February 26, 2025
By Francis Rogai ’27
Susquehanna students connected with nearly 100 alumni volunteers at the annual Break Through professional conference. Open to all majors and class years, Break Through helps students explore career paths, gain professional insights and build valuable relationships with alumni. From navigating their time at Susquehanna to landing internships and preparing for life after graduation, the topics for the event help equip students with knowledge, skills and connections to fuel their future success.
The history department’s panel connected students with three alumni working as public historians — a field defined by department chair and history professor Edward Slavishak as “bringing history to the masses” outside a classroom setting. This year’s panelists were Amanda Hawk ’08, public services manager and archivist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Brian Richards ’06, curator of the New York Yankees Museum; and Jane Seibert ’21, director of consignments and marketing at Cordier Auctions in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Richards touted the importance of building human connections as those relationships hold equal weight with the past when working with public history.
“Curating exhibits or building archive collections can only happen when you know how to nourish relationships with donors and private collectors,” Richards said. “Interacting with exhibit attendees is also important because the best showcases cater to multiple audiences and motivate them to find what resonates within the material.”
Panel discussions took place via Zoom during the week and in person all day Saturday. Experiences and tips were shared from alumni from a wide array of fields — from accounting, advertising and music to health care and research.
The history panelists also provided advice about working toward careers and the importance of networking, whether by staying in contact with the department or connecting with historians at a desired workplace.
“I thought the advice for my specific long-term goals was incredibly helpful,” said Emily Ford ’25, a history major from Manchester, Pennsylvania. “I identified two unique paths for my specific career goals, and I really appreciated the things alumni shared about grad school and post-grad jobs.”
Motayne wins Emerging Champion Award
Motayne is vice president of the People Team at Burson, a global public relations and communications firm headquartered in New York City. She has been with Burson since 2024 and its predecessor, BCW, since 2022.
Before transitioning to the People Team at Burson, Motayne worked on BCW’s awards and rankings offering, assisting global clients with expanding their industry footprint and rankings. Motayne joined BCW precursor Burson-Marstellar as a client executive in 2017 and has steadily risen in the ranks to her current vice president role.
Motayne earned a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations. She was actively involved as a student at Susquehanna, serving as president of her sorority, Sigma Kappa, and as a member of the university’s PRSSA chapter. She was also a member of Lambda Pi Eta and Alpha Lambda Delta honor societies, was a presidential fellow and in the Honors Program.
In 2024, Motayne was a Break Through panelist for Calling All Majors: The Many Paths to a Communications Career.