David Kraus ’20

Current city and job:
Chattanooga, TN | Marketing & Communications Manager, CO.STARTERS

What first interested you in your career? How did you discern your calling?
I love getting to use both the analytical and the creative sides of my brain. I work for a smaller company, which means I get to experience a lot of variety in the work I do. One day I'll be working on our website, the next I'll be brainstorming subject lines for our email campaigns, and then the day after I'll be working through analytics dashboards. Plus, both our strategies and the technology we use pivot and change regularly, so I'm always getting to learn new things and push myself.

I get a lot of raised eyebrows when I tell people I studied philosophy and now work in marketing. But the truth is that I can't think of a better major for developing the kind of critical thinking I have to use every day at work. Philosophical training teaches you to break down abstract, complex ideas into their simplest parts and ask precise, thoughtful questions that move a conversation forward. These skills are highly undervalued in the workplace but—if well honed—will make you a compelling asset to any employer.

Looking back now, how did Covenant prepare you for your career and for life?
I really appreciated the faculty at Covenant. Every Christian liberal arts school will try to sell you on their community, their campus, their amenities. And at the end of the day, they all have great community, pretty campuses, and nice amenities. But I think Covenant dramatically outpaces the competition when it comes to the talent, attention, and dedication of its faculty.

Also, I was surrounded by people who challenged and pushed me to reflect on, reconsider, and revise the attitudes and beliefs I had previously taken for granted. I entered Covenant pretty overconfident in my posture toward myself, God, and other people. I think—or at least I hope—that my education at Covenant made me a much more curious person. Curiosity breeds attention, and is attention not the greatest form of love?

What advice would you give students who are considering Covenant?
I think many incoming students don't realize how seriously Covenant takes its academics. Even the core curriculum—often the easiest classes at other schools—is designed to challenge you from a variety of angles. But at the end of the day, your time at Covenant will be what you make of it. Getting the most out of Covenant isn't easy, but nothing worth it ever is.

I think liberal arts students tend to have some imposter syndrome when it comes to careers in business. There's this idea that if you major in something like history or philosophy, you have no place in the world of numbers, spreadsheets, and excessive acronyms. But if you can understand Kant or write a methodologically sound research paper, you have the mental toolbox to understand the systems of business. It might be new content, but the skill set carries over.

Why did you choose Covenant?
Covenant had been on my radar for a while, but my visit experience during scholarship weekend was probably the deciding factor. I made a few genuine connections with some students and professors that made me feel really seen and understood, and it seemed like a place I could really thrive and be challenged.

What are some fond memories or a favorite story from your time at Covenant?
I was able to travel to Athens, Greece to learn about refugee issues with some of my fellow students and a few professors. That trip was really transformative in a lot of ways, but it most importantly exposed me to several really heavy, complex global dynamics up close. It took the liberal arts education I was receiving to an entirely different level.