Charting a Surprising Course

By Patrick Bohn, February 24, 2026

IC graduates tap into their skills and interests to take their skills in innovative directions.

Max Gordon '14 works with clients at Big Work Training Studio, which he founded in 2021 in Maynard, Massachusetts.

(Photo by Matt Prokosch '13)

The path to a career after graduation isn’t always a straight shot. While journalism majors may go from classroom to newsroom and students who study the sciences might go on to work in laboratories, plenty of other people have job titles that don’t match the subject area listed on their diplomas. But that doesn’t mean these graduates aren’t using their degrees. On the contrary, they’re demonstrating the versatility of their majors by adapting their learned skills to jobs they feel are more rewarding, demonstrating the value—and flexibility—of an IC education.

The new and varied routes from degree to career run the gamut, with examples in this article ranging from physical therapists working in sales and business coaching to a philosophy major performing data analysis and a music major overseeing research in a medical residency program. Read on to see how the choices of these industrious alumni fulfilled their desires to change their career trajectory while recognizing that their degrees still had served them well.

The Investigative Personal Trainer

When Max Gordon ’14 talks to potential clients at Big Work Training Studio in Maynard, Massachusetts, he isn’t going full Woodward and Bernstein of Watergate infamy to try to uncover government secrets. But Gordon, who graduated with a journalism degree from IC and founded Big Work in 2021, isn’t the guy you should try to hide your true fitness motivation from: “My experience interviewing people has come in handy during early sessions with clients,” he said. “If I ask a potential client why they want to get in shape and they try to brush off an answer, I can spot that and think of another way to ask that question to make them feel more comfortable answering honestly. Because once I know that they’re trying to lose 30 pounds because their sister’s wedding is coming up, I can come up with a better workout plan for them.”

That’s just one of the ways Gordon feels like his degree helps his career. He’s a certified strength and conditioning specialist who has grown his business using skills honed in the halls of the Roy H. Park School of Communications. “One of the ways I’ve grown my studio is by walking into local businesses, striking up a conversation with the owner, and asking if I can put my business card on their bulletin board,” he explained.

That level of comfortability in striking up conversations doesn’t come naturally to everyone. But it does to Gordon, who aspired to be a sports journalist when he enrolled at IC and conducted many impromptu interviews on the streets of Ithaca. Ironically, it was one of the Park School’s most iconic experiences that taught Gordon to fully embrace what he was passionate about.

“The personal skills I developed, the ability to make people feel comfortable and willing to open up to me, those are all things I learned starting from day one in Park, and it’s paid off.”

Max Gordon '14

As one of the 13 students who, in 2013, traveled to Washington, D.C., to document the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom for NBC and PBS, he said, “It was a great experience, don’t get me wrong. But during it, I could see in my classmates a fervor that I didn’t have. I realized I had that fervor for fitness.”

Gordon can recall the exact date his fitness journey started: “October 18, 2010,” he said. “That was the day I got my diet under control and started going to the gym with a group of friends. We called it ‘total body transformation.’”

Another friend introduced him to powerlifting, and by his junior year, Gordon had gone from making suboptimal decisions about his diet to competitive powerlifting. That’s when he began to see a different future. “I was setting up workout and nutrition programs for myself, but I also found myself able to answer my friends’ questions about their workouts,” he said.

A few months after graduating, Gordon started paying rent in a gym near Albany, New York, to work with clients. A few years later, he and his girlfriend moved to North Carolina, where he continued his personal training career. A final move in 2021 brought him to Maynard.

Though he’s moved on from reporter’s notebooks and video cameras, Gordon is still grateful for what he learned in Park: “The personal skills I developed, the ability to make people feel comfortable and willing to open up to me, those are all things I learned starting from day one in Park, and it’s paid off,” he said.

The Philosopher’s Journey

With his philosophy degree opening up countless career paths, Theodore McDarrah '17 has carved out a career working on behalf of others. (Photo bu Michael Kushner '13)

Theodore McDarrah ’17 had heard the question plenty of times: “What are you going to do with that degree?” Still, he never questioned his decision to attend Ithaca College and study philosophy. It’s something he’d set his sights on in middle school. His teacher wrote an unfinished version of René Descartes’ famous statement “I think, therefore I am” on the board—leaving a blank instead of the “am”— and encouraged the class to finish it. “I was hooked immediately,” he recalled.

Through McDarrah’s first three years at IC, his plan was straightforward—complete his PhD and then teach the next generation of inquisitive minds. He’d particularly enjoyed taking courses with associate professor of philosophy Tatiana Petrone, who focused on political philosophy and bioethics. But something changed during his senior year: “In academia, you write papers that are read and cited by other academics and students years later,” he said. “But I wanted my work to have a bigger and more immediate impact.”

That’s when the versatility of his degree came in handy. “Philosophy is one of the best degrees for getting a job in something outside the field, because it teaches you how to think and analyze,” McDarrah said. “It opens up a lot of avenues.”

Though he’d received his master’s in philosophy from New York City’s New School, rather than complete his trifecta with a PhD, McDarrah got a job as a data analyst for the Osborne Association, a nonprofit that provides services to individuals and families affected by incarceration and serves as an advocate for criminal justice reform. In his role, he analyzed the classes that the association provided to inmates on Rikers Island. “These were classes in things like parenting and financial literacy, and they were designed to give inmates a leg to stand on when they were released,” he explained. “I’d look at all the data and figure out which courses they were completing successfully, so we knew which ones to continue to offer. It came naturally to me because one of the things you learn in philosophy is how to take complex information and pick out what’s important,” McDarrah added. He also used his degree more directly, creating a philosophy syllabus to discuss specific passages from philosophical texts with the inmates.

“I went where IC took me, whether that was classes in philosophy, outdoor education, or economics. That’s what’s so great about Ithaca: the ability to try different things.”

Theodore McDarrah ’17

After three years, he began working for the Claims Conference, a nonprofit organization that secures material compensation for Holocaust survivors, beginning as a database administrator and rising in August 2025 to project manager. There, he works as part of a team that engages in discussions with the German government over the amount of money to be distributed annually to Holocaust survivors.

“We put together the arguments highlighting the need for funding in various areas,” McDarrah said. “But we can’t just quantify the need; we have to do it concisely and politely. A core thing you learn in philosophy is how to debate with logic and reason instead of emotion, so I can do that very well. I pull the data and create the reports the team needs to make their arguments,” he continued. “We also work to anticipate the German government’s response and come up with counterarguments ahead of time, which is a common component of writing a philosophy paper.”

The biggest piece of advice McDarrah has for current students is to not close any doors: “I went where IC took me, whether that was classes in philosophy, outdoor education, or economics,” he said. “That’s what’s so great about Ithaca: the ability to try different things.”

The Business Coach of Physical Therapy

Morgan Meese ’16, DPT ’19 helps other physical therapists launch cash-bases businesses. (Photo by Amber Garrett Photography)

Career disillusionment can be tough to handle. It may come as quite a shock to realize a chosen path might not really be for you. Morgan Meese ’16, DPT ’19, has built a name for herself helping physical therapists around the country launch cash-based businesses, but things were different for her in 2019.

Not long after graduating with a doctorate in physical therapy and moving to Las Vegas, Meese was working at a corporate physical therapy clinic. “I strove to build a connection with my clients, but there were weeks where I’d work with more than 100 patients,” she said. “I was overwhelmed and realized that I was either going to start compromising on my own health or on my goal of delivering high-quality patient care. It almost got to the point where I regretted getting into the field.”

One day, while working out at a local gym, a nutritionist that Meese knew suggested she reach out to the owner about renting a space in the gym to provide clients with services one-on-one. Because Nevada allows patients to have direct access to physical therapists without the need for a referral or insurance involvement, Meese was able to strike an agreement and find clients quickly.

In 2020, Meese started a Facebook group where she shared her experience starting her business, and a few of her former classmates reached out for tips on starting their own cash-based practices: “I put together a basic coaching plan and curriculum, and started meeting with them virtually once a week,” she said.

“It turns out that I’m a huge nerd for business coaching. I invested in some courses for myself and connected with business owners in other industries, as well, to gain additional perspectives.”

Morgan Meese ’16, DPT ’19

Meese had taken a course at IC where she had to design a curriculum for a fictional honors-level class, so she was able to draw on some previous experience. “It turns out that I’m a huge nerd for business coaching,” she laughed. “I invested in some courses for myself and connected with business owners in other industries, as well, to gain additional perspectives.”

What started out as a quick four- to six-week program for aspiring business owners grew to three and then nine months, covering everything from legal and liability issues to sales and marketing. In the process, she has helped more than 100 clients launch practices all over the country.

Meese still practices as a physical therapist, starting her own business called Well Physio, which is focused on helping female athletes return to sport. And she sees the value that adds to her coaching business. “I think it’s important that I’m still in the trenches practicing as a PT,” she said. “It lends an authenticity to the advice I give to my clients.”

Meese encourages others in her shoes to have the courage to branch out if they find themselves in a rut. “Our industry is evolving so much, and there are so many ways to work with patients,” she said. “I want my clients to understand that if you’re not finding fulfillment in the traditional physical therapy career paths, starting your own practice is an option. And once you’ve set up your own business, you never have to work for anyone else again—unless you want to.”

A Physical Therapist by Any Other Name

Zach Finer ’16, DPT ’19, has used his physical therapy degree to move seamlessly from clinical work to the field of health technology. (Photo submitted)

Zach Finer ’16, DPT ’19, knows that his job title, which is listed on LinkedIn as a physical therapist for VALD, technically is incorrect. VALD isn’t a PT clinic; it’s a health tech company that provides sports science and athletic testing equipment to clinicians, trainers, strength coaches, and surgeons to help them in assessing athletes in training or rehabilitation. Finer is actually a sales development representative who helps these individuals assess how VALD’s equipment can aid them in their practice. But that doesn’t encapsulate everything he does: “I’m drawing on my experience as a clinician to help [potential customers] understand how the traditional physical therapy world and the datadriven tech world overlap,” he said.

“As a clinician, you can use a handheld Dynamometer to get a precise value on a strength test, but that data is worthless if you can’t use it to communicate the importance of it to your client effectively when devising their rehabilitation plan,” he said. “And as a former physical therapist, that’s something I can help them with.”

Because he can speak from a position of expertise on the limitations of clinical knowledge, he’s a more trusted voice. “One day, I was talking to a performance coach who asked me, ‘I have a good eye. Why do I need technology?’” Finer recalled. “I told him, ‘As clinicians, what we know and understand isn’t common knowledge to our patients. So even if we give feedback, the technology goes a step further and objectively communicates the information.’”

“I call myself a physical therapist because I’m still a staunch advocate for the profession. I just want every clinician to do their work in a better technological environment.”

Zach Finer ’16, DPT ’19

While it’s easy to be cynical about technology replacing the human element, Finer is not pushing tech for the sake of it. A member of the men’s soccer team at Ithaca, Finer knew he wanted to be a physical therapist who focused on athletes. His love of his anatomy and physiology classes at IC confirmed for him that he was in the right field. But he’d always gravitated towards a more techbased approach. “In high school, I read about the Peak Performance Project (P3), which was using technology to develop performance solutions for athletes,” he said. “I followed them during my time at IC. Following my last clinical rotation for my degree in Arizona, I reached out to them about doing a site visit to the Santa Barbara office.”

One of the individuals who treated athletes at P3 also owned a private practice PT clinic called Elite Performance that offered “The Lab,” a fitness service that blended P3’s data-informed model with a traditional PT approach. Finer started working for Elite Performance, which began his transition to tech. “Clients would come into The Lab and do a biomechanics assessment, and then we’d come up with a rehab and training plan,” he said. “I was the PT and could see firsthand how the technology was giving us all a better look under the hood.”

During this time, Finer’s then-girlfriend took a job on the East Coast, which left Finer with an employment dilemma. “I wanted to stay in the techbased ecosystem when we moved,” he said. “So I called up the owner of VALD and picked his brain about what was available. Right as we were moving, [VALD] posted a remote position, which I took.”

Finer’s transition from traditional physical therapist to health tech salesman was complete. But he’s never strayed from the roots he planted at IC. “I call myself a physical therapist because I’m still a staunch advocate for the profession,” he said. “I just want every clinician to do their work in a better technological environment.”

A Different Voice in Health Care

Logan Barrett '21 didn't let potential setbacks prevent him from getting the most out of his time at Ithaca. (Photo submitted)

Sometimes, the thing pulling you in a different direction is wholly unexpected. That was the case for Logan Barrett ’21. Barrett came to Ithaca to study music education, but he’s currently working as the director of behavioral sciences and research for the Family Medicine Residency Program at Niagara Falls Medical Center while getting his PhD in cognitive psychology at the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB).

In Barrett’s case, it was his epilepsy diagnosis as a first-year IC student that changed everything: “Suddenly, I wanted to understand the biomechanical nature of singing,” he said. “I had a lot of questions that a typical music school couldn’t help me answer. But because Ithaca offers a degree option of music in combination with an outside field, I had a unique opportunity to expand what I was studying.”

Focusing on the fields of music cognition and neuroscience, Barrett took courses in behavioral neuroscience and speech science while completing independent projects on the impact of language acquisition on music perception (in short, whether people who spoke multiple languages perceived music differently than those who did not). “I decided that I wanted to be an academic. And because of what I was studying, it could be in a few different fields,” he said.

“IC gave me the curiosity and the tools I needed to answer the questions about music and science.”

Logan Barrett '21

After completing an MA in music and science from Durham University in England, he received an MS in neuroscience in 2025 from Memorial University of Newfoundland. “My thesis was on how the emotions someone feels when they listen to music are affected by the key it’s in,” he said. “My dual knowledge of music and psychology, which I fostered at IC, gave me a deeper understanding of where the two fields converge.”

After earning those degrees, Barrett enrolled at UB for his PhD and saw the opening for his current job, in which he oversees all the research going through the hospital’s family medicine residency program. “I thought my background in interdisciplinary research would be an asset in the position,” he said. “Even though I didn’t have anything in my résumé that focused on medicine, my research skills, which had initially interested the hiring committee, won out.”

In addition to helping him secure his job by kickstarting his love of research, Barrett’s time at IC is influencing his latest degree. “My advisor at Ithaca was [associate professor of speech-language pathology and audiology] Carly Jo HosbachCannon, who had done research on singers and on individuals with gender dysphoria,” he said. “I asked her if anyone had ever combined the two, and she said no.”

That “no” will likely turn into a “yes” when Barrett’s research is complete. “I’ve created a way to measure how gender dysphoria affects someone’s ability to sing,” he said, “asking people, for example, if their singing voice makes them feel misgendered or if the traditional concert dress makes them feel uncomfortable.”

Though he won’t complete his degree until 2028, Barrett is grateful for how the doors he opened at Ithaca in 2018 have led him down this path. “IC gave me the curiosity and the tools I needed to answer the questions about music and science,” he said.

Education as the Foundation

As these alumni show, an Ithaca College education isn’t about getting locked onto one path for four years. Rather, it’s about being presented with an opportunity to explore interests and passions while knowing that the educational foundation you’re building will serve you for years to come, wherever your journey takes you.