What can you do with a liberal arts degree? This question is asked a lot, with some putting down its value in today’s world. And yet, the critical thinking, oral communication and written communication skills provided by a liberal arts education are second to none in the workplace, making liberal arts graduates highly sought after by employers — including the United States Military. 2019 graduate David Snyder wanted to work in the United States Space Force following graduation and accomplished that goal, using his multiple degrees to help secure a position in the country’s newest military branch.
Snyder, who hails from Virginia, developed an interest in space from a young age and wanted to eventually work in the space industry. Choosing to attend a liberal arts school initially might seem like the wrong direction to go when pursuing such a career field, but for Snyder it was perfect.
“My Christendom education has been helpful in that it prepared me for the written tests that affected my job placement as well as for a lot of the training I’ve had to do in tech school and here at my duty station,” says Snyder, who is currently serving with his base Honor Guard for seven months before beginning his job as a Space Systems Operator. “I scored well enough on the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) test to apply for any military job that I was interested in. Being used to Christendom’s standards helped me quite a bit when preparing for projects and written tests once I actually began military training. I had to undergo multiple background investigations to get the necessary clearance to do my job, so it was very helpful to be able to put some Christendom professors as references as well.”
Alumnus David Snyder ’19.
At Christendom, Snyder double-majored in mathematics and natural sciences and English language and literature, giving him the science background necessary to succeed in the Space Force and the written and oral communication skills to also set him apart from his peers.
Following graduation, Snyder initially worked for an IT company before working with an Air Force recruiter to get into the Space Force. Snyder only applied for Space Force jobs during those months, trying to secure one of the few limited positions in the branch. After waiting six months, a Space Force job finally became available to Snyder and he got into the branch. In November of 2021, Snyder went to Air Force basic training in Texas before heading to California for technical school this past January. Now, Snyder is at his duty station in Colorado, finishing up training before beginning work as an operator.
In the Space Force, Snyder will be serving as a Space Systems Operator, specifically within the field of Orbital Warfare. Snyder’s position will involve communication with and sending commands to military satellites. For example, GPS is a U.S military constellation which the rest of the world happens to use. To keep that constellation functioning and safe from hazards, health checks need to be made and maneuvers need to be initiated periodically or on short notice. Snyder’s work will involve those sorts of operations.
The work is highly technical and immensely satisfying for Snyder — work he believes is a meaningful use of his education and skillset.
Snyder at his graduation ceremony.
“Being a part of the Space Force feels like a really meaningful use of my skills and education,” explains Snyder. “Our military has relied on our space assets for a long time as well as the ground-based electronic warfare assets and the cyber resources that the Space Force is now in charge of. Space is now a contested domain and, when American space assets are threatened, day-to-day life in many countries is threatened. I think it’s cool to know that my work plays a small part in such a big picture.”
Snyder is not the first Christendom alum to join the military following graduation, with others serving as pilots, infantrymen, submarine nuclear plant operators, and more. But, he is the first to join the Space Force, using his mathematics and English language and literature degrees to live out a passion of his, while making the world a better and safer place in the process.
“The Space Force is a new branch, but its operations have been happening for a very long time in a less coordinated way among the other military branches, and modern daily life relies on those operations far more than the average person realizes,” concludes Snyder. “If you’re interested in a career in the space industry but you don’t have an applied science degree, then the Space Force is a great route to get into that industry. If you’re interested in a military career, then the Space Force has a lot of jobs and locations around the world which would make for an interesting career. But beyond all that, space is just cool.”