Siblings Sean and Bridget Dorr took very different paths to UC Berkeley. Last month, those paths converged when they graduated together with degrees in history.
Before arriving at Cal, Bridget transferred from community college after playing collegiate volleyball, while Sean returned to school after working in information technology and bartending.
Although they never shared a class, the siblings spent their time at Berkeley comparing professors, discussing coursework and encouraging one another through the challenges of writing senior theses.
The two recently spoke with UC Berkeley Social Sciences about their time at Cal. This interview has been edited for clarity.
Tell us about your background and why you chose UC Berkeley?
Bridget Dorr: I originally went to Penn State Behrend, a satellite campus of Penn State University, for my first semester of college to play Division III indoor volleyball. It ended up not being the path for me, so I transferred to the community college near my home. When I was looking at where to transfer, I remembered that I originally wanted to go to UC Berkeley straight out of high school, but chose to go somewhere for volleyball instead. After visiting, I realized that Cal was where I wanted to be because of the environment and location.
Sean Dorr: I actually dropped out of community college on my first go-around as I was already working multiple jobs in the IT field and felt higher education could no longer serve me in the way that I wanted. While I always wanted to be a teacher or a professor, the postgrad degrees seemed so daunting. However, after a year of grinding as an IT contractor and a bartender, I missed my scholarly pursuits and decided to head back to my local community college for another go as a computer science major.
What made you decide to pursue history as a major?
Bridget Dorr: When I first transferred, I was an English major, and that was what I had planned to major in for the longest time. However, I switched from English to history this past year because all of the history courses I had taken at Berkeley had been amazing. I realized that I would be so much happier taking even more and that history was what I was truly passionate about, not English.
Sean Dorr: Near the end of my two years, I realized my passion for history and literature far outweighed my love for writing code. The explosion of AI was also really upsetting to me as someone who saw coding as an artform, so I decided switching majors was best. I have always loved history, and all of my most passionate professors and teachers throughout the years have been in this field. I love writing research papers, and I could listen to lectures on any era and field, especially because Berkeley has some of the most acclaimed history faculty in the world!
What does graduating from UC Berkeley mean to you?
Bridget Dorr: Graduating from UC Berkeley almost does not feel real to me because I took a different path than I expected. My vision of the future four years ago before I started my freshman year was completely different from where I am now. I am so grateful that I ended up in such a wonderful place and for the amazing education I received. It means a lot to me because my parents have supported me through all my ups and downs over the last four years, and I know that this has made them proud. My parents mean the world to me, and so does graduating from UC Berkeley.
Sean Dorr: Graduating from Berkeley is amazing! When I was asked at age 19, while working as bartender at a dive bar, where I would be today, I would never have thought this to be possible. I got to work with so many incredible scholars – both my peers and professors – and have left with a much greater appreciation and understanding of the world around me. Graduating with a degree from Berkeley means I now have generations of alumni to look up to and call on if I need, and professors that I can now work with in my future pursuits.
What’s next for you both now that you’ve graduated?
Bridget Dorr: I do not have any long-term plans because I am still figuring out what I want to do. Currently, I have a summer job lined up at a sports camp in Maine. I will be there for seven weeks working as a camp counselor and assistant volleyball coach. I am really looking forward to the opportunity and the experiences that I am going to have there. After that, I don’t know, but I just hope it will be something I love.
Sean Dorr: I am now going to take a gap year, live with one of my colleagues in the Department of Ancient Greek & Roman Studies, and we will work on our graduate school applications together. Here's to hoping we can get back into Berkeley for our PhDs and continue the road to professorship!