How a “Whim” Led to a Job and Degree

Whitney Yount is a native of Frederick, and after earning her degree in strategic communication and marketing from High Point University in North Carolina, she wasn’t planning on coming back. However, she applied for—and received—a position as an admission counselor at Hood College “on a whim,” but quickly fell in love with the Hood community.

She knew she wanted a job that was “education-adjacent,” working with education but not actually teaching. She feels that Hood chose her, and not the other way around. Yount loved her undergraduate time at High Point, but wishes the school had emphasized community and traditions more. “Luckily, Hood has those things!”

Hood’s small size gives “a lot of great opportunities to get involved as a student and a staff member. I feel like I’ve really been able to pursue my interests and do things that wouldn’t be possible if I was at a larger school.”

While working here, Yount decided to work toward a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Behavior (ISHB). She explains, “The ISHB program focuses primarily on Psychology, but in the interest of being well-rounded, students are required to take a few outside classes. I took economics and statistics for my 'outside' classes because they’re both subjects that I wasn’t able to take during undergrad, but I feel like they’re important to know.”

She is thrilled to be getting her degree in something that interests her and will help her career, as “I think coming out of a program that focused so heavily on human behavior and interaction will help me in any career path that I pursue, particularly because I feel like even if I eventually change careers, I’ll definitely still be working where interacting with people is an essential part of my job.”

That blend of psychology and business options in one degree is what intrigued Whitney and others in the program. We are thrilled that Whitney is both student and staff at Hood, and can’t wait to see what her future holds!