do think it’ s both. I hesitate to guarantee anything. But what we do promise is that students won’ t walk alone. We’ ll help them develop those skills. We’ ll connect them with employers. Every one of our programs has internships, externships, workforce partnerships, and hands-on learning. When you combine all of that, students are much more likely to build careers that support both themselves and their families. For me, it’ s definitely both.
Rogers-Adkinson: You know, I’ d just say“ ditto.” Knowledge— and even careers— aren’ t linear. Joshua, you’ re actually a perfect example of that. You have this degree or that degree, but look at all the different things it’ s led you to. That’ s what we do for people. We help people think differently, so they can create paths that maybe aren’ t even connected to the degree they earned. People use their knowledge in all these different ways. I admit I get a little frustrated with the assumption that you get a degree, you get a job in that field, and you’ re supposed to be making a certain amount of money by a certain age. That assumption— that everything is linear and that our responsibility is simply to deliver someone directly into a job in their major— really undersells the power of higher education. I like to lean into the liberal arts, because that’ s the kind of institution we are. It’ s really about what that education unlocks in people: their ability to think, to create, and to use that knowledge in ways that aren’ t always obvious when they’ re 18 years old and declaring a major.
Mandel: I completely agree. So yes, this may sound a little redundant, but I also think it’ s both. You can’ t tell a young person who’ s coming to college that,“ Well, this is all about lifelong learning, and we don’ t really care what happens afterward.” Of course we care. All of us— even though we’ re very different institutions— invest significantly in career preparation. Here at Williams, we do that through our alumni network and through internships that allow students to explore a wide range of possible futures— not because we’ re preparing them for one specific career, but because we’ re preparing them to explore many possibilities. Life isn’ t linear. They’ re going to try different things. I often tell students,“ Your first job is where you learn what you don’ t want to do”. Sometimes you have to try a few different things— both during college and afterward— before you discover what really fits, if you’ re fortunate enough to have that opportunity. So yes, parents absolutely have expectations, especially at tuition-paying institutions. That’ s understandable. But we’ re also in the business of education. One of the things I believe very deeply is that what makes American higher education so extraordinary, compared with many educational systems around the world, is precisely this commitment to possibility. In many countries, students are asked at 15 years old to decide what they’ re going to become. Once they’ re on that path, it’ s
52 // BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE Fall 2026