Emily Hardy-Shephard ’15: You can go nearly anywhere with math

As a Marketing Communications Supervisor with the Science and Technology division of Corning Incorporated, Emily Hardy-Shephard ’15’s career is a less obvious fit for a Math major – it’s more typically associated with Communications, English, and Sociology degrees. But the skills she acquired while studying Math at Elmira College have come in handy with her career path in many ways.

“Having a more linear mindset helps with creating timelines and meeting deadlines, which are critical to a communications role,” Hardy-Shephard said. She’s also tracked the Communication department’s metrics and helped to convey financial information to investors, who want information packaged in very straightforward terms. Conveying such complex information in simple ways is never easy and requires a deep understanding of the information, but she credits her Math degree with giving her the needed skills.

“In class, we were pushed to question that 2+3 = 5,” she said. “We were taught to understand why something works, not just that it works.”

“My Math degree taught me about problem solving and using an analytical approach to things.”

Math is a foundational course of study, according to Hardy-Shephard, and can allow students to pivot into nearly any career path. Because of that, she hopes that any future students who have an interest in math will pursue that degree program.