LISLE, Ill., May 29, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Most people change careers throughout their lifetime. Obtaining a liberal arts degree helps make these transitions easier as graduates have a wider breadth of knowledge and skills in which to utilize. A great example of this is Benedictine University alumnus Padraic Gallagher.

By taking positions that have allowed him to protect both people and the environment from harm, Gallagher doesn't just employ Benedictine values – he lives them.

Gallagher, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History from Benedictine in 1996, has rebuilt trails for national parks in southern Utah, sought applications for wildlife refuges in New Mexico and worked to conserve some of the most endangered birds in the world as a park ranger for the Kilauea Point National Wildlife refuge.

Recently, he accepted a position as director of disaster services for the Kauai Office of the American Red Cross, where he will help lead disaster awareness and preparedness efforts for more than 67,000 Hawaiians on the state's fourth largest island.

In his new role, he will draw from previous experience as a Red Cross volunteer during which he organized and provided clothing, food and shelter for victims recovering from severe flooding and house fire emergencies.

"One of the tasks I am hoping to accomplish as director is awareness and preparation," Gallagher said. "It is not a matter of 'if' but 'when' a major hurricane is going to hit this island, and if I can help people understand that, it will be easier for all of us to prepare and we can all weather the storm easier."

Gallagher's life could have easily taken a different path. After Benedictine, he landed a job with the Chicago office of Accenture, training and advising employees for the management consulting and technology services company.

However, when the economy took a turn for the worse in 2001, Gallagher lost his job and was forced back to the proverbial drawing board to contemplate his next career move.

Learn more at ben.edu/Gallagher.

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SOURCE Benedictine University