Kristen Barr (nee Schroeder) '11

Where are you currently located, and what are you up to?

I am currently living in my hometown of Rochester, NY. Not long after graduating I was hired at Lake Beverage Corp., a beverage distributor. I recently made the decision to go back to school, and this coming January I will begin working toward a Master's degree through Empire State College.

How did you become interested in history?

It was actually fiction that piqued my interest in history. When I was probably seven years old, I read my first American Girl book, and after I had devoured most of that series, I moved on to the Dear America books. The short chapter books in both of these series were written from the perspectives of various young girls growing up in different periods in American history. These books gave me a taste for the characters that could be found in the past, and the themes that surrounded and pervaded the lives of every day people. I was immersed in the ideas of social and women's history that these works of fiction introduced.

How did Fredonia’s Department of History prepare you for your current work/future plans?

Fredonia's History Department prepared me in an invaluable way for my work in Human Resources: nothing is more important in HR than organization, except perhaps documentation. History classes taught me to take accurate, succinct notes, how to conduct quality research, and how to present my findings in a thoughtful, professional, and well-organized way. The skills I learned at Fredonia gave me the tools I needed to succeed in the workplace, and helped to earn me the title HR & Payroll Manager in my third year with the company. As for the future, I look forward to once again applying these skills in an academic setting in graduate school in January.

What advice do you have for incoming freshmen to our program?