Kevin Haines, B.A. Philosophy Class of 2018
“At some schools, you’re just a number, but that isn’t the case at Fort Hays. The professors take a real personal interest in your success.”
From an early age, Kevin Haines has enjoyed reading philosophy books, but eventually, he desired to pursue a degree in the subject to gain more in-depth knowledge; however, he was unaware of the online options until he found the Fort Hays State online program. The highlight of his experience with FHSU was the ability to interact with the professors despite being an online student. “Philosophy Programs do an excellent job creating the experience of being in the classroom. In the online philosophy courses, you have a lot of immediate interaction with the professor and other students in the class.”
After graduating with his B.A. in 2018, Haines continues his educational journey in graduate school. He is now pursuing a master’s degree in philosophy with the University of Edinburgh’s online program. The FHSU philosophy professors’ willingness to help him get into this competitive program left an impression on him. “The professors were so helpful. At some schools, you’re just a number, but that isn’t the case at Fort Hays. The professors take a real personal interest in your success. They want to see you succeed.”
For more than three decades, Haines has worked in the real estate industry. Currently, he is a self-employed real estate appraiser providing valuation services on commercial properties in Massachusetts. Even though he studies philosophy for self-development, it has become a useful tool in his career. Specifically, his training in logic helps him analyze data and reach a concluding value on a property. “My philosophy classes at FHSU were highly valuable in training my mind to process information systematically and rigorously and greatly assisted in developing a fuller appreciation of the importance and the utility of logic, as well as a healthy degree of skepticism, and a habit of questioning what information is presented, rather than accepting information uncritically.”
Looking back on his life and the lessons he’s learned, Haines offers wise advice to current undergraduate students. “Keep your options open. When I look back on my life, I wish I’d taken more chances in terms of employment. It’s easy to get stuck in something just because you feel you need to pay bills, but that becomes, in retrospect, meaningless. Also, time goes by so quickly, so have as many experiences as you can fit into your schedule.”