Christen Gates (’08)

Sociology/Anthropology Major – Anthropology

What co-curricular or extracurricular activities were you involved in?

Greek Life and Anthropology Club

 What are you doing now?

I’m married and live in Fort Lauderdale, FL. I’ve been working in the energy and transportation industry. Today, I am the National Sales Director at Amerit Fleet Solutions. I help the largest vehicle fleets in the country (Enterprise, Pepsi, Walmart, Haliburton, Target etc.) manage their assets by build national workforce programs. We solve problems like, how to grown/maintain a national fleet of new natural gas or electric vehicles or how to increase uptime, quality, and safety of a fleet when there is a shortage of mechanics. In my last job I worked with the planning and operations groups at the largest utility and energy companies in the country (Ameren, Schneider Electric, Siemens, etc.). As a Sales Director at Genscape I sold market intelligence data and software systems that helped the utilities companies plan how much energy to produce daily/hourly, when to schedule maintenance, and build new facilities (e.g. wind farms, solar fields, natural gas plants). In 2016 my husband and I also started our own company. Now it’s a thriving business. Joe Wall Design LLC www.joewalldesign.com

How did you get to this place in your life/ career?

By seeking out things I was interested in, asking questions, and networking my way into a job.

Have you been to graduate school? If so, where did you go? Did you go right after graduating from Truman?

Right after I graduated from Truman, I went to Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville (SIUE) to earn my master’s in environmental science.

Do you have any advice for Truman students who are interested in going to graduate school?

Go to grad school if you know exactly what you want to do with your degree. If not, consider spending some time in the workforce to learn more about yourself and desired career path. When you research a graduate program look at the university’s professors and ranking of the specific program. For example, Environmental Science graduate programs are ranked nationally. The ranking can be very different from the school’s overall ranking. Consider the ranking and the experience of the professors on staff. Those details impact the value of your education.

If you go to graduate school, consider the opportunities the university can offer for graduate assistantship programs. They may offer tuition reimbursement and a full-time job.

As a grad student at SIUE a professor was appointed to me as my official advisor. The advisor was the first member of my Thesis Board. He guided me in my dissertation. I provided the university with my resume and had to interview with a few professors. They were impressed and I was offered an assistantship. My first semester I worked at SIUE as a research assistant for my advisor. Then, I was promoted to a Research Analyst position at the Institute for Urban Research. SIUE paid me to work and gave me tuition reimbursement. I got a great value for my graduate education!

How has the education you’ve received from Truman helped you?

The Liberal Arts program at Truman, and specifically the Anthropology/Sociology degree, gave me one important skill that I cherish the most: problem solving. I don’t believe I would have learned this skill in any other program. In Truman’s Anthropology/Sociology classes you’re faced with open ended questions and you’re challenged with thinking critically and generating your own analysis and conclusions. You have the opportunity to present, defend, and debate your ideas with fellow students and teachers. It’s an incubator for producing very creative thinkers. The program taught me to think on their own, conduct statistically meaningful analysis, and estimate certainty/risk. With those three skills, I was set up to do anything I want.

Is/are there any particular class(es) you’re glad you took? Did you like it/them at that the time?

I loved everything in Year 3 and 4 in the Anthropology and Sociology department. I would have taken more classes, but my schedule was full. I would take them again as an adult!

What is your favorite memory of your time at Truman?

The open forum of debating and discussing the course material and my research.

Why is Truman a good school at which to study?

The culture of Truman sets the tone for hard work and dedication to your studies. The atmosphere and attitude of students and faculty was very focused on the education instead of social life. Less distraction, more school work. That is why Truman is a great school.

Do you have any advice for someone wanting to go into the same line of work as you?

Seek out the job/career. It won’t just find you. Go in search of the people and companies doing the things that interest you. Ask questions and take risks. Don’t be afraid to work hard and create your own strategic path to get where you want to be.

What do you miss most about campus life/ living in Kirksville?

My friends.

If you could teach current students one thing, what would it be?

Learn and absorbed as much as you can while you’re in school. Be open to new experiences. Get to know yourself and what you want to do with your life.