Monmouth College Class of 2020 Profile
Shaniah Anderson moving forward with business and music careers
Monmouth, IL (03/31/2020) — As an accomplished singer-songwriter who just released the single "Keep Being Me," Shaniah Paige has doors opening for her in the music world.
But the talented artist, who goes by her given name of Shaniah Anderson as a Monmouth College student, also has doors opening in the business world. She recently secured a promising post-graduation position with The HON Co. in Muscatine, Iowa. She'll be a financial analyst for the office furniture company and participate in the organization's two-year development program.
Anderson had a personal connection to the company - her stepfather, M Club Hall of Fame distance runner Dan Schisler '94, worked at HON for a number of years.
"I came across a posting for their development program, and it really stood out to me," said Anderson, a graduate of Monmouth-Roseville High School. "I had a phone interview on the Thursday before spring break, and then I had an in-person interview during spring break, where I spoke with three different hiring managers."
Anderson, who will begin working for the company after she graduates from Monmouth in May, said she is looking forward to the job's diverse offerings.
"I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do after college," said Anderson, who is a business major and member of Kappa Kappa Gamma women's fraternity. "I think HON's development program is an excellent idea. I'll be exposed to not only finance and accounting but other areas as well. It'll be a chance to learn new things and see where I'm best able to fit in. I really couldn't be much luckier."
Diverse education
Anderson said she appreciates her Monmouth education, especially the opportunity to go beyond business.
"The thing I like best about Monmouth is that I was exposed to not just my major, but to a lot of elective courses," she said. "I'm interested in law and criminal justice, so I really enjoyed a criminology class that I was able to take. Law school is also on my radar, so it was good to be able to take some law-related classes."
Of course, that education is now being delivered in a different fashion because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Anderson, like most of her fellow students, is learning to adjust.
"I've taken online classes before, including some dual-credit classes in high school," she said. "But each process is different and not all professors run their class the same way. One of my classes is with Zoom, one is with Moodle and another is by email. It's been a little bit of an adjustment, but I'm finding what works for me personally. It helps to have my own studio I can use as a place to study."
Pushing ahead with career in music
That studio has helped the budding artist become more and more of a presence on the music scene. Her Spotify page features a half-dozen singles and EPs, as well as several versions of "Keep Being Me."
"I just released that as a single, and I haven't seen any of my songs perform better (on Spotify) than this one," she said. "Spotify has a separate app for artists, and it's fun to go into that and see the numbers grow for 'Keep Being Me' every day."
Also available through iTunes and Google Play, the single is a pop song, which signifies a shift in genre for Shaniah Paige.
"Over the course of the six years I've been doing this, it's interesting to see the change," she said. "I started out country, and now I'm more pop. I wanted a different style and a different groove to my art. It's a huge transition for me."
Looking ahead in music, she said "nothing is set in stone," but she does plan to perform some shows this summer and to continue writing music.
"Potentially, we'll be filming a video for 'Keep Being Me,'" she said. "Other than that, I'm just looking forward to engaging with my followers on social media."
And, of course, to starting a new job at a leading national manufacturer.
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