Carly Matheny. (Photo provided)
When Carly Matheny ’18 chose to major in history and minor in religion at Marietta College, some questioned her path. However, Matheny's liberal arts education gave her the critical thinking skills to adapt and succeed in her unexpected career field after graduation.
Even though he didn't have a specific career goal in mind when he entered college, Matheny immersed himself in classes that really interested him.
“I wanted to learn as much as I could.” said Matheny, a regular on the Dean's List. “I kind of fell in love with history and religion by taking the classes that interested me the most while filling out the required courses.”
After leaving her first job to pursue a new opportunity, Matheny faced the challenge of finding full-time work during a global pandemic. She secured a position at her Dimex (now her Westlake Dimex Manufacturing) warehouse in Marietta and scheduled shipments. In this role, her critical thinking skills caught the attention of her mentor.
“This company emphasizes promotion from within.'' Matheny explained. “One day, while I was at work, a human resources representative approached me and asked me to interview for an accounting position.'' Although she lacked direct experience in the field, Matheny's strong education gave her an edge.
“When I was asked about my accounting experience, I didn’t have much to offer.” she said. “But I started explaining that in my Marietta upbringing, I was taught to research topics thoroughly and prepare as much as possible. That seemed to interest them.”
Matheny was hired as an accountant and worked in the accounting department for over a year, skillfully using his problem-solving skills and learning new competencies. “The value of critical thinking should never be underestimated.” she said. “Marietta College helped me understand how to critically examine information and make informed decisions.”
The success of Matheny, the first in his family to earn a bachelor's degree, underscores the continued importance of an interdisciplinary liberal arts curriculum.
“I may not know everything today, but I know how to think and learn new skills.” she said. “My extensive education has taught me not to be afraid to explore opportunities, even if they don’t check all the boxes first.”
Marietta College has a long tradition of providing students with the breadth of knowledge and intellectual abilities to adapt to an ever-changing workforce. Graduates like Matheny demonstrate the timeless value of this approach in developing fulfilled lifelong learners across diverse career paths.
The open position is in accounting, and Matheny admits he needed more experience in this area.
“I was a little nervous. When I was asked about my accounting experience, I didn't have much to offer.” she said. “But the questions shifted to what I did in college, what projects I did in Marietta. I started explaining how I liked learning about the topic, which seemed to interest them, and I needed someone to dig into the document. can.”
Recently, Dr. David Torbett, Israel Ward Andrews Professor of Religion, asked Matheny to share her thoughts on the impact the liberal arts have had on her personally and professionally. She wrote a persuasive essay that made the liberal arts the foundation of education.
“Carly was always determined to take full advantage of the liberal arts education and close student-teacher relationships that Marietta College offered. She not only took a wide range of classes, but also the connections between classes. I made.” Torbett said. “At Marietta College and in her life after graduation, Carly demonstrated what we at the Department of History and Religion always tell our students: that a liberal arts education is important, and that a critical and integrated education will be important in their careers.” And as Carly has shown, these skills are highly practical. and reward you.”
Located at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers in Marietta, Ohio, Marietta College is a four-year liberal arts college. Tracing its roots to Muskingum Academy, founded in 1797, the college was officially chartered in his 1835 year. Currently, Marietta College has 1,200 full-time students. The university offers more than 40 majors and is consistently ranked among the top regional universities by US News & World Report and The Princeton Review. According to the Brookings Institution's university rankings, Marietta University ranks seventh in the nation for high value-added universities regardless of major.
