It provided an academic foundation for practical work. There are many ways to research career fields of interest to you. The most common way is to complete an internship. This was useful because it talked me out of a career in broadcast journalism. The writing and editing skills have always paid off.
American studies does have a lot to offer.
It gives you a very broad perspective. Be sure to take special topics courses. Post-school, people are more concerned about what you do than what you studied. Ethnography is a powerful tool. The ability to look at culture metaphorically is terrifically helpful in any field because culture is changing so fast.