole Font, Class of 2020

Nicole graduated as a Philosophy, History, and Psychology triple major with a minor in English Literature. Nicole’s interests varied widely: from Aristotle to Nietzsche, from nationalism to Civil Rights, and from how artifacts create nostalgia to the ethics of preserving those artifacts. While a student, Nicole was selected for the Jerome Gillen (’66) Summer Internship Program and worked in the New Jersey Room of the Jersey City Public Library, she volunteered to work on special projects in the University Archives, and she secured an internship working in a satellite archive of the Bob Dylan Center located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her experiences led her to matriculate at New York University’s Master’s Program in Archives and Public History in the fall of 2020. When asked about how her experiences as an undergrad affected her aspirations she said, “During my time at Saint Peter’s, I helped Dr. Gerlach conduct research on material reparations for Holocaust survivors. Through that work, I came to the important realization that I want to be a part of telling people’s stories and making sure they are not forgotten. That’s why I’ve decided to become an archivist. The skills I learned in both my classes and in the opportunities offered to me through the department — such as critical thinking, subject analysis, and thorough research — have put me on the right track to do just that.” Recently, Nicole interned at the New-York Historical Society as part of her HIST-GA 2011 Internship Seminar. As part of her internship, she published her very first archival finding aid.

Patrick Farrell, Class of 2019

Patrick began his undergraduate career at Saint Peter’s University with a major in Political Science and soon decided to pursue a second major in history. His area of interest was European colonialism and, in his Honors thesis, he focused on how colonial structures influenced the rise of modern authoritarianism in Zimbabwe. After graduating from Saint Peter’s, Patrick matriculated at Penn State University. He is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration in Public Sector Human Resources Management. Patrick began his career in the public sector as a Pathways career intern with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He then transferred to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, where he worked with applicants seeking permanent residence in the United States. He is now working, in a permanent capacity, as a Claims Specialist at the Social Security Administration. When asked about his greatest takeaway from the History Department, he said, “The value of my History education is immeasurable. Every day, I encounter individuals from unique backgrounds and my historical knowledge provides context when listening to their experiences. The constant opportunity to refine my writing skills, in all of my courses, has helped me to succeed both academically and professionally.”

Alexandra Ruiz, Class of 2018

Upon her graduation from Saint Peter’s University in 2018, Alexandra was accepted to graduate programs at both Rutgers University Newark and Seton Hall University. Alexandra matriculated at Seton Hall University in the fall of 2018 as a student of their Graduate History Program with the intent to study Medieval and Renaissance Europe. Recently, Alexandra became a graduate assistant for her department and is involved with many projects including editing and proofreading The Chesterton Review, organizing the annual History Symposium Conference for 2020, and working as a research assistant. Alexandra plans on applying to a Ph.D. program in History and becoming a professor. Alexandra said, “The History Department at SPU is doing a great job for its students! The caliber of instruction is equal if not better than some of the undergraduate institutions where my graduate classmates hail from.” When asked if she thinks Saint Peter’s History Department prepared her for graduate school, she answered, “The writing assignments… provided an excellent foundation for me and prepared me for more extensive assignments in graduate school.”

Chayanne Hyde, Class of 2017

Chayanne works as a museum educator at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City. She has often spoken about how her time at Saint Peter’s prepared her for working in the museum. About her History degree she said, “When I came to Saint Peter’s I knew I wanted to major in history, but I didn’t have a clear understanding of what I could do with it. Throughout my four years of taking history classes, I learned how to find reliable sources, how to fact check everything, how to read and write to the best of my abilities, and much more. I also realized that there is no one thing you can do with a history degree. With my degree in history, I was able to join the museum education team at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum. I still use everything I learned in my classes and really feel that if I didn’t get my Bachelor’s in history, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to work in this amazing place.” We are so proud to share with everyone this video from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. featuring Chayanne.