See Who’s Here
Select your major/industry of interest and then scroll down to see the alumnae/i who will be here for the program.
Rachel Abrams ’96
Creative Director, Rachel Ink
Brooklyn, NY
BA, Cognitive Science, Vassar College
MS, Technical Communication, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Certificate, Human-Computer Interaction, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Technology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelabrams74/
Rachel is a user experience (UX) designer, researcher, writer and collaborative creative thinker who develops useful, impactful and amusing digital experiences for start-ups and established brands. For six years, she worked for a travel website named Site59, acquired by Travelocity. She then spent eight years at R/GA, an interactive design agency, working on brands like Nike, Tiffany, Coke, Verizon, Unilever and SC Johnson. Five years ago, Rachel launched rachel ink. to focus on emerging companies looking to innovate. Current projects range from designing mobile apps, productivity tools and websites to creating prototypes, brand strategies and pitches. Her passion for the fields of information design, usability and human factors stems from her love of intelligent, intuitive and graceful design as well as her belief that every interface presents the chance to augment the human experience. She is especially delighted by the intersection of UX and cog sci, how natural and necessary it is to consider a person’s mental model when designing both physical and digital experiences.
Advice to Students:
Take a creative approach to whatever fields you pursue and craft your own career. In this global economy and job climate, hybridized professions and crossover jobs are often the answer to sustainable problem solving. When possible, get an inside view of the industries that interest you, because opportunities can appear different from the outside. Design your own profession and pursue what truly drives you so that there’s genuine overlap between how you earn your living and how you love to spend your days.
Jordan Alexander ’07
Manager, Strategic Initiatives, MTA New York City Transit
Brooklyn, NY
BA, Geography, Vassar College
MPA, Urban and Social Policy, Columbia University
Government/International Affairs
Jordan is a member of the Strategic Initiatives unit at the MTA, where he leads operations improvement projects and provides direct support to the agency's executives on priority issues. Through this and past roles over 7+ years, he has developed expertise in all areas of the public transit business, from service delivery and customer communications to train car maintenance and public-private partnerships. His commitment to public service began immediately upon graduating from Vassar, starting with work at a women's leadership development NGO, a social services provider in East Harlem, and a brief stint on the '08 Obama campaign before getting a Masters of Public Administration in urban policy from Columbia University. Like all Vassar alumni, Jordan lives in Brooklyn.
Advice to Students:
When thinking about career goals, give equal weight to the function you want to perform as to the field you want to be in. You could land a job at your dream company but find yourself underwhelmed by your actual day-to-day role. While a perfectly suited job - one that leverages your natural skills and interests and therefore allows you to thrive - at a less-considered place might end up being for the best.
Anne Lise Almira ’06
Manager, Clinical Business Operations, Deciphera Pharmaceuticals
Waltham, MA
BA, Economics and German Studies, Vassar College
MPH, Healthcare Management, Yale School of Public Health
MBA, Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management, Columbia Business School
Health/Medicine
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-lise-almira/
Anne Lise Almira has crafted a career in clinical operations through positions on both the provider - and pharmaceutical - side of the healthcare space. After her MPH, Anne Lise entered a hospital administration role at her community hospital, Danbury Hospital, managing the finance and operations of the Medical Education and Research Department. Over three years, she oversaw the capital and operating budgets for the Western Connecticut Health Network (WCHN) Research Institute and multiple residency programs, and helped facilitate the start-up of two novel initiatives: the Center for Simulation and Clinical Learning at Danbury Hospital, and the WCHN Global Health program. After graduating with an MBA in Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management, Anne Lise joined the Global Medical Affairs department at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, managing the lifecycle of approximately 40 world-wide investigator-initiated research studies that endeavored to provide new insights to Cystic Fibrosis patients. She most recently moved into a role at Deciphera Pharmaceuticals that manages the financial operations of the company’s global oncology trials.
Advice to Students:
Be focused, but flexible. Although seemingly contradictory, it helps your career trajectory if you know what you are passionate about (and, alternatively, what does not work for you) and commit to remaining grounded, curious, and flexible through the process in case hiccups occur. That way, you’ll have a story of your professional life to tell, whether it be to an interviewer or recruiter, and be proud of what you have achieved!
Gabi Anspach ’17
College Success Advisor, Bottom Line
Brooklyn, NY
BA, Education, Vassar College
Education
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielleanspach/
Gabi works at Bottom Line, a nonprofit organization that partners with first-generation college students to help them succeed in college. As a College Success Advisor, she supports 85 students in completing their degrees, working towards career readiness, and navigating personal life challenges. At Vassar, Gabi majored in education. In order to figure out which area of education she wanted to pursue, she explored a variety of educational settings during and after college. These experiences included working as a mentor and activity leader at Vassar After School Tutoring, interning at the Cloud Forest School in Costa Rica through a Vassar study abroad program, and leading cooking activities for middle school students at an after school program in Brooklyn. Currently, she is based in New York City and considering pursuing a Masters of Social Work. In her spare time, Gabi volunteers at a Community Cooking School and enjoys being in nature.
Advice to Students:
As for many students, figuring out what I wanted to do career-wise was not a linear process, nor one that ended upon graduation. I chose the education major because I loved the intro education class. Teaching was the most straight-forward career path for this major, but I had a persistent feeling that I wanted to explore other options. I did a variety of internships which helped me gain exposure to different settings, including classrooms, political advocacy nonprofits, after school programs, and museums. I didn’t expect to end up in my current role, but am really happy with the direction it is taking me.
Emily Antenucci ’10
PhD Student/Adjunct Instructor, New York University
New York, NY
BA, Drama and Italian, Vassar College
MA, Italian Studies, New York University
PhD Candidate, Italian Studies, New York University
Education
Emily Antenucci is a PhD candidate in Italian Studies at New York University, where she also completed a masters thesis on Italo Calvino. She was the recipient of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Italy, for which she taught English, American culture, and theatre at secondary schools in Catania, Sicily. Her dissertation looks at literary tactics and narratives of history in Italy in the 1960s and 70s, with a particular focus on women writers and feminist philosophy. At NYU she has taught courses at all levels of Italian and led sections on courses in medieval and Renaissance literature, Fascist and anti-fascist art and architecture, and currently teaching modern Italian culture. She has presented her work on Elena Ferrante, Carla Lonzi, and Anna Maria Ortese at conferences at Rutgers, Florence University of the Arts, and Harvard respectively, and has been the recipient of NYU’s Graduate Research Institute in Florence twice.
Advice to Students:
Get curious about what interests you and investigate it, even if it doesn’t seem to fit neatly into an academic category or professional path. Your eventual career may or may not present itself to you immediately, and it may change as you learn more about what you like and what you’re good at. (And that is 100% ok.) Be open to learning these things, and be honest with yourself about the kind/s of work that suits you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice, or acknowledge when you don’t know something-- that’s the way to learn!
Rebecca Arian ’09
Staff Attorney, Legal Aid Society
Brooklyn, NY
BA, Political Science, Vassar College
JD, Law, City University of New York
Law/Legal Services
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-arian-90334a13/
In her career dedicated to serving marginalized and low-income communities, Rebecca Arian is currently a Staff Attorney in the Legal Aid Society’s Housing Practice. She represents low income tenants in eviction cases in Brooklyn Housing Court, creating housing stability for individuals and families while fighting gentrification. Rebecca has previously worked in the criminal justice reform, public defense, and human rights fields. In addition to receiving the Burnam Fellowship at Vassar, Rebecca successfully competed for numerous
other fellowships including the Dorot Fellowship, the NIF / Shatil Social Justice Fellowship, and the Charles H. Revson Public Interest Law Fellowship. She earned a BA with honors in Political Science from Vassar in 2009 and a JD from the City University of New York School of Law in 2015.
Advice to Students:
Storytelling is a powerful tool in competing for opportunities during and after Vassar. The key to landing any job is crafting a compelling narrative about why you are passionate about the work and how your skills and experiences will enable you to succeed. In preparing for any interview, you should think about the narrative you want the interviewers to remember you by when they are evaluating your candidacy after the fact. Armed with a powerful story, you will be unstoppable!
Sophie Arnold ’17
Family Foster Care Case Planner, New York Foundling
New York, NY
BA, Psychology, Vassar College
Non-Profit/Social Justice
Sophie is a foster care case planner in New York City. Every day looks different in the life of a case planner—from conducting home visits across the five boroughs, to presenting reports to judges in Family Court and observing family time between parents and children. There is never a dull moment in this work. Sophie found case planning through an organization called Children's Corps, a 2-year program designed to implement additional supports for young professionals in the field of social work. This program guarantees each Children's Corps fellow a job placement at a foster care agency in exchange for the promise that each Corps member will remain in this work for a 2-year commitment. Sophie recently completed her 2-years in her placement and will be attending NYU's Silver School of Social Work to earn her Master's in Social Work beginning in January 2020. Sophie is the recipient of the Viviane DeMilley Child Welfare Scholarship. Sophie is a proud 2017 graduate and alumnae of the Vassar Field Hockey Team.
Advice to Students:
My advice to current students is to soak up every minute of their Vassar experience. There are incredibly valuable lessons to be learned on this campus, and the education that Vassar gives its students—both in the classroom and outside of it—can propel students forward in any number of professional fields. My other piece of advice would be to show kindness to others every day, even in the smallest ways, as this will keep you learning and growing.
Angela Assante ’18
Software Engineer, FactSet
San Francisco, CA
BA, Computer Science, Vassar College
Technology
Bio coming soon!
Advice to Students:
Advice coming soon!
Reuben Atlas ’01
Director, Pandora Edu. Film Center
New York, NY
BA, Political Science, Vassar College
JD, New York Law School
Entertainment/Media
Reuben Atlas is a filmmaker and former entertainment lawyer, recently selected for DOCNYC's inaugural 40 Under 40 list. His first film, BROTHERS HYPNOTIC, about a brass band of brothers from the South Side of Chicago, premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in 2013, is distributed by Factory 25, and broadcast on PBS' Independent Lens. He directed the Netflix hit, SOUR GRAPES, about a counterfeit wine conman, and ACORN and the FIRESTORM, about the take-down of an impactful community organization, which premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival and broadcast on PBS' Independent Lens. His work has been supported by the Sundance Institute, ITVS, the Jerome Foundation, NYSCA, Black Public Media, the IDA Pare Lorentz Grant, and the Tribeca Film Institute. His current slate includes a documentary about the history of the ACLU, a series about the wine world, a film about the New York Knicks, and two fiction projects based on his documentaries.
Advice to Students:
The greatest challenge of adulthood is holding on to your idealism after you've lost your innocence. That's something I heard Bruce Springsteen say in an interview that resonated with me when I was just out of school. I think there's a purity surrounding the way you see the world when you're in college that you should try to keep. Another quote I like is: “Be who you are, but not at the expense of who you want to become.” However, if I could time travel to tell myself something while at Vassar, I'd say: take lots of dance classes, maybe Art History too, and invite your professors out to dinner to get to know them better. . . like, each and every one of them.
Michael Benedetto ’98
Associate Editorial Director, FCB Health
New York, NY
BA, Cognitive Science, Vassar College
MA, Linguistics, University at Buffalo
Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbenedetto/
In Mike's current role as Associate Editorial Director, he and the team he leads are the keepers of quality control for multiple brands handled by a large healthcare-focused advertising agency. This means catching errant commas and dangling participles, of course, but the healthcare field places additional demands on its editors; they are also responsible for ensuring the factual accuracy and compliance with governmental regulations/corporate standards of all promotional materials before they're submitted. As such, the job requires both mastery of written English and a level of comfort with reading and interpreting scientific literature. At this point in his tenure, Mike is responsible for both reviewing all materials for his own account—a widely prescribed oncology product—and for managing a group of more junior editors as they navigate the demands of their own brands. A daunting assignment, to be sure, but nothing a Vassar education couldn't prepare him for (...er, that is, nothing for which a Vassar education couldn't have prepared him).
Advice to Students:
Grad school is not “College: Part 2”. Don't go until you truly know exactly what you want to do and exactly how a graduate degree will contribute to your ability to do it. Making a premature decision will diminish your resources and restrict your later options. The job market is scary, but you will have more to offer it right out of the gate than you may think.
Erin Boss ’16
SAVP Program Coordinator, Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY
BA, Women's Studies, Vassar College
Non-Profit/Social Justice
As the Program Coordinator for the Sexual Assault and Violence Prevention Office at Vassar, Erin Boss oversees campus-wide programming, including workshops on bystander intervention, consent and healthy relationship education, supporting a survivor, and awareness campaigns, and works closely with the SAVP student interns. She also provides direct support and advocacy to Vassar community members who have experienced sexual violence or relationship abuse. Her passion for antiviolence work began when she was a Vassar student, as she became involved in student orgs and in community-based services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Erin previously worked in the Hudson Valley community for Family Services in their Center for Victim Safety and Support as an advocate, and then as the Dutchess County Sexual Assault Response Team Coordinator. In her free time, she volunteers for the Hudson Valley LGBTQ Center, enjoys scenic bike rides over the Hudson River, and loves a good bookshop.
Advice to Students:
True friends of your heart - whether they be students, professors, administrators, chosen or related family, or any other close members of your community - want you to thrive and find joy. The people who care about you want to support you on your journey, whatever it may be, through the triumphant times and the challenging times alike. Build and deepen these connections, because it's through watching out for each other that we survive the most trying circumstances and systems. True friends of your heart will cheer for you while you chase your dreams and do whatever they can to help along the way.
Dyana Boxley ’10
Staff Attorney, Sanctuary for Families
Bronx, NY
BA, Africana Studies, Vassar College
Juris Doctor, Suffolk University Law School
Law/Legal Services
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dyboxley/
Dyana Boxley is a staff attorney for the Family Law Project of Sanctuary for Families at the Bronx Family Justice Center. In that capacity, she represents domestic violence survivors in Family Court and matrimonial proceedings. Prior to working at Sanctuary for Families, Dyana spent 4 years as an Assistant District Attorney in the Special Victims Division of the Bronx County District Attorney's Office, prosecuting domestic violence and sexual assault cases. Dyana graduated from Vassar College in 2010 with a BA in Africana Studies and a correlate in Women's Studies. She then graduated from Suffolk University Law School in 2014 with a focus in Public Interest Law. Dyana's interest in race and gender has underscored her education and her professional career, giving direction to her passion for helping others.
Advice to Students:
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are lots of reasons why people don’t ask for help when they need it – maybe they’re afraid of inconveniencing people or worried about looking stupid. No one successful has gotten where they are without asking for help. Never be afraid of inconveniencing people. If they don’t want to help, they’ll tell you. And in my experience, most people want to help you succeed and are just waiting for you to ask. Don’t worry about looking stupid – no one who is an expert in their field started out that way. You learn by asking questions. And finally, asking for help does not take away from your success, but instead gives you people to share it with.
Kathleen Brady-Stepien ’08
Associate Executive Director, Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies
Albany, NY
BA, English, Vassar College
MSW, SUNY at Buffalo
Non-Profit/Social Justice
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleenbradystepien
Kathleen is the Associate Executive Director for the Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies (COFCCA). COFCCA is a statewide association that is the principal representative of the not-for-profit child welfare organizations in NYS. She is responsible for analyzing policy and developing positions relating to child welfare and juvenile justice, as well as leading COFCCA’s statewide budget and legislative advocacy efforts. Kathleen serves as liaison to state government entities for COFCCA members; she is also the coordinator of the activities of the NYS Coalition of 853 Schools. Kathleen is passionate about working together with policymakers to develop and implement policy solutions that best support children and families in New York State and beyond. Originally from Buffalo, NY, Kathleen currently lives in Albany, NY but she will always be a lifelong Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres fan. She is a board member of the Center for Women in Government & Civil Society in Albany.
Advice to Students:
Take advantage of this time in your life to consider a lot of different career options. If you can, do URSI/Ford Scholar internships, or fieldwork—anything that you can do to pick up some valuable experience to build that resume. Email alumnae/i to ask them for a bit of time (whether in person if that is possible, or a brief phone call if not) to learn more about their career journeys. Don't be scared of "networking"—think of it as simply an opportunity to learn, to pick up any pieces of advice you can, to have a great discussion with someone that you admire. You never know just how the person you're talking with may be able to help you, even if it's way later on in your career. The relationships that you build and sustain become your network, and it's a great position to be in to have a network of people to cheer on your career and professional development.
Fernando Braga ’17
Paralegal, Goodwin Procter, LLP
Queens, NY
BA, International Studies, Vassar College
Law/Legal Services
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/febraga
Fernando Braga joined Goodwin in 2019 and is a paralegal for the Private Equity group in New York. He supports the establishment, compliance and investment activities of U.S. and global funds. Prior to joining Goodwin, Mr. Braga was an investment funds paralegal at Linklaters LLP.
Advice to Students:
Don't sweat the small stuff.
Rebecca Brand ’96
Associate Professor, Villanova University
Villanova, PA
BA, Cognitive Science, Vassar College
MS, Psychology, University of Oregon
PhD, Developmental Psychology, University of Oregon
Scientific Research
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccabrand333/
Rebecca Brand spent one year after Vassar as a research assistant at the University of Delaware, then earned her PhD at the University of Oregon. Since earning her PhD, she has worked as a professor at Villanova University. She teaches General (Intro) Psychology, Human Development, and Research Methods in Psychology and mentors several students per term (both undergraduate and Master's students) in her infant research lab. Her research investigates what babies know about the world and how they learn from their experiences, especially from their own motor movements and from instruction from parents. Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, and she has published papers in top journals in the field, including Developmental Science and Infancy.
Advice to Students:
First, enjoy your time at Vassar, and make the most of the chance to "dabble." Take courses because they sound interesting, not just because you think they will look good on a CV. Second, know that your path might be a winding one. Just make the best choices you can at each fork in the road, and you'll be fine! I have never forgotten the words of my advisor at Vassar, Ken Livingston, when I went to his office junior year and wailed, "What am I going to do with my life?!" and he calmly answered, "Let's decide what you're going to do with your SUMMER." One step at a time!
Leslie Briggs ’11
English Teacher, Westwood Public Schools
Westwood, MA
BA, English and Hispanic Studies, Vassar College
Ed M, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Education
Leslie Briggs is an English teacher at Westwood High School in Westwood, MA, a position that she had held for the past three years. In addition to teaching classes, Leslie also participates in the Academic Support program for struggling students, mentors a first-year teacher, coaches the high school Mock Trial team, and teaches a professional development course entitled "The Art of Classroom Conversation." Leslie is currently pursuing a second advanced degree through the Bread Loaf School of English and previously worked for four years as a middle school English Language Arts teacher.
Advice to Students:
Find a way to say yes to people and to new opportunities: saying yes always leads to personal growth and to further opportunities. It also gives you a stellar reputation as someone who is excited to collaborate and support new initiatives.
Holly Brown ’98
Director, Public Imperatives and Corporate Development, IEEE
Piscataway, NJ
BA, English and German Studies, Vassar College
MA, German Literature, Freie Universität Berlin
Non-Profit/Social Justice
Holly Schneider Brown is Director, Public Imperatives and Corporate Development at IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. At IEEE, she helps engineers around the globe leverage their technical skills to make a difference through sustainable development and humanitarian technology projects in their local communities. Holly has over 15 years of program development and project management experience from a variety of positions in association management, conference production, and translation management. In her free time, Holly is Chief Operating Officer of Lemur Love, an emerging non-profit organization dedicated to protecting lemurs (the world’s most threatened mammal group), empowering Malagasy women, and furthering science.
Advice to Students:
My favorite saying is, “Done is better than perfect.” During junior semester abroad in Berlin, I had the opportunity to take a German as a foreign language exam at the university. I just barely passed. It was the lowest test score I had ever received, yet it opened doors I could never have imagined. That score enabled me to go back after I graduated Vassar and directly enroll at the university. I wound up earning my Masters degree in Berlin, which allowed me to spend several incredible years in the city. Along the way, I became fluent in German, a humbling experience that helped this perfectionist to understand that there was no earthly way I could be perfect. I realized the power of “done.” I still use this principle in my work, especially when I feel a task is particularly daunting or when opportunities pop up. Just saying it is freeing and exciting. Try it!
Nicholas Burka ’17
MA Student, Cornell Tech
New York, NY
BA, Cognitive Science, Vassar College
MA Candidate, Connective Media, Cornell Tech
Technology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-burka/
Nicholas Burka makes technology and advocates for technological literacy in the age of surveillance. He envisions a technological landscape in which privacy, security, and usability are primary concerns. After graduating from Vassar, Nicholas automated factory lines and observed police officers. He then moved to Boston and fixed cell phones for 6 months. At the height of his disillusioned angst & at his mother's behest, he applied to be a Master's student at Cornell Tech, writing about his dream of making weird multiplayer video games. They gave him a scholarship.
Advice to Students:
No information is useless. That said, trust your intuition, follow your passions, and exit when you feel it is right or necessary. Take care of yourself - please. Cognitive Science gives you a wide berth from which to observe the world. Integrate your understandings, recenter yourself, but also let yourself get lost sometimes. You can't always know what you're looking for. Find mentors, find interesting places, find a community. Then show 'em what they don't know.
James Cantres ’08
Assistant Professor, Hunter College, City University of New York
New York, NY
BA, History, Vassar College
PhD, History, New York University
Education
James Cantres is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Africana and Puerto Rican/Latino Studies at Hunter College. Professor Cantres is working on a manuscript detailing the social and political histories of community formation, race consciousness, and anti-imperialism among West Indian migrants in London in the decades following World War II. Professor Cantres's next project explores the ways in which African diasporic art forms and popular culture—hip hop, reggae, sports, literature, and the plastic arts—articulate belonging and unbelonging among black people in Britain through the period of decolonization and independence in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. In addition to research and writing, Prof. Cantres serves on a number of committees at Hunter, mentors undergraduate students, and teaches two survey courses: Caribbean History from 1900-Present, and Caribbean History until 1900.
Advice to Students:
When pursuing an academic career, it is imperative to remain open-minded and curious. Asking questions and opening yourself up to skilled and knowledgeable mentors will be a replicable method throughout your career. In the academy, paths toward success are not typically obvious, so immersing yourself in your field while building a network of supportive colleagues is essential. Always hold yourself accountable.
Krystal Cashen ’13
Doctoral Candidate, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA
BA, Psychology, Vassar College
MS, Developmental Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Scientific Research
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystalcashen
Krystal Cashen is a graduate student in Developmental Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She plans on graduating with her PhD in 2020. Krystal’s research focuses on how adoptive and LGBTQ+ parented family contexts shape development. Krystal also teaches undergraduate courses in psychology ranging from Intro Psych to upper level seminars on diversity and inclusion in psychological practice and research. Prior to starting graduate school, Krystal spent a year working as a lab manager at the University of Miami where she helped coordinate a study examining the effectiveness of an online alternative to traditional couples’ therapy. After graduating, Krystal plans on pursuing faculty positions at liberal arts colleges.
Advice to Students:
My advice to students is to always allow for flexibility. The career path I'm currently following looks very different from the one I envisioned when I started at Vassar. There have been many setbacks and pivots along the way, but each one has ended up bringing me closer to the place I feel most fulfilled. I would also say don't be afraid to carve out a place for yourself if you don't see one.
Grady Chambers ’10
Instructor of English, Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
BA, Political Science, Vassar College
MFA, Creative Writing, Syracuse University
Wallace Stegner Fellow, Creative Writing, Stanford University
Arts/Publishing/Writing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grady-chambers/
Grady Chambers is the author of North American Stadiums (Milkweed Editions, 2018), selected by Henri Cole as the winner of the inaugural Max Ritvo Poetry Prize. His poems and stories have appeared in The Paris Review, Ploughshares, Kenyon Review Online, The Adroit Journal, Joyland, and elsewhere. Grady was a 2015-2017 Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. He lives in Philadelphia, and teaches at Drexel University.
Advice to Students:
Though I majored in Political Science, nearly each semester at Vassar I made sure to take a creative writing class. Though I didn't admit it then, the fiction and poetry I was writing was the work that held the most meaning for me, and, 10 years after graduating, I now work as a writer and teacher of writing. Whatever it is that you love (however impractical it might seem as a profession), make room for it in your life, and keep at it.
Michael Chico ’05
Producer, ATOMIC Design
New York, NY
BA, Film, Vassar College
Entertainment/Media
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelchico/
Michael Chico has over a decade of experience in entertainment with a focus in the live events industry. He started his career in the trenches as a Production Assistant in reality TV and independent film projects but moved into events in 2008. Since then, his body of work ranges from intimate nonprofit galas to multimillion-dollar promotional concerts. As a producer, Chico’s primary responsibilities are working with clients and creative partners to realize their visions, assembling meticulous budgets, hiring and managing key production vendors, and generally overseeing each event from start to finish. Notable projects include management of all entertainment elements at the 2017 NHL All Star Game, venue and schedule coordination for the Nike Hall of Phenomenal World Cup event, and serving as talent manager for thousands of regional choir members on a Verizon-sponsored national gospel competition tour.
Advice to Students:
Improving my overall communication skills, but more specifically my writing, was arguably one of the most valuable things I took away from Vassar. I got my first real interview, and subsequently my first full-time job, based on how well a basic email compared to many other Production Assistants working freelance for the same company. It is an underestimated ability in the real world that has advantages in a variety of industries, and it might be the one aspect of my professional development that I’ve consistently sought to improve. Writing, like many other skills gained and honed at Vassar, can sometimes make the biggest difference in your career progression, especially when you find yourself in a work environment or role that wasn’t what you expected after graduation.
Elizabeth Chuang ’99
Associate Professor, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, NY
BA, Psychology, Vassar College
MD, New York University School of Medicine
MPH, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
Health/Medicine
Dr. Chuang is a clinical researcher focusing on the relationship between clinician-patient-family communication at the end of life and disparities in quality of end of life care. Her main research interest is uncovering the role of clinician implicit bias in care delivery. Dr. Chuang also practices palliative medicine and provides bioethics consultation at Montefiore Medical Center. As an associate professor in the department of Family and Social Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Chuang enjoys her role in undergraduate and graduate medical education. She teaches a Research Ethics seminar which is a joint offering of the Einstein-Cardozo Master in Bioethics program and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine Clinical Research Training Program. She also teaches bioethics and epidemiology and population health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Advice to Students:
The best careers are not linear. One of the greatest privileges I have had throughout my career is the ability to pursue my interests as they evolved. My Vassar education helped me have the flexibility to do this. I could not articulate a clear career path when I left Vassar—I had not yet experienced enough to know the possibilities! If you are stuck and can’t decide what to do next, keep moving forward in some way in order to continue to build skills that can serve you in the future.
Mackenzie Cole ’17
Senior Associate of Community Engagement, Metropolitan Opera Guild
New York, NY
BA, Drama and Women's Studies, Vassar College
The Arts/Publishing/Writing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackenzie-a-cole/
Mackenzie Cole is the Senior Associate of Community Engagement at the Metropolitan Opera Guild, an organization dedicated to enriching people’s lives through opera while supporting the Metropolitan Opera by expanding its reach to diverse communities and a wider audience. At the Met Opera Guild, Mackenzie manages the Community Engagement department, which is responsible for programming all adult-focused learning initiatives, such as lectures and masterclasses around the Lincoln Center campus, producing the Metropolitan Opera Guild Podcast, running the annual High School Opera Singers Intensive, managing the Backstage Tour program for the Metropolitan Opera House, and more. Prior to joining the Met Opera Guild, Mackenzie worked in theatrical company management at Roundabout Theatre Company, Two River Theater, and Adirondack Theatre Festival. At Roundabout, she assisted the Company Managers for Roundabout’s Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, highlights including All My Sons, True West, Apologia, Merrily We Roll Along, and the world premiere of Ming Peiffer’s Usual Girls. Mackenzie is an active member of Americans for the Arts and Young Professionals in the Arts. She is an advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion both on the stage and behind the scenes, and has sat on multiple EDI Committees. In her free time, Mackenzie can be found knitting and embroidering with her local Queens Knitting Circle.
Advice to Students:
Utilize your Vassar network to forge connections in your industry. Vassar alums love to give back to current students and recent alums and are always willing to grab a coffee or hop on the phone to chat about their experiences, career trajectory, educational pathways, and more. It can feel absolutely terrifying to ask for an informational interview, but the conversation (and hopefully the coffee) will always be worth it.
Kendall Coleman ’11
Project Manager, Diversity & Inclusion, Charter Communications (Spectrum)
BA, Africana Studies and Economics, Vassar College
Entertainment/Media
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenjcoleman/
Kendall J. Coleman is a values driven change agent dedicated to improving lives through philanthropy, community engagement, and professional development. As Project Manager of Diversity & Inclusion, External Relations at Charter Communications, he manages relationships with key multicultural leadership organizations, developing and executing impactful programs in communities across Charter’s 41-state footprint. Before Charter, Kendall spent 6 years at NBC News highlighting underrepresented stories and voices on-air, while creating opportunities internally for professional development. In true Vassar form, he double majored in Economics and Africana Studies while actively participating in student activities. Kendall was Co-President of Hip Hop 101, a founding member of HYPE, Treasurer of the Council of Black Seniors (now the Jeh Vincent Johnson ALANA Cultural Center Senior Council), Treasurer of the Black Students Union (BSU), and an inaugural Transitions Intern. After a brief stint with Vassar’s Track and Field team sophomore year, he joined the Men’s Rugby team for the remainder of his Vassar tenure.
Advice to Students:
Make time to figure out what you truly value more than anything else. Don’t worry about what sounds “right” to your family, friends or even your mentors. Discover what drives YOU and align that with your academic and professional goals. You know how they say “Find what you love and you will never work a day in your life”? I can’t promise that you won’t work, but I guarantee you’ll find fulfillment when you create synergy between your career and your core values.
Brandon Costelloe-Kuehn ’06
Lecturer, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY
BA, Science, Technology, and Society, Vassar College
MS, Science and Technology Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
PhD, Science and Technology Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Environment/Sustainability/Planning
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandoncostelloekuehn
Brandon Costelloe-Kuehn is an anthropologist of media, science, and the environment. His research examines, and participates in, the design of media systems to address the communication and collaboration challenges of politically and scientifically complex environmental issues. Since the Fall of 2012, Brandon has been teaching courses in the Science, Technology, and Society (STS), Sustainability Studies and Design, Innovation, and Society (DIS) programs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Recent courses include Sustainability by Design, Century of Environmental Thought, Sustainability Problems and Solutions, Nature/Society, Product Design and Innovation Studio One, Sustainability Debates, Sustainability Education, Public Service Internship, Environment and Politics, Environment and Society, Sustainability Careers, Sustainability Research Design and Senior Projects.
Advice to Students:
Take the time to reflect and get clear on your sense of purpose. One way is to think about the space of overlap between your passions, skills, and the needs of the world. The big decisions that we might only make intermittently (i.e. your major, your first job, where you live, etc.) are hugely important so make sure they're aligned with your values! Also, prioritize community, friendships, and relationships.
Brandon Crecco ’17
Software Engineer, Amazon
New York, NY
BA, Computer Science, Vassar College
Technology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-crecco-b3315098/
Brandon works as a Software Engineer for Amazon's streaming service Prime Video. His daily responsibilities include writing frontend and backend code, designing system architectures, working with cloud-based infrastructures, and communicating with customers and stakeholders for product requirements.
Advice to Students:
Don't be afraid to ask questions as you enter the workforce. The greatest mistake someone can make is to pretend they know something in order to avoid judgment from their peers. The shift from academia to industry is often a jarring one with new procedures, responsibilities, and a steep learning curve. No one expects that you know everything when you begin a job. Take the opportunity when you start to ask as many questions as possible, dive deep into things you don't understand, and take as much ownership in projects as you can.
Nicole Daddazio ’09
Senior Sales and Relationship Manager, Fixed Income (TOMS), Bloomberg LP
New York, NY
BA, Mathematics, Vassar College
Business/Consulting/Entrepreneurship/Finance
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/NicoleDaddazio
Nicole is a Senior Sales and Relationship Manager at Bloomberg LP. Her coverage spans across much of North America and includes Bloomberg's major sell-side banks. As a Fixed Income Trade Order Management specialist, she helps provide the world's leading institutions with multi-asset solutions for front-office trading, compliance and operations. Nicole joined Bloomberg from Citigroup, where she was a VP and an integral part of the Yield Book Sales team. She began her career at RBC on the Credit Trading desk as one of the youngest associates ever hired. From there, she moved to Stifel and then to Santander to work on the FX and Interest Rate Derivatives Sales desk. Ms. Daddazio holds her Series 7, 63 & NYS Life Insurance licenses. While at Vassar, she played both Women's Soccer and Rugby. Nicole frequently leads initiatives for organizations like OPEN Finance Women+, a nonprofit that advocates for LGBT diversity in the financial sector. When she’s not thinking about finance, she enjoys an eclectic genre of music and spending time at home in NYC with her adorable rescue dog.
Advice to Students:
Never be afraid to color outside of the lines. Different is beautiful and any organization that wants to separate themselves and be successful, will embrace this. Be proud of your accomplishments and speak up. The world will be a better place if you are heard. Make sure you are kind to everyone, you never know who your next boss will be. Don’t worry if you meet all of the “qualifications” when applying for a job. Apply with confidence and get in front of them. You might be exactly what a company never knew they needed. Always write a thank you note, you won’t be sorry. Lastly, use your network and talk to everyone. No one has all of the answers but you can learn a lot from any person willing to share their experiences with you!
Shivani Davé ’15
Educator/Curriculum Developer, Professional Performing Arts High School/Freelance
Manhattan, NY
BA, Biochemistry, Vassar College
MA, Special Education, Relay Graduate School of Education
Education
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivani-davé
Shivani Davé is a queer Indian educator, artist, biochemist, and lover of plants, food and rituals of healthy living. She earned her BA in Biochemistry from Vassar College and her MA in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education. Prior to teaching, Shivani worked as a political organizer for LGBTQ youth of color at FIERCE. There, she supported youth-led campaigns against policing and gentrification. Before FIERCE, she was at the Urban Justice Center’s Domestic Violence Project as a housing advocate and organizer where she supported survivors to prevent return to abusers or re-entry into the shelter system. Along the way she developed a passion for neuroscience and exploring how our brains learn/how are brains are impacted by what we learn. To what extent does “innate” even exist and how does that influence the beliefs we build our society (systems) around. This, in addition to plant medicine (magic), has become the focal point of her varied interests. Currently, she teaches in the NYC Public School System and develops curriculum free-lance (everything from SAT test prep to diversity & inclusion trainings) and is always ready for her next adventure!
Advice to Students:
I wish I hadn’t gotten so caught up in the noise. There is so much to fight for (and against) but do not lose sight of your purpose in this time. This institution is functioning exactly as it was meant too. To my queer, marginalized, black and of color peers--this is your opportunity to soak up all the resources, learning, and experiences in an isolated, for the most part, “protected” environment. Do that. Take everything that you can.
Carla De Ycaza ’06
Adjunct Assistant Professor, New York University
New York, NY
BA, Classics and Political Science, Vassar College
MA, Human Rights Studies, Columbia University
PhD, International Human Rights Law, Irish Centre for Human Rights, National University of Ireland Galway
Government/International Affairs
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carladeycaza/
Carla De Ycaza is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Center for Global Affairs at New York University. She has worked with civil society organizations in Africa and has held various positions at NGOs, as well as legal and academic institutions in New York City. She has served as Editor of the Historical Dialogues, Justice and Memory Network at Columbia University and Editor in Chief of the Interdisciplinary Journal of Human Rights Law, and is a peer reviewer for several academic journals. She has also taught courses in human rights, global justice, intercultural and international communication, transitional justice, and social policy at Fordham University, Baruch College, Hunter College, and The New School. She has co-edited a volume on rescuers of mass atrocity in Latin America, published by Lexington Books. Her research focuses on transitional justice and human rights in the Great Lakes region of Africa.
Advice to Students:
Although you might not have a specific goal in mind at first, do what you are passionate about and the rest will come together with hard work and perseverance. Sometimes your path will not be direct, but even the detours will shape you. My first job after Vassar was at a law firm, and I was hired partly because the person who interviewed me appreciated that I was a waitress in college. Extracurricular activities, internships, and networking are extremely important for building your resume and making connections. Don't be afraid to ask questions and take risks. Treat everyone with respect and dignity, from the person holding the door for you to the CEO. Know yourself, be true to yourself, and always keep an open mind to learning and growing.
Kofi Effah ’06
Director, Fitch Ratings
New York, NY
BA, Economics, Vassar College
MS, Quantitative Finance, Rutgers University
Business/Consulting/Entrepreneurship/Finance
Kofi A. Effah is a Director at Fitch Ratings, one of the “Big Three” global credit rating agencies. They provide an opinion on the relative ability of entities such as corporations, financial institutions, and sovereigns to meet financial commitments. As a member of Fitch’s business development team, Kofi’s primary responsibilities entail growing Fitch’s corporate ratings business through developing and managing relationships across the debt ecosystem, including Investment and Corporate Banks, Private Equity, Debt Investors and Corporate Issuers. Prior to joining Fitch in 2015, Kofi was a Global Fixed Income Relationship Manager for six years at Dealogic, a Fintech which integrates content, analytics and technology to help investment banks originate and distribute deals. In that role, Kofi consulted with heads of Fixed Income desks at major banks on optimal ways of leveraging market data to better originate new deals and also for performance benchmarking. Kofi earned a BA in Economics from Vassar College and an MS in Quantitative Finance from Rutgers University’s Rutgers Business School.
Advice to Students:
Make the most of your college experience by trying your hands at as many different things as you can. Take advantage of your liberal arts education experience by taking classes outside of your major and engaging in other stimulating extracurricular activities. This will help better shape your critical thinking ability, an invaluable skill that will help ensure your success in the workplace and life after college.
Nora Eigenbrodt ’18
National Arts & Sciences Initiative Associate, Phi Beta Kappa
Washington, DC
BA, Political Science, Vassar College
Non-Profit/Social Justice
Nora Eigenbrodt is in the National Arts & Sciences Initiative Associate for the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the nation's most prestigious academic honor society. At Phi Beta Kappa, Nora assists in managing the Society's national advocacy initiative for the liberal arts and sciences by organizing national events, advocating for funding for arts, humanities, and sciences in Congress and at the state level. She is also involved in connecting the Society’s members, across 290 campuses and 50 alumni associations, to opportunities to advocate for the public value of a liberal arts education. Prior to joining Phi Beta Kappa, Nora worked as a Congressional Affairs Intern at the National Endowment for the Humanities, and as a Legislative Intern for U.S. Representative Adam Schiff. She graduated from Vassar in 2018 with a degree in political science and a correlate in women's studies.
Advice to Students:
Take advantage of opportunities with the Office of Community-Engaged Learning. During my time at Vassar, I was a student driver for OCEL and I can tell you firsthand that there are so many great opportunities for field work in Poughkeepsie and the surrounding area, no matter what your major is. Field work can provide you with a one-of-a-kind learning opportunity, while also allowing you to engage with the Poughkeepsie community on a deeper level.
Graham Ericksen ’98
Chief Strategy Officer, Partner, Modus
New York, NY
BA, English, Vassar College
Business/Consulting/Entrepreneurship/Finance
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericksengraham/
Graham is a digital strategist and user experience expert with over 20 years of experience advising leading organizations on how to simplify their products and processes to make them more accessible, compelling, and profitable. Prior to joining Modus, Graham was the Creative Director of Content and IA at Sullivan, where he developed award-winning work for Schwab, MetLife, Fidelity, Ameriprise, and Disney. He was also the Director of Customer Experience at JP Morgan Chase and Senior Information Architect and Writer at Siegel & Gale. Graham writes and lectures extensively. He teaches a seminar entitled “Write Gooder” to students and communications professionals, and his articles have appeared in many publications, including Booz Allen’s Strategy and Business. Specialties: Information Architecture, Strategy, Writing, Product Design and Development, Plain Language Writing, Process Engineering.
Advice to Students:
Be curious, work hard, be nice
Jeannette Estruth ’07
Assistant Professor of History, Bard College
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
BA, History, Vassar College
PhD, History, New York University
Education
Jeannette Alden Estruth is Assistant Professor of Historical Studies at Bard College, where she teaches American History. She also holds affiliation with the Harvard Law School Berkman-Klein Center for Internet and Society. She received her doctorate in History, with honors, from New York University in 2018. From 2018-2019, Estruth was a Visiting Scholar at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2019, her book project was a finalist for the Herman E. Krooss Prize for Best Dissertation in Business History. Estruth’s work has been supported by the Mellon Foundation, the University of Virginia Miller Center, the Hagley Library, the Huntington Library, the NYU Henry MacCracken Fellowship, and the Fulbright Program, among others. She was formerly the Associate Editor of the Radical History Review, and an Editorial Assistant at Harvard University Press. She is a proud alumna of Vassar College. She is currently working on her book manuscript, The New Utopia: A Political History of the Silicon Valley, which explores the history of social movements, the technology industry, and economic culture in the United States.
Advice to Students:
One, never work for free. Two, ask for help when you need it. When you start a new job, it is so much better to ask a million questions than to make preventable mistakes. Questions build your knowledge, and other people's trust in you. And you get to know them better! How they respond to situations, where their values are. The second part of the "ask questions" advice is that, when you advance in your career, always help more junior workers. Take them to coffee, answer their questions, give them your hard-won advice, have an open and sensitive heart with them. Pay the generosity that has been shown to you forward. It never fails to surprise me how helping others also helps me. Three: Eat, sleep, rest, play, exercise, relax, help others, see friends and family. Work to live, don't live to work. You only have one life on this planet, so make sure to make time for joy and meaning in it.
Jonathan Farbowitz ’05
Fellow in the Conservation of Computer-Based Art, Solomon R Guggenheim Museum
Brooklyn, NY
BA, Film, Vassar College
MA, Moving Image Archiving and Preservation, New York University
The Arts/Publishing/Writing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-farbowitz-8077043/
Jonathan Farbowitz, Fellow in the Conservation of Computer-Based Art, assists the Guggenheim Conservation department in addressing the preservation needs of computer-based works in the Guggenheim’s collection. He also supports the development of best practices for collecting these kinds of artworks. Farbowitz has worked on the restorations of Shu Lea Cheang’s Brandon (1998–1999) and John F. Simon Jr.’s Unfolding Object (2002). He holds an MA in Moving Archiving and Preservation from New York University as well as a BA from Vassar College and has previous experience in software development and testing.
Advice to Students:
It took me ten years after graduating from Vassar to figure out what I wanted to do.
Alec Ferretti ’17
Genealogist, Wells Fargo Family & Business History Center
New York, NY
BA, Anthropology and Italian, Vassar College
MLIS, Long Island University
MS, Archives, New York University
Business/Consulting/Entrepreneurship/Finance
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alec-ferretti-14507350/
Alec Ferretti is a professional genealogist working with Wells Fargo’s Family & Business History Center producing family histories for high net worth clients. He is currently finishing up two masters degrees at NYU & LIU in Archival Science and Library Science and recently processed a collection at the New-York Historical Society. He frequently lectures to local genealogy organizations and has spoken at a variety of national conferences. Alec is also the President of the New York Genealogy & Technology Group, an informal organization which facilitates bi-monthly lectures and discussions. Alec recently joined the Board of Directors of Reclaim the Records, a 501(c)(3) organization which seeks to restore public access to genealogical documents by via the use of Freedom of Information Laws.
Advice to Students:
The single most important thing to keep in mind is that it's never too late to change something in one's life. Just because one has gotten a certain degree, or worked in a certain position for so long, does not mean that they must continue in that trajectory forever. The beauty of a liberal arts education is that we possess a variety of skills that can be applicable in many different fields and disciplines. There is no need to focus on nor expect a linear career path, because there is no way to know the opportunities that will arise. The most important thing throughout the process, though, is to find something you can do well, ideally something you enjoy, and figure out a way to turn that into something marketable.
Mary Fletcher ’10
Senior Photo Editor, Refinery29
New York, NY
BA, Sociology, Vassar College
Entertainment/Media
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marysnowfletcher/
Mary graduated from Vassar College with a major in Sociology, focusing predominantly on gender representation in pop culture. As senior photo editor at Refinery29, Mary conceives, commissions, produces, and art directs editorial beauty, fashion, and entertainment features. Over the past 3+ years in her position at Refinery29, Mary has led photo direction and commissioning on wide-reaching packages, such as R29’s annual Beauty Innovator Awards, quarterly celebrity UnCover features, and mission-driven fashion and beauty packages. Through her work, Mary is dedicated to hiring and recommending female photographers first and employs conscious talent-hiring across the board, in an effort to support and provide platforms to diverse and predominantly underrepresented artists across the industry. After graduating in 2010, Mary made her way into editorial photography & magazine/media world through internships at Food Network Magazine and InStyle. She then held roles as photo assistant at Lucky Magazine, and assistant and associate photo editor positions at Teen Vogue before joining Refinery29 in 2015.
Advice to Students:
Trust your gut and take classes you are genuinely, even if impulsively, interested in; take advantage of the opportunity to explore freely your academic and social pursuits in Vassar's encouraging environment (in class and beyond with your friends and peers). I came into Vassar as a freshman thinking I would pursue a pre-med track. Midway through sophomore year (after a dismal attempt at Calc II and fun but not-my-favorite organic chemistry), I took Sociology 151 on a whim and decided to completely change course and run with it. Taking this early leap to follow my interests helped guide my personal development as well as career trajectory. The friends I've made at Vassar are some of the true loves of my life, and the personal foundations we built together support me through every life transition I've gone through or faced.
Peter Florio ’14
Medical Physicist, Trinitas Medical Center
Elizabeth, NJ
BA, Astronomy and Physics, Vassar College
MS, Medical Physics, University of Pennsylvania
Health/Medicine
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-florio/
Peter is a practicing medical physicist at Trinitas Medical Center. In this role, he is responsible for the oversight and safe use of radiation for the purpose of treating cancer. On a day-to-day basis, his primary roles are patient-chart checking and the development of radiation plans in coordination with a radiation oncologist. The former confirms that radiation is being delivered as intended, and the latter involves programming a medical grade linear accelerator to deliver radiation in a way that is best for a particular patient. He also performs quality assurance tests at regular intervals to ensure these accelerators are working correctly. Peter earned his graduate degree in medical physics from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016. Following this, he completed a medical physics residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Advice to Students:
Get involved! There are many niche fields, and prior experience can help guide you toward something that interests you (I didn’t know Medical Physics existed until late in my junior year at Vassar). You may also consider shadowing areas or professions that you might wish to pursue. At worst, you’ll have something to put on a resume and you’ll have some insight as to whether or not a particular area is for you.
Koren Gaines ’92
Managing Director, National Network for Safe Communities
New York, NY
BA, Physics, Vassar College
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Fraud Examiner
Non-Profit/Social Justice
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/korengaines/
Koren Gaines joined the National Network for Safe Communities as the Managing Director in November 2019. She directs programmatic and administrative departments, including Group Violence Intervention, Intimate Partner Violence Intervention, International Interventions, Operations, Finance, Employee Resources, and Strategic Initiatives. Koren has over 20 years of non-profit management experience. Prior to joining NNSC, she was the Chief Operating Officer at New York Peace Institute, the nation's largest community dispute resolution center. She was also the Acting CEO during a CEO transition. Koren’s work has focused on criminal justice alternatives, community development, and communication. She has a degree in Physics from Vassar College, a certificate in nonprofit leadership from Columbia University, and is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner.
Advice to Students:
Consider taking classes (or majoring in) one of the STEM departments. Over a quarter of CEOs in the Fortune 500 companies have STEM degrees (rather than a business degree) and are valued for their background in problem solving, analytical skills, and structural methods of thinking (skills that are helpful even if you don't want to be a scientist or run a large company). So don't worry; you don't have to take the expected path to get where you want to go—or even to help determine where you want to go. Be interested in what is going on around you, and you may find new opportunities.
Luna Garzón-Montano ’14
JD Candidate, Fordham University School of Law
New York, NY
BA, American Studies, Vassar College
JD Candidate, Fordham University School of Law
Law/Legal Services
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lgarzonmontano/
Luna graduated from Vassar in 2014 with a BA in American Studies. She spent the next four years working in public criminal defense, first at Center for Appellate Litigation as a Client Advocate, and later at the Federal Defenders of New York where she assisted in the representation of men on federal death row. In 2018, Luna started law school at Fordham University School of Law where she is a Stein Scholar in Public Interest and Ethics. She is co-president of the Fordham Law Defenders, a student group comprised of aspiring public defenders. Luna spent this past summer interning at Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia where she worked on an Alabama capital case and a Georgia juvenile life without parole case. She will spend next summer as a trial division law clerk at the King County Department of Public Defense in Seattle, Washington.
Advice to Students:
When I visited Vassar as a high school senior, a current student told me to choose a major based on my interests and not what I thought would get me a job. I echo that sentiment. Take classes that interest you and push you out of your comfort zone. Use whatever power and privilege you have to be an active ally. Take advantage of the opportunities here to develop your leadership, event planning, and organizing skills. Find mentors. Talk to them. Assuming it still exists, take one of the classes Vassar teaches in prisons! Those classes changed my life and led me to my current career.
Cory Ellen Gatrall ’00
Registered Nurse, Cooley Dickinson Hospital AND Planned Parenthood
Northampton AND Springfield, MA
BA, Anthropology, Vassar College
MFA, Creative Writing, Sarah Lawrence College
BSN, Nursing, University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Health/Medicine
Cory Ellen Gatrall is a Registered Nurse, working in both Labor/Delivery/Postpartum and Abortion Services, as well as an independent scholar. For fifteen years before she went to nursing school, she organized and agitated in her communities around issues related to reproductive choice and health. She founded a clinic escort organization, worked as a birth and abortion doula, and currently serves on the board of the Abortion Rights Fund of Western Massachusetts. Becoming a nurse has brought her passion for care work and her passion for reproductive justice together. In addition, she holds an appointment as a Five College Associate, which supports her in researching, writing, and speaking about the history of nursing and medicine.
Advice to Students:
Everything you do now is fuel for everything you will do in the future; that includes all of the things that feel like wandering or wasted time. It is okay to feel like you don't have direction while you're in college (and after!). Pay attention to the common threads in the things that excite you, because they will help you figure out where you're going, and what you want to do with your life.
Stephanie George ’14
Development & Events Coordinator, Materials for the Arts
Bronx, NY
BA, Africana Studies, Vassar College
The Arts/Publishing/Writing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniegeorge1/
Stephanie George is a storyteller, curator, and grassroots fundraiser from the Bronx, NY. Across media, she creates spaces that grapple with notions of home, belonging, and remembering. Stephanie was a curatorial fellow at the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, and her public art exhibitions were in The Huffington Post, Salon, and Ebony Magazine. She was the assistant director of the 2018 off-Broadway production of Jeremy Kamps' Breitwisch Farm. A dramaturg and performance doula to movement and performance artists, Stephanie has collaborated on Benedict Nguyen's 2019 soft bodies in hard places residency at ISSUE Project Room and J. Bouey's Chiron in Leo. She serves as the Development & Events Coordinator at Materials for the Arts in Long Island City, where she is responsible for all of the fundraising activities and events. When Stephanie is not fundraising, she writes poetry. She holds a BA in Africana Studies from Vassar College, where she first developed an ongoing curiosity about how Black women artist-activist transform cityscapes and is currently building a chapbook of poems.
Advice to Students:
Don’t be afraid to begin again.
Rachel Gilmer ’10
Co-Executive Director, Dream Defenders
Miami, FL
BA, American Culture, Vassar College
Non-Profit/Social Justice
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-gilmer-79269920
Rachel Gilmer co-directs the Dream Defenders, a Florida-based organization of Black, immigrant and working-class youth, young adults and students fighting for a better future. Established in 2012 in response to the unjust murder of 17-year old Trayvon Martin, Dream Defenders organizes campaigns, services, and political-education programming to build power in our communities. Prior, Rachel served as the Associate Director of the African American Policy Forum, developing research and narrative campaigns focused on elevating the experiences of women and girls of color. During her tenure, she developed and launched campaigns such as #BlackGirlsMatter and #SayHerName. Rachel has 10 years experience in issue and electoral campaigns, leadership development and community education. She is fighting for a new vision for society focused on ending the criminalization and exploitation of communities, and instead ensuring that everyone's needs are met.
Advice to Students:
Another world is possible. Fight for it!
Stephanie Goldberg ’14
Brand Manager & Project Manager, Sony Music Entertainment
New York, NY
BA, Music and Psychology, Vassar College
MA, Music Business, New York University
Entertainment/Media
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/goldbergstephanie
Stephanie Goldberg is the Brand Manager for the Thread Shop at Sony Music Entertainment. Prior, Stephanie spent more than three years at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, overseeing the Performing Arts Hall of Fame, the Vera List Art Project, and other special projects for the President’s Office. Stephanie also spent time working at Lincoln Center Education, Superfly, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Tanglewood Music Center of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Recording Academy. Outside of office hours, Stephanie volunteers with the Vassar Club of New York and New York University’s Recent Alumni Network. Stephanie holds a Master of Arts in Music Business from New York University (2019), and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Music (Vocal Performance) from Vassar College (2014).
Advice to Students:
Know your worth. It’s the best advice one of my mentors shared with me. You are bright, educated individuals with so much to contribute to society. Don’t let that stop you from asking for what you deserve (especially with regard to compensation). Try new things. I’ve worked in a variety of jobs, and have loved every moment because the experiences were different and provided new skills which were transferable across roles and industries. Lastly, there is always a silver lining.
Jason Goldman ’18
Preschool and Kindergarten Teacher, German International School Boston
Boston, MA
BA, German Studies and Sociology, Vassar College
Education
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonisaacgoldman/
Jason Goldman is a pre-school and kindergarten teacher with passions for education, foreign language learning, and social justice. They currently work at the German International School in Boston, educating kids age 3-6 in both German and English. They spent the last year doing a Fulbright scholarship acting as an English Language Assistant in a high school in southern Germany, in the little town of Montabaur. While at Vassar, Jason was involved in music and theater, A capella, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, and was a language instructor for the German department. They graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 2018 with degrees in German and Sociology, the latter with departmental honors for their senior thesis, titled “‘O Beauty!' A Sociological Phenomenology of the New York City Opera's Renaissance LGBTQ Initiative.”
Advice to Students:
Don't be afraid to do things outside of your comfort zone! You are more adaptable than you think. Try to embrace new experiences, even potentially scary or uncomfortable ones. Even if it doesn't work out, you'll be so much better off having had the experience, and can only learn and grow from experiencing periods of discomfort.
Thomas Goldstein ’01
Creative Director / Owner, Good Great Grand
Brooklyn, NY
BA, Film and Political Science, Vassar College
Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-goldstein-0a01272/
Born and raised in New York City, Tom Goldstein graduated from Vassar College with degrees in both Film and Political Science. He started his career as a commercial editor, with work appearing on network and cable television, and soon brought his post-production expertise into the directing realm. Combining his background in strategic creative development, production and post-production, Tom founded Good Great Grand, a commercial and digital production company. He has produced, written, and directed projects for clients such as Covergirl, Coca Cola, Nintendo, Rimmel, Pantene, Dove, Unilever, Remy Martin, Procter & Gamble, Aflac, Cointreau, Kraft Foods, Prilosec, Carnival Cruise Line, Kenmore, Hampton Inn, Sharpie, NBC, BET, MTV, Cooking Channel, Lifetime Television and Food Network.
Advice to Students:
Never be too good at a job you don't want.
Christopher Gonzalez ’15
Digital Production Manager, Macmillan Publishers
New York, NY
BA, English, Vassar College
The Arts/Publishing/Writing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-gonzalez/
Christopher Gonzalez is a writer and publishing professional. Currently, he works as the digital production manager at Macmillan Publishers where he oversees ebook production for all trade titles. His short stories appear in a number of journals and anthologies, including Best Small Fictions 2019, Forward: 21st Century Flash Fiction, Boricua en la Luna: An Anthology of Puerto Rican Voices, Lunch Ticket, and Wasafiri. He was the the 2015 recipient of Vassar College's Ann E. Imbrie Prize for Excellence in Fiction Writing and his story “Dress Yourself” was long-listed for Wigleaf‘s Top 50 flash fictions of 2018. When he's not working or writing, he serves as a fiction editor at Barrelhouse magazine and a contributing editor at Split Lip. He lives in Brooklyn, NY and on Twitter: @livesinpages.
Advice to Students:
Make time for yourself. Whether it's a creative pursuit or anything you're passionate about outside of classrooms and study sessions. Be kind to yourself, and your friends, and hold onto the people who get you and challenge you to be better.
Claire Grosel ’14
Student, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth
Hanover, NH
BA, Economics and Mathematics, Vassar College
MBA, Business, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth
Business/Consulting/Entrepreneurship/Finance
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairegrosel/
Claire Grosel is an MBA student at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, with a focus on strategy and healthcare. Over the summer she worked in the corporate strategy team at Optum, part of UnitedHealth Group. Before that, she spent 4 years living in DC working in healthcare policy. In this role, she advised hospitals and pharmaceutical companies on issues related to value-based payments, quality metrics, and emerging technology adaptation.
Advice to Students:
Start getting used to asking questions now. If you have a question or are confused, there’s a good chance that many other people are in the same boat. It’s not always easy to know what you don’t know in real time, and there is no better time to practice articulating a question than now. In a work context, asking the right question can drive the conversation forward. Having the humility to admit that you don’t know something builds trust and goes a long way.
Elizabeth Hara ’04
Puppeteer, Puppet Builder, and Television Writer, Sesame Workshop
Los Angeles, CA
BA, American Culture, Vassar College
Entertainment/Media
Liz Hara is a Los Angeles-based writer, builder, and puppeteer. She has built puppets and costumes for many theatrical and film productions, including Avenue Q, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and The Lion King. In 2015, she and her team won an Emmy Award for Best Costume Design for their work on Sesame Street. Liz also writes and puppet wrangles for Sesame Street, winning an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in 2018. She has also written for CBS’ Life in Pieces, Apple+’s Helpsters, and Nature Cat and Odd Squad for PBS. As a freelance artist/writer, she bounces back and forth between New York and LA, taking building gigs whenever she’s not staffed in a writers’ room. She eats more fun size Kit Kats while working as a writer, but they feature prominently in her daily work life regardless of where she is.
Advice to Students:
My general advice is to keep learning new things— investing in classes, going to lectures and workshops, read everything you can— and be someone who is good to work with. Not being an asshole is the number one quality showrunners look for when staffing a writers’ room. But the real takeaway I think students can get from looking at a career like mine is that yes, the weird thing you love to do can become your career. Never worry about getting a ”real job”— remember that there are actual adults in this world who wiggle dolls for a living.
Jasmine Harris ’05
Assistant Professor of Sociology, Ursinus College
Collegeville, PA
BA, Sociology, Vassar College
MS, Public Relations, Syracuse University - The Newhouse School
PhD, Sociology, University of Minnesota
Education
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmineharris/
Dr. Jasmine L. Harris is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Ursinus College, outside of Philadelphia, PA. She also holds an MS in Public Relations from the renowned Newhouse School at Syracuse University, in addition to her BA from Vassar. Dr. Harris completed her PhD at the University of Minnesota in 2013, working first as a visiting professor at Wake Forest University before beginning a permanent position at Ursinus in 2014 where she currently teaches courses on race, gender, class, and the institutional construction of identity, broadly defined. Dr. Harris’ research and teaching focuses on the academic success of underrepresented identities in higher education, specifically the impact of role and status on a diverse set of experiences had by Black women in academia. She recently published essays on whiteface performativity in the classroom, the use of emotional discomfort as a pedagogical tool to teach issues of race, and the inheritable (or lack thereof) of educational capital for Black college grads. When not writing and researching Black students, Dr. Harris, along with her mother and younger sister, is also the co-founder of The Hues Company, makers of HuesBox, a multi-vehicle enterprise committed to helping encourage entrepreneurship and branding in communities of color.
Advice to Students:
Just because you don't look like the majority of students on campus, doesn't mean you don't belong at Vassar. Make the college what you want, don't let it make you.
Dana Harrison ’10
Nutritionist and Educator, Eats 2 Know, LLC
Greater Boston, MA
BA, Biology, Vassar College
MS, Nutrition Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Health/Medicine
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-harrison-ms-92687394/
Dana Harrison, MS is the nutritionist and educator behind Eats 2 Know, LLC; and the founder of the Cultural Shift Method, a nutrition education program for fire departments that makes nutrition, health and wellness, easy, individualized, and feasible for all. Her nutrition focus has always been to keep it simple -- nutrition doesn't have to be complicated, and it can be attainable for you by you. Whether you're a firefighter, college student, or working mom, Dana's goal is to help others find balance through health and wellness.
Advice to Students:
If you want something you have to start somewhere. Don't wait for it to happen or continue to say ""one day"" until you have regrets that ""one day"" has passed. Take small steps toward your goal. But start. Make it a priority. Engross yourself into the learning process from books to experiences. And step into the role --- make decisions like your badass self would be doing so years from now. Stay in your own lane. Remember that there's plenty of room for everyone. A risk is worth taking if it scares and excites you at the same time. The gut doesn't lie. Listen to it.
Susan Heilman ’01
Program Manager of Community Initiatives, Museum of Science Boston
Boston, MA
BA, Biochemistry, Vassar College
PhD, Biomedical Sciences, UMass Medical School
Scientific Research
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-heilman
Susan Heilman is a life-long STEM learner and educator. She received her BA in Biochemistry from Vassar College and went on to do cancer research at UMass Medical School where she received her PhD in Biomedical Sciences. She then entered the world of informal science education, as an educator at the Museum of Science Boston, delivering live presentations in current science, generating lightning, and wrangling porcupines. In early 2019, Heilman became the Program Manager of Community Initiatives, a new program where she leverages the Museum’s leadership in the community to bring a wide variety of voices together to work on common and complex issues affecting our society, such as food insecurity and gender inequity. Her role is to foster these relationships, develop new ones, and create innovative programs to further their missions. In her spare time, she loves to cook and play video games with her family.
Advice to Students:
Simply put- do what you love. Take advantage of the liberal arts atmosphere and try a wide variety of classes. Take more of the ones you love. Then get a job doing what you love.
Gretchen Heinel ’13
Software Engineer, Alma
New York City, NY
BA, Computer Science, Vassar College
Technology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-heinel-70b00447/
Gretchen Heinel is a software engineer based in the Lower Hudson Valley, New York. She graduated from Vassar College in 2013 with a BA in Computer Science. In addition to her coursework for Comp Sci, she took numerous classes in psychology and philosophy during her time at Vassar. After college, she took web development jobs in various fields of discipline before settling into her current role at mental health startup Alma. Her career interest is not in pursuit of technology for technology’s sake. Rather, she is concerned with the ways in which technology--when deployed thoughtfully--can facilitate deeper connectedness and humanity, rather than exacerbating deeply entrenched problems. At Alma, her work is in service of mental health practitioners. She builds and maintains the tools with which practitioners manage clients, reserve space, or attend events and continuing education opportunities.
Advice to Students:
Keep your mind open to all manner of opportunities you may not have originally envisioned for yourself. Life can be meandering, and it’s never perfect. Not every job will be 100% fulfilling or applicable to your interests, but figure out how it can be used in service of your longer term goals. Similarly, not every class you’ll take will be (or even should be) 100% applicable to your major, but each is an opportunity to learn more deeply about yourself. In order to leave yourself room for growth, some level of flexibility is required.
Jonathan Hirokawa ’10
Data Engineer, Sea Machines Robotics
Boston, MA
BA, Cognitive Science, Vassar College
MS, Mechanical Engineering, Boston University
Technology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanhirokawa/
Jonathan is a data engineer at Sea Machines Robotics in Boston where he focuses on building the data infrastructure needed to drive deep learning in autonomous boats. After graduating in 2010 with a BA in Cognitive Science, he moved to D.C. and joined Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Farm. For two years he worked on the Fly Olympiad, a series of high throughput behavioral experiments attempting to map structure and function in the brains of Drosophila. After that, Jonathan switched gears, first pursuing a MS in Mechanical Engineering at Boston University, and then working as a Mechatronics Engineer at Rockefeller University. There he acted as a one-stop-shop designing and building equipment for the Laboratory of Integrative Brain Function. In 2017, Jonathan completed a data science fellowship and now enjoys doing work that combines his interests in software engineering, data science, and big data.
Advice to Students:
1) If you’re thinking about a PhD in the sciences, consider tech’ing for a year or two before applying to programs. You’ll either a) love it and have an easier time getting into the program you want or b) realize that maybe it’s not quite what you want, but you’ll find that out while getting paid!
2) A good mentor (especially on your first job) is worth their weight in gold, try to find one.
3) Network, network, network. You may think it’s silly, but it’s super important and the world is smaller than you think.
Benjamin Horst ’99
Product and Project Manager, Bloomberg LP
New York, NY
BA, Geography, Vassar College
MA, Urban Planning, Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Technology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhorst/
Ben has worked for a number of startup and large technology companies in NYC for the past 15 years, in a range of roles and responsibilities including project management, user experience design, agile/scrum leadership, marketing and product design and development. He's been involved with companies in social media, blogging, digital communities, e-commerce, 3D printing, online education and financial technology. Ben's work centers around the process of determining the needs of customers and then envisioning, and building, digital products to address them. This requires intense collaboration with customers, internal business analysts, marketing and software engineering teams, in a role of unique responsibility and opportunity. Each day he brings to the table a range of skills and interests, along with an open-minded curiosity about how and why customers understand their needs and make their decisions. Ben's work combines creativity with the necessary discipline to drive an idea from its initial form to a completed, market-ready product or service. While challenging, its variety and opportunity to create things that people actually use make it equally satisfying.
Advice to Students:
Combine creativity, analytical, and human communication skill sets to stand out. While engineers (programmers) command the most attention, people who can effectively connect them with business and design teams play a vital role in making companies succeed. Don't wait to begin your career -- start now, seek freelance work or side projects that can serve as an entryway to the technology industry. The market is in such need of workers (and not just programmers), that alternative arrangements to a standard work schedule, or freelance-to-hire, are widely practiced. Be strategic about the work you do. Focus on things that will pay and allow you to develop a wide range of skills at the same time. Let them pay you to learn, and then use that knowledge to land your next, even better, position.
Imrul Islam ’17
Digital Communications Manager, The Bridge Initiative - Georgetown University
Washington, D.C
BA, Political Science and Psychology, Vassar College
MA Candidate, Conflict Resolution, Georgetown University
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imrul-islam-13199a4a
Imrul is the Digital Communications & Multimedia Manager at The Bridge Initiative. Imrul graduated from Vassar College with degrees in Political Science and Psychology, and comes to Bridge with a deep commitment to social and racial justice. He has previously led communications efforts at Teach For Bangladesh (TFB), and more recently at SAALT, D.C. An avid photographer, Imrul’s photos have been published and exhibited widely, and he is a recipient of the Burnam Fellowship, June Ross Marks Grant, and College Photographer of the Year, among others. His research focuses on refugee crises and minority rights in South Asia.
Advice to Students:
Passion, exploration, and fortitude.
Dara Kammerman ’03
Assistant Principal, New York City Department of Education
Brooklyn, NY
BA, Education and English, Vassar College
MAT, Secondary English Education, Teachers College Columbia University
MSW, Hunter College School of Social Work
Education
Ms. Kammerman is an Assistant Principal in a New York City public high school in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Some of her responsibilities include supervising teachers, guiding them towards best practices, designing school-wide initiatives, and creating year-long professional development opportunities for staff. She leads initiatives to help improve overall school attendance and also leads the instructional cabinet meetings. Ms. Kammerman has had a non-linear path to school administration. She began as a high school English teacher, then went back to school to become a social worker. She was a social worker in community-based organizations, then a school, and then decided to pursue a School Building Leader Certification. She was accepted into the New York City Department of Education LEAP Program and received her administrative license. Being a school leader in New York City brings new challenges each day, but trying to provide students with the most rewarding and valuable education possible is rewarding on a daily basis.
Advice to Students:
Remember that you never know where your career path will lead you. Degrees or certifications that you obtained in the past can end up being useful in an unexpected path. When I left teaching, I thought I might never need my teaching credentials again, but I ended up wanting to pursue school administration for which I needed my certification and years of experience.
Harrison Kell ’05
Research Scientist, Educational Testing Service
Princeton, NJ
BA, Psychology, Vassar College
MA, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Rice University
PhD, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Rice University
Scientific Research
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrisonkell
Harrison is a Research Scientist in the Academic to Career Research Center at Educational Testing Service (ETS). He received his Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Rice University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in quantitative methods at Vanderbilt University. Harrison develops assessments relevant to student admissions and personnel selection: the evaluation of students’ and employees’ performance and the improvement of their performance. He serves as a content expert for Workforce Assessment for Cognitive Ability and the GRE program. Harrison’s practically-oriented research is dedicated to better understanding and assessing relatively stable human attributes (e.g., personality traits, cognitive competencies) and linking those attributes to important practical outcomes (e.g., career choice, health). His theoretical research interests concern strengthening interpretations of human attributes with the goal of improving the inferences they entail and the fairness of decisions based upon them (e.g., student admissions, training). He has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in outlets such as Psychological Science, Human Performance, Review of General Psychology, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, The APA Handbook of Career Intervention, and The Science of Expertise.
Advice to Students:
Be as respectful and polite as you can to everyone—the world is a surprisingly small place and your connections and networks often matter more than your achievements (unfortunately). Be open-minded, tolerant of opposing viewpoints, collaborative, and easy to get along with, but stand up for your beliefs (though think them through very carefully). Talk to your professors one-on-one as much as you can—their accessibility is a major advantage of attending a small liberal arts college versus a large university. Continue your liberal arts education after you graduate—always be reading, always be learning, always be curious.
Nate Kimball ’09
Senior Policy Advisor, Mayor's Office of Sustainability
New York, NY
BA, Earth Science, Vassar College
MBA, NYU-Stern
Environment/Sustainability/Planning
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nate-kimball-81447511
Nate currently works as a Senior Policy Advisor for Infrastructure and Energy at the New York City Mayor's Office of Resiliency and Mayor's Office of Sustainability. He focuses on the city's water, wastewater, and transportation networks, identifying risks posed by climate change and solutions that lead to a safe, sustainable, and equitable future for New Yorkers. Nate has been with the Mayor's Office since 2018. Before joining the Mayor's Office, Nate spent six years at the Port Authority of NY & NJ, including four years in the Aviation Department and two years as the organization’s Sustainability Manager. At the Port Authority, Nate led the development of sustainability plans and climate risk assessments for airports. He helped the agency and its tenants operationalize plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and supervised the environmental approval process for new passenger terminals at LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International Airports. Nate completed his MBA at NYU Stern's Executive MBA program while working at the Port Authority.
Advice to Students:
While at Vassar, I found that saying "yes" to as many opportunities as possible was extremely rewarding. Getting outside of academia and exploring internships and learning opportunities in the Hudson Valley is a great way to feel more rooted in the community. Soft skills learned at liberal arts colleges are career defining for many—so spend time honing those skills with professors and peers. Never be afraid to reach out to alums—we're here to help!
Juliana Kiyan ’09
Associate Director of Publicity, Penguin Press
New York, NY
BA, History, Vassar College
The Arts/Publishing/Writing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliana-kiyan/
Juli Kiyan is the Associate Director of Publicity at Penguin Press, a division of Penguin Random House. She has worked in book publishing for over a decade and has led the publicity campaigns for bestselling authors such as Zadie Smith, Celeste Ng, Ocean Vuong, William Finnegan, Senator Kamala Harris, Lynsey Addario, John Lewis Gaddis, Larissa MacFarquhar, Alan Greenspan, and Shane Bauer, among others. The books she’s worked on have received the Pulitzer Prize, NBCC Award, J. Anthony Lukas Prize, and the Goodreads Choice Award, and several have been named finalists for the National Book Award, Man Booker Prize, and the Women’s Prize for Fiction. A graduate of the Columbia Publishing Course, Juli began her career as a publicity assistant at Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster, followed by Twelve, a division of Hachette, before joining Penguin Press in 2011. As a book publicist, she works closely with authors to secure media and plan book tours in order to introduce new fiction and nonfiction to a broad public readership.
Advice to Students:
Find a mentor and cultivate a genuine relationship with that person. Mentorship is invaluable at any stage of your career, and a good mentor will listen to you, offer guidance, and advocate for you. They’ll help you see different perspectives and encourage you to learn and grow in your field.
Ivy Kough ’10
Director of Programs, Association to Benefit Children
New York, NY
BA, Africana Studies, Vassar College
MSW, Social Enterprise Administration, Columbia School of Social Work
Non-Profit/Social Justice
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivy-kough
Ivy Kough is the Director of Programs at Association to Benefit Children, a nonprofit organization that provides early childhood education for at-risk infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, supportive housing, mental health services and crisis intervention, family preservation, and year-round youth development programming to New York City’s most vulnerable families. Ivy’s work at ABC focuses on program evaluation and development, program monitoring, contract management, staff development and training, and government and community relations. Ivy holds an MSW from Columbia School of Social Work, where she was a recipient of the full tuition Seymour L. Kline Fellowship. She specialized in organizational management, as well as research and social policy analysis. While at CSSW, Ivy worked in the Eviction Prevention program at the Coalition for the Homeless and the Center on Youth Justice at the Vera Institute of Justice. Ivy’s passion for social justice and equity took root at Vassar where she majored in Africana Studies, which allowed her to explore a wide range of subjects, including religion, history, political science, and English, all through the lenses of critical race theory, identity formation and power, and systemic oppression.
Advice to Students:
Take full advantage of the many multi-disciplinary opportunities and sign up for courses that excite you. Don’t compare yourself to others or put pressure on yourself to know where you’ll be in 5 or 10 years. Everyone is on their own path and it’s usually not exactly what you predicted at 18. Go to office hours, embrace the thesis process, and spend time nurturing relationships with the professors that inspire and challenge you. Focus on learning what your strengths are and the issues you feel strongly about.
Thomas Lawler ’15
Political Fundraiser, Planned Parenthood
Brooklyn, NY
BA, Drama and Women's Studies, Vassar College
Non-Profit/Social Justice
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-lawler-78b377a1/
Building off an educational background focused in large part on gender and power (WMST forever!), Thomas has built a career in political fundraising—raising money for women and the reproductive rights movement. He spent the past several years at Planned Parenthood's national office project managing their political fundraising programs to ensure abortion access is protected at the state and national level. In addition to PP, Thomas has worked with EMILY's List and other progressive orgs—and is gearing up for 2020. His work—from Vassar College to Planned Parenthood and beyond—comes back to the same themes: gender, power, and representation. #QueersforRepro
Advice to Students:
Do the readings! A liberal arts education is the greatest asset you can bring to a job or project or company. Being able to communicate, write, problem solve, think critically AND creatively—these are the skills to master; these are the skills that will set you apart. Don't fixate on WHAT you are going to do ("I want to work in corporate advertising")—focus on HOW you approach a problem, work on a team, and address big-picture issues with tactile day-to-day solutions. There is a reason that Vassar does not have an "Intro to Marketing" course; there is a reason you are at Vassar. Lean into the power of your education and the strength of a liberal arts background.
Ivy Lee ’02
Product Design Director, Peloton
New York, NY
BA, Art History and Computer Science, Vassar College
Technology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivy-lee/
Ivy has always been interested in the cross-section of design and technology. As a student, she pursued a dual degree in Art History and Computer Science. This may have appeared dissonant at the time, but she has found a fulfilling blend of the two disciplines in her career as a Product Designer. Now as Product Design Director at Peloton (where she’s been for 4+ years and counting!) she partners daily with software engineers to build elegant UI/UX solutions with a “members first” mentality. Ivy is the design lead for accessibility initiatives and inclusive design at Peloton. She is also a champion for open design practices—continually pushing for early and close collaboration with software engineers. She believes that empathy and understanding between design and engineering roles are crucial to product development and the only path towards building a great product. Before Peloton, she was a Product Designer at IAC (InterActive Corporation) and an Art Director at People Magazine.
Advice to Students:
Abide by the rule that what you do is who you are. I’ve seen so many people who are unhappy with jobs that they “settled” into. Instead focus on what comes to you naturally both in skill and interest. If you’re doing what you’re meant to do, you’re more likely to find success, satisfaction and longevity in your career.
Becky Leifer ’98
Research Associate, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT
Cambridge, MA
BA, Chemistry, Vassar College
MS, Organic Chemistry, Northeastern University
MS, Biotechnology, Northeastern University
Scientific Research
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckyleifer
Becky Leifer is a Research Associate at MIT's Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. She is focused on finding chemical tools to study a class of protein targets in cancer deemed "undruggable," using recent advances in the field of Chemical Biology and Biological Engineering to study transcriptional regulation. While at Vassar, Becky majored in Chemistry and post-graduation worked in the chemical industry for over 10 years. Due to a shift in the field, Becky was inspired to go back to graduate school and redefine herself as a Chemical Biologist, using her training as a chemist to learn and develop new tools in the world of Biological Engineering. She couldn't be happier about where her career twists and turns have landed her, working in academia at the cutting edge of cancer research. Being in Boston has been a blessing, as it is possible to collaborate with other academic institutions, hospitals, and biotech companies in the Boston area on a regular basis and have the opportunity to continually learn and grow as a scientist.
Advice to Students:
My advice to students is: take an active interest in your career and never settle for complacency at work. You might be surprised by how much you can accomplish if you follow your heart and just go for it!
Penny Lennox ’94
Deputy General Counsel, Avid Technology, Inc.
Burlington, MA
BA, Film, Vassar College
JD, New York University School of Law
Technology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/penny-lennox-7919691/
Ms. Lennox has been an in-house lawyer at Avid Technology, Inc. for 14 years. Avid is a technology company providing software to the media industries worldwide. In that role, she oversees an international team of lawyers, paralegals, and contract administrators, provides legal counsel to executives and business leaders throughout the company, focusing on "Commerce and Operations." This means a lot of contract negotiation, policy-making, enforcement, intellectual property protection and licensing, and general problem-solving in support of the company's sales, services, support, product development, marketing, and logistics operations. Prior to Avid, Ms. Lennox was an intellectual property lawyer at K&L Gates and Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault. It may seem like a strange transition from a film major to a legal career, but it happened organically. After graduating from Vassar, Ms. Lennox worked for four years at a non-profit arts festival called First Night Boston. In that role, she discovered a love of contract negotiation and drafting and strategic planning. This naturally led to law school and that led to an intellectual property specialization.
Advice to Students:
Firstly, don't view law school as a "safe choice." In my nearly 20 years of legal work, I've seen the industry change dramatically and barriers to entry have been raised significantly. Secondly, don't be afraid to break down barriers to entry and bypass "gatekeepers." Thirdly, money is great, but don't make decisions just based on getting paid.
Alicia Lewis ’18
Clinical Research Coordinator, Institute of Genomic Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center
New York, NY
BA, Biology, Vassar College
Scientific Research
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicial3/
Alicia is a Clinical Research Coordinator at Columbia University Medical Center. She works with the All of Us Research Program, a long-term research endeavor through the National Institutes of Health Precision Medicine Initiative. Alicia is primarily involved in facilitating the enrollment, engagement, and data collection of research participants. In addition to this, she actively partakes in the program’s effort to collaborate with communities that have previously been underrepresented in health research. She is very passionate about public health and health equity. At Vassar, Alicia’s work in both the natural sciences and social sciences fueled her interest in public health. During her junior year, Alicia participated in the Ford Scholars Program where she collaborated with Professor Rebecca Edwards on a project conducting statistical analyses of historic census data. She graduated majoring in Biology with a correlate sequence in Victorian Studies. Alicia was also a member of the Transitions program and Vassar’s Questbridge Chapter.
Advice to Students:
Take classes across multiple disciplines that interest you and challenge you. This is one of the many benefits of receiving a liberal arts education and will allow you to develop a unique skill set and mindset. If you’re not sure what type of career you want to pursue in the future, talk to your professors, visit the CDO, reach out to the office of Community Engaged Learning, or tap into the alumni directory. Vassar has tons of resources to guide you! Lastly, be sure to take the time to reflect on your passions and recognize your growth.
Lorena Lomeli Moreno ’15
Assistant Editor, Flatbush Pictures LLC
Brooklyn, NY
BA, Film, Vassar College
Entertainment/Media
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lolomelimoreno/
Lorena Lomeli Moreno is an Assistant Editor at Flatbush Pictures, a boutique documentary film production agency. As Assistant Editor, Lorena helps her team tell a cohesive story, and brings their ideas and characters to life. While at Vassar, she became interested in telling underrepresented stories and hopes to one day own a documentary company to do so. Prior to Flatbush, she interned in documentary, reality television, and video marketing agencies, and even spent a few years at a zoning law firm until she had a chance to crack into this challenging industry. Lorena can speak firsthand to what it takes for Vassar grads to land their first (paying) job in film.
Advice to Students:
Listen to your gut at all times! If something isn't right for you, say so. It's okay to be unsure of your career goals right after college, but make sure your mental health comes first. Often people in this industry tell you that you need to work rigorously and "pay your dues", and while that might be true in some cases, good self-care is key!
Erika Lubliner ’03
Licenced Psychologist, The Children's Village
New York, NY
BA, Psychology, Vassar College
MSEd, School Psychology, Pace University
PsyD, Child Clinical Psychology, Pace University
Health/Medicine
Erika Lubliner, PsyD is a Licensed Psychologist who has focused her career on helping children and families. For the past five years, she has worked in the Adoption and Foster Care Department of The Children’s Village, a child welfare agency in New York City. In this role, she evaluates children after they have been removed from their parents’ care and helps connect families with support and services so they can be safely re-unified. She maintains competency in trauma-informed models of care and provides individual and dyadic therapy to children and their caregivers. She has worked in a variety of settings, including inpatient psychiatric hospitals, schools, outpatient clinics, and private practice. She completed her post-doc with the Anni Bergman Parent-Infant Training program and continues to collaborate with their research team on a project exploring how interpersonal dynamics are transmitted intergenerationally.
Advice to Students:
You’re allowed to change your mind, change your major, or change your career! Growth and change are part of life and it’s impossible to know exactly how your path will unfold. Pay attention to the world around you, show up, tell the truth, and ask questions. If you think grad school may be in your future, ask your professors for letters of recommendation. After a few semesters, they might not remember you as clearly as you remember them.
Thomas Lum ’17
Software Developer, Kickstarter
Brooklyn, NY
BA, Cognitive Science and Computer Science, Vassar College
Technology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomlum
Tom came to Vassar with the intention of being an English and Theatre major but somehow ended up with a double major in Computer Science and Cognitive Science. In the past, he has interned for Amazon and been a software developer for McKinsey consulting. Presently he works for Kickstarter in Brooklyn on the System Integrity team, building tools to help make the platform honest, transparent, and sustainable. Outside of work, Tom has released a handful of independent video games, as well as experiments with neural networks and data visualizations.
Advice to Students:
If you want to learn something, you should try it now. Most of the technologies and skills I use today started off as impossible dreams that became hobbies and messy side projects and are now what I get paid to do. Also, if you're applying for an internship or job, you need to learn to apply to as many as you can. Unfortunately, it can just be a numbers game sometimes, but everyone I know who is in a job they enjoy had to be rejected and learn from a slew of applications beforehand.
Philip Mandelbaum ’03
Managing Content Editor, School of Motion
Remote
BA, Sociology, Vassar College
The Arts/Publishing/Writing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipmandelbaum
Phil Mandelbaum has always personified passion and purpose. It wasn't his SATs that got him into Vassar College — it was his story, standing up for the disfranchised, and creating his school's Diversity Day with the Anti-Defamation League. At Vassar, Phil focused on injustice, inequality and the school-to-prison pipeline, earning his BA in Sociology, and volunteering at Green Haven Prison and Poughkeepsie's Family Partnership Center, alternative to incarceration center, soup kitchen and Clinton Elementary School. Post graduation, Phil spent his first three years as a journalist, exposing environmental and policing issues, as well as dedicating time to his music career, writing, recording and performing political rap music under the moniker AWKWORD. Eleven years after graduating, Phil released the first-ever 100% for-charity global Hip Hop album, World View, featuring contributions from 20 countries and every continent. All proceeds went to an at-risk youth organization founded by a Poughkeepsie resident Phil met while attending Vassar. After living and working in New York City for about a decade, Phil returned to the Hudson Valley a year after the loss of his mother, in 2013. In 2014, six months after releasing World View, he married the love of his life, adopting her two daughters. Today, Phil runs his own marketing company and works full time on the executive team of the world's leading motion design school; he also continues to create music and work as a freelance journalist, while guiding his daughters in their art and activism.
Advice to Students:
Take risks. Follow your instincts. Learn from your mistakes. Never get too high, and never get too low. Don't be afraid to ask for help. And don't forget to give back.
Robin McClellan ’99
Assistant Curator of Music, Morgan Library & Museum; Online Music Theory Course Writer and Professor, Rutgers University
New York, NY
New York, NY
BA, Music, Vassar College
MMus, Composition, Yale School of Music & Institute of Sacred Music
DMus, Composition. Yale School of Music & Institute of Sacred Music
The Arts/Publishing/Writing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinsonmcclellan/
Robinson McClellan (Robin) is a composer, curator, writer, and teacher. His compositions are performed, commissioned, and published widely, focusing in sacred choral music. He earned his doctorate in composition from the Yale School of Music / Institute of Sacred Music, and he has done artist residencies at MacDowell and Yaddo. In Fall 2019 he joined The Morgan Library & Museum as Curator of the music manuscripts collection. He teaches music theory online at Rutgers University and works in product development and instructional design for music and education tech companies including Noteflight and Noodle Partners. He founded and directs ComposerCraft, a seminar for young composers at the Kaufman Music Center. In 2019 he created a new type of DIY social media called Life in Septuple Time, based on a thrice-weekly email series he writes. At the same time he also co-founded Terrarium, a new online platform for people who want thoughtful, structured conversation without the distorting and addictive qualities of social media. Learn more and hear Robin’s music at https://ravelledmusic.wordpress.com.
Advice to Students:
My career has been defined by two dichotomies or struggles: First, between the fear of being ‘owned’ by a company, i.e. working full time and having my life dictated, and the seeming security that offers — versus the freedom and seeming insecurity of being my own boss, working mostly freelance / contractor jobs. Both can be secure or insecure in different ways. Second, between following a ‘grand plan,’ with a logical sequence from one job to the next — versus feeling that I am ‘blown by the wind’ from one job to the next. I have tried to balance these two dichotomies, often feeling unable to. My career path has often felt disjointed, for example one year ago I was working from home for a tech startup, doing customer care and product development, and now am starting a new job in jacket and tie as curator at The Morgan Library & Museum. Now at age 43, helped by a lot of introspection and writing down of my struggles to try to understand them, I am beginning to see a ‘through-line’ that connects all my work. My goal now is to continue defining that through-line more clearly, and to follow it wherever it leads, even if I can’t foresee what sorts of future jobs I will have. So, my advice: Try to define your own ‘through-line,’ even if it’s complex and multi-faceted, and make sure whenever possible that the jobs you take on are helping you to define yourself more and more clearly, rather than letting a given job define and take over you and your sense of yourself.
Elizabeth McDermott ’14
Project Manager, Institute for Healthcare Improvement
Boston, MA
BA, Economics and Political Science, Vassar College
Non-Profit/Social Justice
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-mcdermott-00873977/
Liz McDermott is the Project Manager at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). She has worked at IHI for over 2.5 years, and her work currently includes managing operations for one of the 100MLives initiatives and managing a pilot on the role health care can have in ending chronic homelessness. Prior to joining IHI, Liz worked for an education nonprofit in Honduras where she focused on program development, including starting the school's scholarship program, and partnering with and managing relationships within the community in which she worked.
Advice to Students:
Have a sense of what you value and what you want to do to honor those values, although, be open to new opportunities and experiences that may bring you to something you never expected.
Alejandro McGhee ’16
History PhD Student, New York University
Brooklyn, NY
BA, Africana Studies and Educational Studies, Vassar College
Education
Alejandro McGhee is a second year doctoral student in History at New York University (NYU). He conducts research on the kinship ties of enslaved African people in the eighteenth-century British Atlantic world. As a digital humanist, Alejandro studies the ways that established, as well as emerging tech, can be used to engage a wide variety of learning communities. Most recently, he spent the summer working at an education startup where he built a wiki to archive the technical knowledge of the company. His experiences in academia as well as the tech industry have repeatedly challenged him to think about the high stakes nature of knowledge creation and preservation. Before NYU, he completed a master’s degree at Columbia University in African-American Studies where he wrote a thesis about the legacy of Scotland's role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. After Columbia, he improved his Spanish in Seville, Spain through the Ann Cornelisen Fellowship.
Advice to Students:
Your future dream job(s) may not even be invented yet. Look at your time during and after Vassar as an opportunity to gain a diversity of meaningful life experiences. Remember that we are all on a journey somewhere. Treasure the people and the opportunities you meet along the way.
Brandon Mercado ’06
Research Support, Yale University
New Haven, CT
BA, Chemistry, Vassar College
PhD, Chemistry, University of California, Davis
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Irvine
Scientific Research
Brandon Mercado is responsible for the X-ray facilities within the Chemical and Biophysical Instrumentation Center at Yale University. He collects and refines diffraction data from crystalline samples for the structural determination of biological, organic, and inorganic compounds. He started his crystallographic education at Vassar College with Profs. Joseph Tanski and Christopher Smart. In his senior year, the chemistry department installed an X-ray diffractometer, effectively beginning his career in crystallography. Brandon completed his graduate and postdoctoral research in nanomaterials and renewable energy. With over a decade of experience in crystallography, Brandon has contributed to over 100 peer-reviewed publications, teaches in the Chemistry Department at Yale, and participates in scientific outreach whenever possible.
Advice to Students:
Follow through on opportunities as they present themselves, ask questions, and persist until it makes sense to you.
Haley Merritt ’16
PhD Candidate, New York University
New York, NY
BA, Chemistry, Vassar College
Scientific Research
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-merritt-577b99aa/
Haley was born and raised on Long Island before attending Vassar. While at Vassar, she was a member of the field hockey team and a supplemental instructor for general chemistry. During her summers at Vassar, she interned with Pfizer at their world headquarters site in Manhattan and worked with the Global Launch Operations team. This experience helped influence her decision to obtain a PhD in chemistry. She now attends New York University and is working towards her PhD with Professor Paramjit Arora in a chemical biology lab. The lab works towards inhibiting protein-protein interactions using synthetic peptide scaffolds. Haley is investigating new methods for targeting and inducing structural changes in intrinsically disordered proteins, specifically HIF1 alpha with its binding partner TAZ1. Work in the lab is both independent and collaborative, with daily experiments including protein expression, organic synthesis, and 2D NMR. Haley is also an instructor for the undergraduate organic chemistry course at NYU and the president of the chemistry department Graduate Student Organization.
Advice to Students:
Enjoy your time at Vassar! It is a truly special school, and I am very grateful I had the opportunity to attend. For students interested in pursuing a PhD, I recommend gaining some research experience as an undergrad. That could be at Vassar, or during a summer REU program at another institution. I had no experience in chemical biology when I joined my lab, so don’t worry if you feel like switching fields once you enter grad school. Most Professors just want students who are excited and willing to learn!
Mariah Minigan ’13
Director of Inclusion and Engagement, Democracy Works
Brooklyn, NY
BA, Philosophy, Vassar College
MBA, Yale School of Management
Non-Profit/Social Justice
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariah-minigan-51018856/
Mariah likes healthy interpersonal relationships and believes that more social change would be possible if nonprofits were better employers. She works at the intersection of those interests as the Director of Inclusion and Engagement at Democracy Works. Her previous experience includes People Operations and Inclusion program management at Vox Media and at the New Organizing Institute. For reasons pertaining more directly to nonprofit management than to business administration, Mariah holds an M.B.A from the Yale School of Management. Her family (chosen and otherwise) is currently located in the northeastern U.S. and on one small Caribbean island, and she travels frequently to see them. Mariah lives with one partner and hopes to soon acquire a large houseplant.
Advice to Students:
To those considering working for companies that generate profit: There are usually better things you can do with your limited time than create shareholder value.
Toru Momii ’11
Teaching Fellow/Ph.D. Candidate, Columbia University
New York, NY
BA, Economics and Music, Vassar College
MA, Music Theory, McGill University
The Arts/Publishing/Writing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/torumomii
A native of Japan and Raymond House, Toru Momii ‘11 received his B.A. in music and economics from Vassar College (Phi Beta Kappa). Following a two-year stint as an HR business partner at Barclays Investment Bank in Tokyo, he received an M.A. in music theory from the Schulich School of Music, McGill University. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in music theory at Columbia University. His current research interests include intercultural practices in contemporary Japanese music, analysis of gagaku (Japanese court music), North American popular music after 2000, performance analysis, and intersections of race and music theory. Toru has presented his research in Canada, Greece, Japan, Turkey, and the United States, including the annual meetings of the Society for Music Theory and the American Musicological Society, the Congress of the International Musicological Society, and Analytical Approaches to World Music.
Advice to Students:
Don't write off any job or industry because you think it's not directly relevant to your major. When I applied for finance and management consulting jobs during my senior year, I thought I would have to aggressively sell my economics major and brush my music major aside. In fact, it was the exact opposite. Every interviewer asked why I was interested in finance/business as a music major, and that was a great opportunity to market outside-the-box thinking, self-discipline, and problem-solving skills that are necessary for studying music. Having a solid understanding of your own transferable skills can go a long way in expanding your career options after graduation. And take classes in as many departments as you can! Time and time again, I've found that being able to ask different types of questions is an incredibly valuable skill, regardless of your field.
Matthew Montgomery ’16
Graduate Student, Yale University
New Haven, CT
BA, Biochemistry and Mathematics, Vassar College
PhD Candidate, Chemical Engineering, Yale University
Scientific Research
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamontgomery1/
Matt grew up in a small town in upstate NY, and joined the Vassar community in 2012. While at Vassar, Matt was exposed to scientific research, and had the opportunity to work on projects ranging from the synthesis of carbon nanotubes to the fabrication of electrochemical peroxide sensors. His research experiences at Vassar motivated him to pursue further education, and after graduating from Vassar subsequently joined the chemical engineering department at Yale University. His main research focuses on the interaction of ammonia and hydrocarbons when co-fired together, and specifically analyzes the influence of ammonia on soot formation. He also contributes to projects related to the effect of additives, such as sulfur, on the properties of two-dimensional transition metal oxides.
Advice to Students:
If you plan to go into academia, then never be afraid to try or learn something new. And never be afraid to ask for clarification or help if you find a gap in your knowledge. Try to maintain an open-mind and permit yourself to view problems/situations from various perspectives. Also, be prepared for failure; graduate school can be a tough endeavor and things rarely work out on the first try. But mistakes/failure are a part of the learning process, and recognizing this makes the journey much easier to handle. “The secret of success is the capacity to survive failure”- Noel Coward
Madeleine Morris ’14
Director, Davis & Langdale Company Inc.
New York, NY
BA, Italian and Studio Art, Vassar College
The Arts/Publishing/Writing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleine-morris-7793004a/
Madeleine Morris has been the director of Davis & Langdale Company since April 2016, a private art gallery in Manhattan specializing in works on paper. She curates exhibitions, researches art and artists, manages payments and sales, and oversees all the daily operations of the business. She works directly with artists and clients, and enjoys connecting artworks with enthusiastic collectors. She has worked and interned at various art institutions including the Aldrich Museum, Vara Fine Art, and the Clocktower Gallery, and worked for the Vassar Italian department as a research assistant on several projects including the translation of a play about Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia, first female college graduate, from Italian to English. She graduated in 2014 with a double major in Art and Italian and now lives and works in New York City.
Advice to Students:
Ask questions, be curious and try new classes and activities that intrigue you, even if they don’t at first seem like “your thing.”
Mik Moore ’96
Founder and CEO, Moore+Associates
New York, NY
BA, History, Vassar College
JD, Georgetown University
Entertainment/Media
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikmoore
Mik Moore is recognized as one of the leading digital media campaign strategists in the United States, combining a deep understanding of public policy and electoral politics with years of experience as a writer, editor, producer, and public speaker. He is known for developing and implementing innovative efforts to harness the power of comedy and online media to create social change. He is also a thought leader in the emerging field of cultural strategy. As the principal and founder of Moore + Associates, Mik leads the agency’s online campaign development and cultural strategy practice for social change nonprofits, leaders in the philanthropic community, and elected officials. Mik co-founded the Super PAC responsible for many of the most viral videos of the 2008, 2012, and 2016 presidential campaigns, including The Great Schlep with Sarah Silverman, Wake the Fuck Up with Samuel L. Jackson, and The Most Interesting Woman in the World with James Franco. Mik has been featured in The New York Times, MSNBC, NPR, The Washington Post, CNN, NBC News, Reuters, ABC News, and more; his campaigns have been honored by the Pollies, the Webbies, the Reed Awards, Google, The Peabody Awards, and Facebook.
Advice to Students:
When I was a kid, I asked my dad, "Why did you go into the music business?" "Because I like hanging out with musicians," was his response. The best advice students get when they start college is to choose their classes based on the professor, not the topic. This is true in life as well. If you have the luxury of choice, choose your jobs based on how and with whom you will be spending your time, rather than things like prestige, salary, or outside expectations. Also, as Google once declared in its slogan, (facetiously, perhaps?): Don't be evil.
Joshua Multer ’14
Digital Marketing Specialist, Informa Markets
New York, NY
BA, English and German, Vassar College
Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuamulter/
Joshua Multer has spent the last 5+ years since graduation honing his copywriting and strategic marketing skills in a variety of environments. After years of climbing the company ladder at a small mission-oriented CPG start up (from intern to Manager), Josh transitioned to a role at the world's largest corporate events company. Over the years he's worn many hats: Head of Customer Experience, Social Media Manager, Copywriter/Editor (across web, display, social, email, print, product, packaging, video, and CX), Website Manager, Digital Marketing Strategist. He's written and produced a 30 page activity booklet for STEM students found in stores and classrooms, built a brand ambassador program from the ground up, crafted a company's mission statement and brand architecture in conjunction with C-Suite, and drove record-breaking attendance at industry events through multi-channel marketing campaigns.
Advice to Students:
It's ok to be uncertain about the future. It's ok to pick a job that doesn't exactly line up with your major. . . and you don't have to dig yourself into tremendous debt for a graduate degree just because your peers are doing it. If anything, people with liberal arts degrees are needed most where we aren't usually represented. The business world desperately needs people who value authenticity and ethical decision-making. While we can't dismantle capitalism overnight, we can use our abilities and passion to try and protect the public from the worst of its consequences.
Jacob Moses ’07
Doctoral Student, Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
BA, Science, Technology, and Society, Vassar College
PhD Candidate, History of Science, Harvard University
Education
Jacob Moses is a PhD Candidate in History of Science at Harvard University. His scholarship centers on issues of ethics and governance in 20th and 21st century biomedicine. He combines methods in history of science, science and technology studies, and bioethics to investigate how notions of medical harm have been shaped and reshaped by biomedical innovation. He teaches for a wide range of undergraduate courses in the history of science at Harvard College, from introductory lecture courses and tutorials to upper-level seminars, and advises senior theses. Before embarking on his doctoral studies, Jacob worked for six years at The Hastings Center, a bioethics research institute in Garrison, NY. At Hastings, he contributed to a wide range of interdisciplinary research projects on issues of ethics in medicine and the life sciences, as well as education and outreach initiatives, including the production of a nationally broadcasted PBS documentary film.
Advice to Students:
Many interesting paths are not linear and the logic of one’s biography often only becomes discernible in retrospect.
Emily Mundorff ’96
Associate Professor, Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY
BA, Chemistry, Vassar College
PhD, Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
Scientific Research
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilymundorff
Emily Mundorff is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Hofstra University. She earned her BA in Chemistry from Vassar College and her PhD in Biophysical Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. After receiving her doctorate, she worked in the Biotechnology industry at the companies Maxygen and Codexis for a combined ten years. While at Codexis, she led an international team of bioinformatics scientists. Her work at the companies led to her being an inventor on more than 70 patents, three Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards, and multiple publications in scientific journals. She then pursued an academic career, first as an HHMI fellow at Vassar College, and then at Hofstra beginning in 2012. At Hofstra, she teaches both General Chemistry and Biochemistry and additionally has an active research program focused on identifying and improving enzymes to be used in bioremediation.
Advice to Students:
Grab every opportunity you can at this stage in life to try new things and to challenge yourself. Your hard work now will open great doors in the future. Keep your mind open to alternative career options. There are so many fascinating jobs out there, and we can’t even predict what types of jobs will be around 10 or 20 years from now. Use all of the resources available to you. Go to your career center; there are so many unwritten rules to the job hunt that they can help you navigate. Talk to your professors; they know people and want to help you out.
Erika Nakagawa ’15
Assistant Editor, W. W. Norton & Company
New York, New York
BA, French & Francophone Studies and Sociology, Vassar College
The Arts/Publishing/Writing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikanak/
After a brief stint of exploring the non-profit sector in Japan through an NGO called Ashinaga, Erika Nakagawa realized that it was time to explore a field that she had always wanted to pursue, the publishing industry. Moving to New York without any prospects, she embraced the hustle of New York City life by pursuing internships at different types of publishing houses during the day and working at a restaurant at night to pay the rent. Thanks to her experience working with Archipelago Books, Columbia University Press, and Penguin Random House, Erika was able to develop a comprehensive view of the publishing industry. She now understands what it means to work in a small non-profit publisher for international literature, an academic publisher of trade books, and a large corporate publishing house which is part of the Big Five. These experiences led her to find the perfect fit at W. W. Norton, a publishing company primarily known for its academic texts, where she has combined her interest in Sociology and publishing through her editorial work in Sociology textbooks.
Advice to Students:
It’s never too late but it’s also never too early to start exploring your options! Start thinking critically about how you want your major to translate in the real world. Talk to professionals that may be experts in the field you’re interested in. Internships are the best way to get your foot in the door and experience a day in the life of the position you may be interested in.
Kayla Neumeyer ’15
Speech-Language Pathologist, Boston College Campus School
Boston, MA
BA, Cognitive Science, Vassar College
MS, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Emerson College
Education
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaylaneu/
Kayla Neumeyer is a Speech-Language Pathologist in the Boston metro area, where she has lived since pursuing her graduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Emerson College, where she developed an interest in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). After graduate school, Kayla applied her specialization while working for two years as an SLP at a school for students with multiple disabilities and complex health needs. She now provides therapy to pediatric clients in their homes, and the flexibility of her work allows her to invest much of her time and energy into Jewish community organizing and nonviolent direct action for immigrant rights, taking care of her health, and teaching first graders in Hebrew School at the local shul.
Advice to Students:
Let your relationships and values guide you, not your professional aspirations. You have the skills you need to succeed in many environments, now develop and highlight your ability to generate creative solutions to solve novel problems- and to ask for help when you need it. Follow what drives you personally and don't get attached to any one isolated goal or opportunity at the expense of a balanced life. Your relationships will shape your future. Treat them with the same intention you would your career.
Huy Nguyen ’18
Senior Associate, State Street
Boston, MA
BA, Mathematics and Statistics, Vassar College
MA, Management Studies, Duke University
Business/Consulting/Entrepreneurship/Finance
Huy is currently working at State Street. He is in a 2-year rotational program, where he will have 4 rotations within the Finance department. Currently, he is working in a project management team that drives financial integration between State Street and its recent acquired company.
Advice to Students:
Be humble but not complacent.
Charles O'Malley ’11
Doctoral Candidate, Yale University
New Haven, CT
BA, Art History and Drama, Vassar College
MFA, Drama, Yale University
DFA Candidate, Drama, Yale University
The Arts/Publishing/Writing
Charles O’Malley is a doctoral candidate in Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism at the Yale; his dissertation focuses on queer radicalism in 1970s San Francisco. At Yale, he co-convenes the Performance Studies Working Group and is the Artistic Fellow at Yale Repertory Theatre. Professionally, he has worked with numerous American theatres, including the Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Yale Rep, and elsewhere. He graduated from Vassar in 2011 with a degree in Drama and Art History. He has taught at Yale College and Connecticut College.
Advice to Students:
Ask for help, make connections and keep them, keep in touch with your colleagues and faculty, be polite and professional in all circumstances. Submitting job / internship / grad school applications blind isn't enough; you have to talk to people and communicate with the staff of an institution if you want them to pay attention to you. Your grades in college matter, as do the number of activities you participate in, but keep in mind that what's going to help you down the road is the positive impressions you've made on people. People want to hire those who are competent and easy to work with, not necessarily those who have lots of experience or expensive degrees. The arts, more than the average industry, are not a meritocracy, so don't expect qualifications alone to get you work.
Nicholas Paine ’05
Attorney, Self Employed
New York, NY
BA, Philosophy, Vassar College
JD, Roger Williams University School of Law
Law/Legal Services
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-paine-75a1a292/
Before deciding to pursue a law degree, Nicholas worked several interesting jobs, including tall ship sail training vessels in the Caribbean and boutique hotels in New York and LA. After focusing his law studies on maritime issues at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, he moved to Houston to begin his maritime practice. He worked approximately five years in personal injury defense litigation where he handled regular litigation duties (motion practice, discovery, trials, appeals) and helped work a case that went to jury verdict in Louisiana State Court in New Orleans. He then took an in-house position at a maritime services company (tug and tow boats) where he worked on all legal matters pertaining to that business, whether maritime or otherwise (i.e. insurance, employment, financing issues). He is currently working on establishing his maritime practice in New York City which will focus on the commercial aspects of the emerging offshore wind industry in the Northeast region.
Advice to Students:
If you are thinking about a legal career, be sure that it's what you really want to do, as law school is a major commitment of time, financial resources, and your chosen practice will have significant impacts on your clients and adversaries and potentially have far reaching effects. If this is where you passion lies, study hard for the LSATs—a good law school on your resume and a scholarship to avoid debt are extremely helpful in the long run, and it starts with the entrance exam (your grades at Vassar matter too!). Once in law school, balance your class choices between your own interests and bar exam prep courses. A subject that may seem uninteresting to you at first may end up being a career, and, if not, at least it prepares you to pass the bar exam. Pursue a career you love to work at and talk about, it will make you the most memorable interviewee when looking for jobs. Above all, work hard and be ethical!
So Young Park ’94
Director, Product Enablement and Strategy, Oracle
Rhinebeck, NY
BA, American Culture, Vassar College
Technology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soyoungpark/
So Young Park is the Director of Product Enablement and Strategy for Oracle Commerce Cloud and an e-commerce and marketing veteran. Her focus is on leading enterprise product initiatives that improve Oracle’s digital commerce service and enable customers and partners to use Oracle Commerce Cloud effectively to drive business goals. These efforts span product and content development, ecosystem growth, curriculum and training, community, and customer satisfaction. Ms. Park has over fifteen years of client-side experience successfully leading and growing online and multichannel direct-to-consumer businesses in the retail, consumer products, media, and classifieds verticals, including A&E Television Networks, Musician's Friend and Guitar Center, and The Original PennySaver. She has been featured in prominent industry outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Shop.org, and Internet Retailer.
Advice to Students:
With a few exceptions, what you major in doesn't actually matter all that much in the business world, so pick something you're really interested in and don't stress about it. What does matter are the kinds of skills you learn at Vassar that can be applied to any career -- critical thinking, ability to make connections and learn across experiences and disciplines, teamwork, leadership, writing and communication, creative problem-solving -- plus investment in continued self-development and building a good, personal network.
Daniel Pearlman ’12
Customer Success Manager, LinkedIn
New York, NY
BA, Physics, Vassar College
Technology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielpearlman1/
After teaching 2nd grade science, followed by a brief stint in account management at a tech startup, Daniel has spent the last 4 years working on LinkedIn's Customer Success team (hired because of his LinkedIn Profile). He has worked with some of their smallest customers to now some of their largest, currently advising 8 global clients in industries including pharmaceuticals, food production, real estate, technology, and advertising. Daniel's role focuses on helping them derive maximum value from their investment within LinkedIn's hiring-focused product line. Daniel uses data analysis, change management, and training facilitation to help his clients improve their hiring strategy based on hiring need, recruitment workforce, and industry trends. Ask Daniel what he wants to do when he grows up? He still has no idea.
Advice to Students:
Unless you are a rare exception, you will likely be forced to enter the workforce after Vassar and spend 40 hours a week at work for the next 40-50 years. Welcome to The Game! If you want to maximize your happiness in life while following the rules of The Game, my piece of advice is to be as radically open and curious as possible. The more you expose yourself to different people, perspectives, topics, businesses, technologies, and challenges, the closer you’ll get to figuring out what inspires and energizes you and (hopefully) how you can make money doing it. Stay attuned to what piques your interest. Talk to people, explore, read, and never stop learning.
Micah Perta ’02
Director, Steve Unlimited
Brooklyn, NY
BA, Film, Vassar College
Entertainment/Media
Micah Perta’s first started filmmaking in earnest at Vassar college where his student film Gogol Bordello, a short documentary about the gypsy, Ukranian, punk, surrealist, cabaret band was a regional finalist at the Student Academy Awards. Later, his short documentary Bump Tick Scratch screened at SXSW, AFI’s Silverdocs, Edinburgh, and many more. His current film, Daytime Noon, premiered at the Nantucket Film Festival, and won the Best Actress award at the Los Angeles Short Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Nitehawk Shorts Festival, while screening at many others. Micah wrote and directed for the infamous MTV promo department for many years, directing campaigns for the MTV Video Music Awards and the MTV Movie Awards as well as the Jersey Shore and Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party among many many more. He is currently directing commercials with Steve Unlimited for big brands like Heinz, Pepsi, E-Trade, and Toyota, while also developing his first feature. He is represented for film and television by the Gotham Group.
Advice to Students:
Keep an open mind to the possibilities of where you might end up.
Caroline Picher ’13
Health Policy Analyst, National Governors Association Center for Best Practices
Washington, DC
BA, Science, Technology, and Society, Vassar College
MPH, Health Management and Policy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Health/Medicine
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinepicher/
Caroline Picher is a health policy analyst at the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, a research and development firm that directly serves the nation's governors and their key policy staff. At NGA, Caroline assists state leaders with issues related to private health insurance, Medicaid, and delivery system reform. Prior to her work at NGA, Caroline was a health insurance navigator in Philadelphia during the early days of the Affordable Care Act, where she helped consumers to enroll in health insurance and Medicaid through the newly established exchanges. Caroline has a master's of public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Advice to Students:
Don't be too worried about finding the "perfect" job right out of undergrad. Find a field you are passionate about and use the experiences to guide you towards your next steps. Don't underestimate the power of the skills you gain through your liberal arts degree. The ability to think critically and express yourself clearly through writing and speaking is important in every field.
Logan Pitts ’17
Performer/Theatre Artist, Freelance
New York, NY
BA, Drama, Vassar College
The Arts/Publishing/Writing
Logan Pitts is an actor/singer/collaborative theater artist in New York City. Specializing in musical theater, concert & chorus work, and cabarets, Logan has performed in several major venues across the city such as Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, Symphony Space, and the Duplex. He was most recently seen in NYG&S Players’s production of Iolanthe and Yeoman of the Guard, Waxler’s production of On the Town, and the Madison Theatre’s West Side Story. Logan has premiered new works such as Bran Castle (Signature Theatre); Bach & Bleach (LaMaMa); The Light Years by The Debate Society (Powerhouse Theatre/NYSAF); I Am Antigone (Theatre for a New City); and The Secret (NYNW, Theatre Row). Logan is also featured as a backing vocalist in demo recordings for new musicals, and in concert with stars such as Kristen Chenoweth, Andrea Bocelli, Stephanie Blythe, Nicole Scherzinger, and Heather Headley. Along with performing, Logan produces his own cabarets, offers workshops as a teaching artist, and is currently developing a new musical.
Advice to Students:
A career in the modern world is limitless and nebulous. Though it can feel frightening, it’s actually a world of possibility. Allow time for contemplation and introspection, discover the list of things you want to do, and then take steps towards it. This takes time. Vassar kids often feel lost and/or like a failure if they don’t have a reputable job right after graduation. Or if they want to act more but have an internship in arts admin. That’s all okay and great even! There is time for everything, you just have to get started first and develop towards your fuller dream as you go. This requires research, hard work, networking and all the skills you’ve been implementing at Vassar already. So trust in yourself! Trust that everything in your life will bring you to be perfectly where you’re supposed to be. Take care of yourself —truly. Make self-growth a constant pursuit of life. Subscribe to inspiring emails, watch a cool YouTube video, learn a new skill every month. Make a book club. Meditate. Journal. Learn about yourself and keep expanding your world views. The universe is on your side and will help you do this naturally. Allow true honesty with yourself in an analysis of who you are, where you are, and what you want. From there you are capable of going in any direction you want. Challenge your limited beliefs. Figure out what it takes to get to the job you want. Then do it! Find and use resources! (There are truly so many Vassar grads in nyc and the world!) Let yourself accept uncertainty and failure but do what you actually want, what you have fun doing. And do anything that encapsulates the essence of that!
Xinran Qi ’18
Business Development Manager - North America, CMC Pictures
New York, NY
BA, Film, Vassar College
MS, Media Management, The New School
Entertainment/Media
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xinran-qi/
Xinran Qi is the Business Development Manager at CMC Pictures, a distribution company specialized in selling Chinese films overseas. In this role, Qi is responsible for leading film marketing campaigns by creating media buying plan and establishing partnerships with theater, cultural organization, and agency in the U.S and Canada. Prior to CMC, Qi was the Video Operations Coordinator at SVOD services Shudder & Sundance Now and worked as Digital Media intern at IFC under AMC Networks. Qi was a Film major and Asian Studies correlate, and was an active member in women’s squash team. Qi is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Media Management at The New School, with a special focus on building data-driven strategy for media and entertainment companies. Feel free to ask Qi about landing internships, studying abroad in Prague and Tokyo, or the best Asian restaurants in NYC.
Advice to Students:
Getting far is more important than getting ahead. Similarly, being able to tell a story is more important than being able to use the camera. If you truly agree with this and can accept the risk, studying film at a liberal arts college is worth it.
Mashuqur Rahman ’89
President, Health Sector, Planned Systems International
Arlington, VA
BA, Mathematics, Vassar College
Technology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mashuqur-rahman-4558471/
Mashuqur (Mash) Rahman '89 is President of Health Sector at Planned Systems International, an information technology services company that provides health IT and national security solutions to the federal government. In his role Mash oversees teams of technology professionals that support multiple health IT systems across the Department of Defense, Health and Human Services and other federal agencies. Mash emphasizes the importance of ethical servant leadership in creating and energizing successful organizations. He has over 30 years of experience in information technology and more than 18 years of experience in federal government contracting. He began his career as a software developer at America Online at the start of the Internet era. He has held various technical, leadership and executive positions throughout his career and has worked for such Internet luminaries as Steve Case, Mark Pincus and Steve Crocker.
Advice to Students:
After you graduate and as the number of years between your life and your time at Vassar grows, you are likely to forget the details of the classes you took. However, the fundamentals of what you learn at Vassar will serve you well. Some of these are your critical thinking skills, your broad base of knowledge in fields other than your major, and the strong ethics Vassar instills in you. Consider these fundamentals to be your suit of armor against whatever life has in store for you.
Maria Ramsey ’15
Virtual Assistant, Florist, Artist, Music Teacher, Mindful Design Feng Shui School, The Botaniste, Maria Katharine, Northampton Community Music Center
Northampton, MA
BA, Music, Vassar College
The Arts/Publishing/Writing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-katharine-ramsey/
After graduating from Vassar, Maria began teaching music and working as an assistant to the director of Artspace Community Arts Center in Greenfield, MA. She has taught a variety of musical instruments and topics in music to ages ranging from preschool through adult at several schools in western Massachusetts. After four years of being a traveling music teacher, she decided to cut back to only one school, so she currently teaches piano, music theory, and chamber music two afternoons a week at Northampton Community Music Center in Northampton, MA. In the spring of 2019, she began working for The Botaniste in Easthampton, MA where she is a florist, and has recently begun to take on a more administrative role as well. She also works as a virtual assistant for Mindful Design Feng Shui School, which involves a lot of writing, editing, and graphic design, among other things. In addition, she sells illustrated paper products through her business, Maria Katharine, and co-hosts a podcast about creativity and wellness called Never Wear Boring Socks.
Advice to Students:
Don’t worry too much about figuring out the end result of your perfect career path. Instead, keep learning about and doing the things that fascinate you, even if they seem weird and out of left field. They could actually end up being really relevant to a dream job someday, and your dream job might be a job you didn’t even know existed. Also, do your best and be kind wherever you end up, because jobs tend to lead to more jobs, and you never know whose friend or sister or cousin might be hiring next year.
Stefan Richards ’17
Strategist, Inter-American Development Bank
Washington, DC
BA, Economics and French & Francophone Studies, Vassar College
MSc, Development Economics, SOAS
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefan-richards-67206684/
Stefan Richards – a Jamaican who has also lived in the USA, U.K. and France - believes that no teenager should feel forced to leave their country to gain more opportunities. This belief led him to a career in development; particularly development finance, aiming to alleviate the economic burdens that contribute to underdevelopment. Presently, Stefan is a member of the Strategy and Planning Team of IDB Invest – the private-sector arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group based in Washington, D.C. IDB Invest is the main development finance partner for the private sector in Latin America and the Caribbean. As a strategist, Stefan serves as a thought partner for management to conceive and execute plans for the future both in terms of financial sustainability and sustained development impact. His role is constantly changing; involving both quantitative and qualitative analysis, as well as a lot of adjusting PowerPoint presentation slides, and has thereby highlighted the value of a liberal arts education.
Advice to Students:
Ask for what you want! If you don't ask, people in a position to help may not have you on their radar when making hiring decisions, decisions on who to invite to dinner or even decisions on who to call because they have tickets to an event that they can't go to anymore. So ask!
Katherine Ross ’06
Founder and CEO, Ross Business Management, LLC
Washington, DC
BA, Economics and Mathematics, Vassar College
Business/Consulting/Entrepreneurship/Finance
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinehross/
Kate has over a decade of experience in finance, management, and economics. She has worked extensively with nonprofit groups, including the National Coalition on Healthcare and Heritage Travel, Inc., at The National Trust for Historic Preservation, where she tirelessly invested her time and expertise as an advocate, policy analyst, and financial sounding board. Kate has been interviewed by MSN, CNN, and My Business Magazine, and her writing has been featured in multiple high-end publications including Complex and Nylon. As the CEO of Ross Business Management, she focuses on financial management and establishes accounting systems for small businesses, including retailers, professional service firms, recording artists, and record labels. Kate’s consultant work has allowed businesses to exponentially increase their revenue, turning small enterprises into multi-million dollar companies. Kate is the Director of Finance at the Emergency Assistance Foundation, providing grants to victims of natural disasters. In 2014, Kate started The Coven, a monthly queer womxn dance party in Washington, DC. She continues to support the LGBTQ community through The Coven’s fundraisers and partnerships with LGBTQ non-profits.
Advice to Students:
I have learned it is important to maintain humility and treat everyone with respect. Be willing to get your hands dirty and be willing to do things other people won’t. Listen to people and remain teachable. Strive to be useful, not to be successful. Take ownership of your work and the work of your employees, admit when you are wrong. And lastly, remember that your job is not your vocation, so take pleasure in finding your purpose in life outside of a career.
Imani Russell ’18
Casting Intern, Manhattan Theatre Club
New York, NY
BA, Drama, Vassar College
MA, Musical Theatre, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
The Arts/Publishing/Writing
Imani is an actor, singer, and writer who has recently returned to the U.S. after achieving an MA in Musical Theatre (Performance) from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. While studying in Scotland, they performed in two RCS-produced shows in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the largest arts festival in the world. Imani is the recipient of the 2018 Marilyn Swartz Seven '69 Playwriting Award for their play "Audra McDonald and Marsha P. Johnson Deliver a Message About the End of the World." Currently, Imani is the Casting Intern at the Manhattan Theatre Club in New York City. As Casting Intern, Imani organizes audition schedules, headshots, and resumes, and arranges studios to ensure auditions run smoothly. Imani also communicates on a daily basis with agents in the city and across the country. This position, as well as working in the Vassar scene shop with Paul O’Connor, has led Imani down the path of exploring theater from both onstage and off. Upon completion of their internship, Imani plans on returning to acting and will possibly venture into directing. It’s theatre-- anything is possible! Learn more at www.imanirussell.com
Advice to Students:
1) Learn when to say no, and that it’s okay to say no.
2) While you’re at Vassar, try as many unfamiliar classes as you can. Some of the best classes I took had nothing to do with performance, but in many ways made me a better artist.
3) Ask your professors questions about life post-Vassar. It is an incredibly intimidating world out here, and I wish I had asked about auditioning, arts administration, and how to continue my education in my field after graduation. Whatever your major is - ask, ask, ask!
4) Lastly: work is important, but your wellbeing is far more important. Be sure to take care of yourself at every step of your career.
Kaveh Sadigh ’00
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Stony Brook University Hospital
Stony Brook, NY
BA, Biology and English, Vassar College
MS, Biological Studies, Drexel University
MD/MPH&TM, Tulane University School of Medicine
Health/Medicine
As a clinical cardiologist, the majority of Kaveh’s day to day activities are seeing patients either in the hospital or in an outpatient practice. The majority of clinical care is done supervising residents and cardiology fellows as they train to become full-fledged physicians. He also runs the cardiology pathophysiology course for first-year medical students. This consists of lecturing and running small group sessions in order to help set the foundation of knowledge for medical students before they start seeing patients in the hospital.
Advice to Students:
Take advantage of your liberal arts education. It teaches you to become a critical thinker—which is essential to your future, no matter what career path you take.
Claire Salinda ’09
Associate Director, Creative Projects, Buffy
New York, NY
BA, English, Vassar College
Business/Consulting/Entrepreneurship/Finance
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairesalinda/
Claire is the Associate Director of Creative Projects at Buffy, a sustainable home goods startup in NYC. As one of the first 10 full-time hires, Claire scaled the creative team from three to 13 team members, situating it as the largest team in an organization of now 55+ employees. Claire's role at Buffy is focused on developing and implementing systems and processes to facilitate creative team project completion and cross-functional collaboration, all while championing and unlocking the best creative output. A key function of Claire's day-to-day is directing the intake, development, and execution of all creative projects for the company, both intra- and inter-team. Prior to joining Buffy, Claire spent several years at agencies, studios, and other startups in branding, operational, and project management roles. Ever the English major, Claire also writes and edits for freelance clients in her spare time.
Advice to Students:
You will never fit into a box, so stop trying! The beauty of a liberal arts education is the breadth of experiences in which you are a participant, both inside and outside of the classroom. You will walk away from your time at Vassar as someone who can think critically and communicate effectively no matter the forum, which will be absolutely fundamental in any role you take on professionally. So choose those weird and random roles, the ones that may lead you down a non-linear path but that sound interesting, engaging, and enriching. You'll emerge grateful for the experience and your future employers will be, too.
Kilian Schalk ’92
Founder, PurpleGray Consulting
New York, NY
BA, Math, Vassar College
Entertainment/Media
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kilianschalk/
An expert in workflow design and “an energetic, passionate devotee of continuous improvement”, Kilian Schalk founded PurpleGray in New York City in 2014 to create an alternative to the fear-based stagnation prevalent in publishing. He firmly believes that secure employment and employee-centered collaboration can work miracles in a multi-channel environment. . . not least for the business strategy it supports. Before PurpleGray, as Managing Editor for Editorial Development at Condé Nast, he helped define and implement cultural change across eighteen titles. Prior to that he spent eleven years as Technical Director of Digital Projects for The New Yorker, where he was integral to the launch of the magazine’s website, digital archive, and kindle, nook, audible.com, and iPad editions. Kilian was also the youngest Production Manager in Rolling Stone history, began his publishing career in Prague, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Vassar.
Advice to Students:
However possible, try to work/volunteer in both a small and larger organizations and a profit and non-profit as soon as possible in your career. Being able to compare and contrast can give you perspective to help discern options and the networks you will build in all four will be distinct with you at the center.
Arianna Schlegel ’03
Systems Librarian, Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY
BA, Computer Science, Vassar College
Master of Library Science, Southern Connecticut State University
Technology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arianna81
After graduating with a Computer Science degree, Arianna worked for several years in software, writing code for business infrastructure. Compelled by the recession in 2009 (and a growing personal desire to do a different type of work), she returned to school to pursue what sounds like a completely different field: Library Science. However, she was happily able to combine her two passions under the umbrella of Systems Librarianship, which allowed her to continue to work with code and software while also immersing her in the world of books, information, and data organization.
Advice to Students:
Stay open-minded!
Gregory Shapiro ’12
Associate Producer, Travelzoo
New York, NY
BA, Media Studies, Vassar College
Entertainment/Media
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregoryshapiro/
Greg is a producer, researcher and marketer who works at the intersection of entertainment and travel. Throughout his career, he has worked with brands like Nickelodeon (Dora the Explorer), Royal Caribbean and Vice while visiting over 40 countries. As a travel expert, Greg has been featured in Travel Weekly and the Miami Herald and self-published the highest-rated Cuba guidebook on Amazon. Day-to-day tasks at Travelzoo include researching and negotiating travel offers for distribution to 28 million members worldwide through email, social media and programmatic ad campaigns. Current side projects include producing a documentary series about the Colombian Amazon and managing my dog’s Instagram. @_chicharron
Advice to Students:
1. Always have your hand on the ball (doing > thinking).
2. Use what resources are already available to you.
3. Start small (hyper-niche).
Frank Sharpe ’05
Product Developer, ProPublica
New York, NY
BA, Computer Science, Vassar College
Technology
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franksharpe
Frank Sharpe is a web developer living in New York City. After graduating from Vassar in 2005, Frank worked for a start-up in the San Francisco bay area for several years before returning to New York to work in various tech posts at several large multinational financial institutions. In 2016, after experiencing a call of conscience, Frank changed industries and is currently working for the on-line publication, ProPublica -- an independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigative journalism.
Advice to Students:
A couple reminders that have helped at various moments in my professional journey: 1) never stop being curious about our infinitely interesting world. Be a life-long learner. 2) follow your gut. 3) work and career are important but not everything.
Jeffrey Shattuck ’04
Program Manager and Scientist, Forward Photonics
Woburn, MA
BA, Chemistry, Vassar College
PhD, Physical Chemistry, Boston University
Technology
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-shattuck
Jeff received his PhD from Boston University researching the vibration dynamics of water and biological membranes using ultrafast laser spectroscopy. After leaving BU, Jeff joined the defense group at the startup laser company TeraDiode. When TeraDiode was acquired, the defense group spun out to form its own entity. Jeff is currently “Program Manager and Scientist” at a company of 8 people developing high powered semiconductor lasers. Jeff is the primary proposal writer for the company and performs all the tasks necessary to build prototype laser systems as is necessary in such a small company. These tasks include design, assembly, programming, and electronics. Ongoing projects led by Jeff at the company include improving the efficiency of quantum cascade lasers (QCLs), using photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for high brightness laser beam combining, and developing surface emitting QCLs.
Advice to Students:
Know what you want to achieve and be flexible in your road towards it. You don't always know where a great career opportunity is going to come from. Use your liberal arts education to your advantage! The ability to effectively convey your research and technology via the written word or through oral presentation is a major differentiator at many technology companies. Don't shy away from bringing your hobbies and extra-curricular interests into the picture either; being a well-rounded individual is always an asset.
Anu Sopeyin ’15
MD Student, Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, CT
BA, Biochemistry, Vassar College
MD Candidate, Yale School of Medicine
Health/Medicine
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anu-sopeyin-4ab06494/
Anu is a final year medical student at the Yale School of Medicine. She is originally from Nigeria but came to the US to study Biochemistry at Vassar. After graduating from Vassar, she worked as a Research Assistant at The Rockefeller University in NYC for a year before she moved on to start medical school at Yale School of Medicine. At Yale, she has had the opportunity to pursue various research projects, led several on-campus organizations, and is passionate about the patients she gets to serve.
Advice to Students:
You don't have to have everything figured out or a perfect plan; just find something you're good at (and perhaps enjoy) and give it your best. Another thing I learned is the importance of finding a mentor—someone that has gone ahead of you and knows what you would need to get to where you want. These mentors become advocates when you are ready to move on to the next endeavor. It is amazing how many doors open if you have someone that knows you well and can tell others that you are great!
Jason Stahl ’08
Wealth Strategist, Bank of America Private Bank
New York, NY
BA, History, Vassar College
Business/Consulting/Entrepreneurship/Finance
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jas-a-stahl
Jason is responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive strategies that assist high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients with complex financial needs such as preservation, transfer, and management of wealth. He has worked in the private wealth management industry for seven years, worked in his current role for the past five, and is a CFP®️ Professional.
Advice to Students:
This seems totally at odds with my actual major, but take Art 105-106. As a freshman, I swore I would never after seeing my classmates filling up the hallways with index cards during midterms. However, I relented by senior year, and I’m always surprised by the ways in which what I learned in that class helps me in my career – as well as my life in general.
Brent Starks ’97
Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
New York, NY
BA, Psychology, Vassar College
JD, Law, University of Michigan
Law/Legal Services
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-starks-912a194
Brent Starks is an Assistant General Counsel within the JPMC's Government Investigations and Regulatory Enforcement Group. He represents JPMorgan before government agencies, regulators, and SROs in connection with official investigations and inquiries directed to the Firm, works closely with various line-of-business legal and compliance personnel, and advises JPMorgan regarding legal issues relating to investigations and inquiries. He previously worked as a litigation/white collar defense attorney at Covington & Burling LLP and Arkin Kaplan Rice LLP. He has a J.D. from Michigan Law School (2004) and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Vassar College (1997).
Advice to Students:
Take advantage of your four years at Vassar. While great things no doubt lie ahead, the opportunities to shape and guide your future at this institution are boundless.
Taylor Stewart ’10
Programmatic Solutions Consultant, Amazon</>
New York, NY
BA, Media Studies, Vassar College
Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-stewart-0609ba25/
Since graduating in 2010, Taylor has lived and worked in NYC. Starting his career in publishing, Taylor transitioned to a career in digital advertising and now finds himself at Amazon. Working as a solutions consultant within Amazon's digital advertising team, Taylor engages with some of the largest advertisers in the US on their marketing campaigns. As a programmatic solutions consultant, Taylor focuses on creative solutions and data-driven campaign executions within the Amazon advertising ecosystem to achieve outcomes for his partners. Within Amazon and his prior experiences, he focuses on education, training, and continued learning as the pillars of a successful partnership, and has traveled the country as an educator and trainer for his advertising principles.
Advice to Students:
Taylor's advice to students is to always try and apply something you’re passionate about to your work. Even if it's just on a few projects a year and the fit isn't immediately clear, if you're able to add in a creative component or focus on a specific project the outcome is going to be stronger and those around you will recognize this. The other thing Taylor learned early in his career is to listen. Often times in meetings it's not the most frequent talker or the most ostentatious character with the greatest impact, but the quiet observer who can process and reflect on the ideas of the group to come up with a solution to benefit all parties.
Sabrina Sucato ’15
Digital Editor, Hudson Valley Magazine
Poughkeepsie, NY
BA, English and Italian, Vassar College
The Arts/Publishing/Writing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrina-sucato
After interning at Hudson Valley Magazine during her senior year at Vassar, Sabrina worked as a teacher, event planner, and personal assistant before landing a job as the publication's digital editor. She spends her days interviewing restaurateurs, chatting with inspiring business owners, and scouting out the best of the best in the region for online content. In addition to writing about local happenings, she assists with the print magazine upload, oversees website operations, and manages the social media accounts for both Hudson Valley and Valley Table magazines. Under her management, Hudson Valley's Instagram account amassed more than 20,000 followers and website traffic increased by upwards of 30 percent. A self-proclaimed foodie, Sabrina has covered cuisine and culture for publications like Ambrosia, the Poughkeepsie Journal, and Edible Hudson Valley in the past as well.
Advice to Students:
Freelance! If you want to write after graduation, start pitching publications now. The only way to get comfortable with the process is to send that first email. The "nos" and no responses are inevitable, but they're all part of learning how to pitch and figuring out which publications fit with your style. If you can begin to collect bylines while you're still at Vassar, you'll be one step ahead of the game when it comes time to apply for jobs.
Cheyenne Tobias ’18
Production Assistant, Milk Studios
New York, NY
BA, Africana Studies, Vassar College
Entertainment/Media
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheyenne-tobias/
Cheyenne is a production assistant at Milk Studios and Calvin Klein. She is passionate about honing her visual and editorial skills. This past summer, she was the architecture and design intern at arts and architecture PR firm, Blue Medium, where she was responsible for tracking press, writing press releases, and communicating with journalists to secure timely coverage of news-worthy projects and events. While at Vassar, she served as President of Ujima, VP of BSU, and Music Co-Chair of ViCE, all of which proved to be critical experience to her post-graduate endeavors. Cheyenne is passionate about creating thought-provoking content and experiences. She spends her time off creating art and showing work at local arts and music events in New York City.
Advice to Students:
Trust your instincts. Only commit to things that you will have no problem working for. You don't have to know if you will love it forever. Do you enjoy it now? Take it step by step, if you don't know where to go. You don't actually have to have your whole life planned out. It's better if you don't. People will not open doors for you, you have to be brave enough to look silly, take interviews for jobs you don't want if you get them. Try things. Fail a little. Keep in touch with your friends, they will be your best network.
Abby Tripler ’15
Graduate Student/National Park Ranger, Northeastern University/ Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park
Boston, MA
BA, Biology, Vassar College
MS Candidate, Marine Biology, Northeastern University
Scientific Research
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigail-tripler/
Abby is a master's student at Northeastern University’s Three Seas Program. Through this program, she has the opportunity to take courses in three different locations to compare marine ecosystems. She plans to complete her master's thesis on predator-prey interactions and marine protected areas. When she is not in class, she works as a seasonal national park ranger, educating the public about conservation, natural and cultural history of some of our country’s protected outdoor spaces. Starting as an intern with the Student Conservation Association (founded by a Vassar alum!), she worked at the Cape Cod National Seashore for three years and Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park for the last two years. Since graduating from Vassar, she has also worked at several nonprofits with varied missions, including ocean conservation, sustainable development, and childhood education.
Advice to Students:
As one of my Vassar mentors would say, “Life is about the people you meet and the things you create with them, so go out and start creating.” My college experience taught me that being around coworkers, friends, and family that inspire you is just as important as the work you are doing. Even menial tasks can be fun and interesting with a good group of people, and, if you are willing to listen, you can learn a lot. When you look at internships and jobs don’t forget to also look at the location, work culture, and activities you can do outside of work. When in doubt, take a gap year (or a few years). Your perspective and worldview will change a lot in that time “outside the Vassar bubble,” so don’t go to grad school or pursue another advanced degree until you have a better idea of what you are interested in. It’s a lot of time and money to spend on something you decide later that you don’t want to do.
Molly Turpin ’12
Editor, Random House
New York, NY
BA, History and Victorian Studies, Vassar College
The Arts/Publishing/Writing
Molly is an editor of nonfiction books at Random House, where she has worked since 2012. She edits books in history, economics, journalism, philosophy, and more, and she loves working with authors who are absolutely obsessive about their subjects. A few of her books include Jason Stanley's How Fascism Works, Kathleen DuVal's Independence Lost, and Chris Jennings's Paradise Now, a history of American Utopian societies. And, she's really excited about books she has coming up, including The Price of Peace, an intellectual biography of John Maynard Keynes, due out next year from journalist Zach Carter, and a forthcoming book by Harvard historian Tiya Miles about the history of slavery in America told through three generations of women and an object that binds them together.
Advice to Students:
I didn't give much thought to whether the office I'd be working in was a happy one, and then I was so lucky to land somewhere where my colleagues seem genuinely happy to come to work every day (and so am I!). So, pay attention to office culture. It's not always finding the exact job you imagine for yourself, but figuring out what it is about work—any work, really—that keeps you interested. For me, it's having a job that involves learning and being curious and being surrounded by similarly curious, and collaborative, people.
Guillermo Valdez ’15
Business Development Coordinator, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
New York, NY
BA, Geography and Latin American and Latino/a Studies, Vassar College
Law/Legal Services
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guillermovaldezjr/
Guillermo currently works in marketing and business development for one of the largest international law firms, managing the Global Client Sustainability, US Finance and Latin America practices. In this role, Guillermo helps develop the firm's strategy to build relationships with clients, retain new mandates and generate firm revenue. Initially after Vassar, Guillermo worked as a litigation paralegal at Hughes Hubbard and Reed.
Advice to Students:
Be very intentional about reaching out to alumni for help, and don't shy away from being direct about what you advice you need. The Vassar alumni network is strong and collaborative, and they will enthusiastically help current students when requested.
Benjamin Van de Graaf ’07
Associate Director, Operations and People, Kallyope
New York, NY
BA, Biochemistry, Vassar College
MBA, NYU Stern School of Business
Scientific Research
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-vandegraaf
Ben currently leads Operations and People at Kallyope, a New York City based biotech focused on the gut-brain axis. He graduated from Vassar College in ’07 with a degree in biochemistry. After graduation, he worked at Weill Cornell Medical College in the Department of Genetic Medicine, designing and manufacturing viral vector for human gene therapy trials. While at Weill Cornell, he decided not to pursue medicine and followed his interests to NYU Stern School of Business, where he completed his MBA. He joined Kallyope in 2015 as an early employee and has helped the company grow from 5 to more than 60 employees over the last 4 years!
Advice to Students:
Keep your mind open to any opportunity.
Hannah Van Winkle ’03
Producer, NBCUniversal/ NBC News/ Today Show
New York, NY
BA, Economics, Vassar College
Entertainment/Media
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-van-winkle-a99a006/
Hannah is an Emmy Award winning producer for Today and Sunday Today with Willie Geist. She has produced more than 1,000 pieces airing on both WNBC and NBC. She has also been called upon to produce breaking news situations such as the mass shooting in Virginia Beach as well as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Recently, she was tapped to cover the Super Bowl for the second year in a row: establishing her as a go-to for large-scale live events with major network talents like Al Roker, Craig Melvin and Dylan Dryer. Hannah is asked to frequently work with marque talents like Sheryl Crow, Seth McFarlane, Luke Bryan, Jeff Bridges, JJ Watt, Drew Brees and many more while adeptly juggling the needs of these high profile guests.
Advice to Students:
The job of a producer is three things: Get. It. Done. Whatever that means on whatever show you might work on. In news, that frequently means finding unique stories, figuring out how to tell them compellingly, and getting them told to the best of your ability. - A constant curiosity is paramount. Writing skills a must. Technical training with cameras and editing equipment is helpful and will continue to grow in importance in the years to come as technology continues to improve.
Kara Voght ’11
National Politics Reporter, Mother Jones
Washington, DC
BA, American Culture, Vassar College
MS, Journalism, Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism
Entertainment/Media
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karavoght/
Kara Voght is a national politics reporter for Mother Jones, a magazine of investigative journalism that won the Magazine of the Year award from the National Association of Magazine Editors in 2017. Kara covers the Democratic party through the lens of Congress and the 2020 presidential primary, with a focus on the people, movements, ideas, and tensions that are defining its attempts to reclaim the White House. On any given day, Kara is meeting with sources on the Hill, cold-calling Democratic party influencers, pouring over FOIA responses, or writing stories for Mother Jones’ website or print magazine. Journalism is the second career Kara has pursued since she graduated from Vassar in 2011. She spent the first six years of her post-graduate life working in tech project management in Chicago and attended Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism to jumpstart her reporting career.
Advice to Students:
When I look back at my time at Vassar, the courses I am most grateful for are the ones that asked me to research independently and write constantly, practices that helped me hone the critical thinking skills I rely on every day as a journalist. Subject matter isn’t nearly as important as the way you’re synthesizing information; you can always pick up the technical particulars of your chosen career once you have one, but the opportunities to learn how to think will be fewer and farther between.
Lorenzo von Zerneck ’17
Account Manager, AngelList
Brooklyn, NY
BA, Philosophy, Vassar College
Business/Consulting/Entrepreneurship/Finance
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenzovonzerneck/
Lorenzo von Zerneck is a sales and marketing executive based in Brooklyn. He works as an Account Manager at AngelList, a venture capital and hiring platform for technology startups. His core responsibility is to sell six-figure software packages for A-List, AngelList’s premium recruiting marketplace. Lorenzo is also principal of Willoughby Marketing, a boutique digital advertising firm that manages campaigns on Google and Facebook’s ad platforms. Clients include Children’s Miracle Network, WineAccess, Elix Wellness, and a number of full-stack marketing agencies looking to outsource paid acquisition; the firm manages over $1.3mm in annual ad spend. On his off days, Lorenzo enjoys watching Premier League soccer and playing poker.
Advice to Students:
Your job will form a new internal vocabulary in you. The words you think about and use all day will change who you are. Who do you want to be in 5 years? Maybe start with the language you’d like to use and work backwards. I think it's good to be “T” shaped professionally: combine a broad working knowledge of many disciplines with a mastery of one skill.
Emily Weisgrau ’96
President + Lead Strategist, Weiswood Strategies
Philadelphia, PA
BA, Drama, Vassar College
MA, Arts Management, American University
Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyweisgrau/
In the Venn diagram of her career, you'll find Emily at the intersection of branding, marketing, fundraising, and communications. For 23 years, Emily has helped to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for nonprofits through carefully crafted communications. Earlier this year she founded Weiswood Strategies Ltd., a boutique marketing agency. Emily’s clients range from an innovative law firm that is disrupting the legal industry, to a wealth manager entering the brave new world of social media, to a prestigious liberal arts college approaching the final stages of the largest campaign in its history. She oversees two account directors and a team of creative professionals. Emily has a knack for discerning what is unique and valuable about each client and then crafting a strategy to communicate that to target audiences in a way that really resonates. Emily began her career in arts management and eventually landed in higher education. Most recently, she was director of advancement communications at Swarthmore College where, in addition to overseeing campaign communications, she wrote for the president and board chair.
Advice to Students:
Major in whatever you love to study most. I majored in drama and relished every minute of reading plays, working behind the scenes in the Powerhouse, and making interdisciplinary connections to other courses I was taking. Have I ever worked professionally in theater? Nope. And I turned out just fine. Explore different careers the way you explored different courses. Your Vassar degree will open doors not because of your major but because of your curiosity, your breadth of study, and your ability to discern. Major in what you love.
Geoffrey Wertime ’06
Agency Attorney, New York City Commission on Human Rights
New York, NY
BA, French, Vassar College
JD, Law, NYU Law
Law/Legal Services
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffrey-wertime
Geoffrey Wertime graduated from Vassar in 2006 with a major in French, a black belt in Aikido, and the certainty that he would never, ever go to law school. After teaching English in France, reporting for a newspaper, and being an LGBTQ rights activist, he reluctantly changed his mind and went to NYU Law. There, he worked on issues including LGBTQ rights, homelessness, and the freedom of the press. After graduation, he worked for a judge and got a fellowship representing people living with HIV/AIDS. Now, as an attorney at the New York City Commission on Human Rights, he is the lead litigator in anti-discrimination cases filed by the City. All along, he's used French to interview clients, translate legal papers, and look classy at parties.
Advice to Students:
As a Vassar student, you are already impressive. The major problems employers have is finding smart, competent people, and you've got that covered. So pursue your passion, because you'll do best at what you're already interested in, and performing well in school is the best way you can show that you can learn whatever will come next. Trust yourself, take risks, and never do anything just because it's what people are "supposed" to do.
Zachary Wilks ’17
Grant Writer, Canopy, Canopy, Canopy, Inc.
New York, NY
BA, American Studies, Vassar College
MA, Performance Studies, New York University
The Arts/Publishing/Writing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zack-wilks-731398137/
Bio coming soon!
Advice to Students:
Advice coming soon!
James Wilson ’00
Manager, Consumer Research, Branded Entertainment Network
New York, NY
BA, Philosophy, Vassar College
Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesarthurwilson/
James is a media and advertising industry veteran. He’s held marketing and research leadership positions across many of the country’s largest publishing companies. Recently he made the move into the world of content integration and is focused on proving the value of connecting with consumers inside programming rather than through traditional advertising. James is the President of the class of 2000 and is heavily involved in the Brewmasters, the Vassar men’s lacrosse alumni network.
Advice to Students:
The industry you'll dominate 10 years from now probably doesn't even exist yet. Philosophy majors learn how to learn and that skill is one of the most valuable you'll take with you after graduation. Additionally, the networking you do now could be what leads to that job 10 years down the line. Keep building your bridges!
Ellie Winter ’18
Communications and Outreach Coordinator, Brown University, Africana Studies Department
Providence, RI
BA, Africana Studies and Media Studies, Vassar College
Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-k-winter/
Ellie Winter is currently the Communications Designer and Outreach Coordinator within the Department of Africana Studies/Rites and Reason Theatre at Brown University. There, she creates and manages all aspects of the Department and Theatre's communications, focusing on new digital strategies to strengthen relationships with the Providence community. Previously, she worked as the Event Producer at Ubuntu Pathways, where she planned fundraising events on three continents representing over $1.5m in annual donations, and as a PR Coordinator at CooperKatz and Company, where she studied the effects of artificial intelligence and automation on the future of work. While she was at Vassar, Ellie served as Editor-in-Chief of Contrast Magazine, Assistant to the President, Class Council President, and on a host of institutional committees. She misses it all way more than she thought she would.
Advice to Students:
When looking for work, remember that people and environments are important. The interview process is very individualized; you're presenting a very specific picture of yourself and meeting with specific people from the hopeful employer; it's hard to forget that there is much more at stake! Ultimately, that experience might not be fully representative of the day to day experience. Don't be afraid to ask questions about interpersonal relationships, culture, management and working styles. Pay attention to how you are spoken to and treated in the early stages. Especially as a new grad, the right team can make any project feel fulfilling and engaging.
Emily Wolper ’97
President/Founder, E. Wolper, Inc. Admissions Consulting
New York City, NY
BA, Religion, Vassar College
MA, Educational Theatre, NYU
Education
Emily started her admissions consulting practice in 1999 after serving as an admissions officer at Columbia University. She was also an admissions intern as a senior at Vassar. Emily is deeply committed to helping her students discover and express their academic and extracurricular passions. This particular focus arises from her own love of singing, writing, travel, and community service, and her belief that the thoughtful pursuit of interests enriches our lives and informs our understanding of ourselves. She sings with The Harmonium Choral Society, where she performs in both formal and “outreach” concerts, and for which she directs a Broadway Cabaret Troupe. She is also an active alumna of Vassar, having served as the President of the Vassar Club of New York from 2004-2008. Emily is also a single mother by choice and has two wonderful daughters, ages 4 and 6.
Advice to Students:
As you begin to think about what you want to 'be when you grow up,' keep in mind that any venture will be time consuming, challenging, and exhausting. The path you choose will be worth all of that effort if you stick with something you truly love. Don't chase someone else's dream for you—dream for yourself. Think of a problem you'd like to solve in the world and endeavor to find a solution. Think of the people you hope to help and figure out a way to serve them. Always know your worth. Choose your path with heart and trust that positive outcomes will be yours.
Alexandra Wong ’11
Product Communications Designer - Entertainment, Facebook
New York, NY
BA, Media Studies, Vassar College
Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandramwong/
Alexandra is a Product Communications Designer on the Entertainment team at Facebook. Through visual storytelling, Alexandra is responsible for highlighting and showcasing Facebook's video and gaming products for external industry-wide communication, as well as large-scale internal messaging. Prior to her current role, she was a graphic designer on the Corporate Communications team, where she was responsible for supporting Facebook executives by designing main-stage keynotes, infographics, and other marketing collateral. Before joining Facebook, Alexandra spent the first four years of her career working in the advertising industry. After graduating Vassar, Alexandra started out on the account management team at Eleven, a boutique ad agency in San Francisco, where she managed ad campaigns for clients such as, Virgin America, Apple, and Union Bank. She then transitioned into the media world as a Marketing Solutions Strategist where she drove the concepting of content-based ad campaigns for clients including Gap, Levi's, Clorox, M&M's, Tide, Shutterfly, Nikon, Hulu, Walgreens, and Method. By drawing on her agency and media background, Alexandra shifted from marketing and client management into design, by freelancing for San Francisco-based clients including, Lyft, Grand Rounds, and Edelman.
Advice to Students:
Be your own best advocate. Find balance between the time/energy you are giving to an employer and the skills, learnings, and professional growth you are receiving in return.
Nicole Wong ’15
Director of the Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention (SAVP) Office, Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY
BA, English and Sociology, Vassar College
MS, Social Work, Columbia University
Non-Profit/Social Justice
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolekwong514/
Nicole Wong (she/her) is the Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention Office Director at Vassar College. Nicole earned her Masters degree in Social Work at Columbia University in Advanced Clinical Practice with a focus on Health, Mental Health, and Disabilities. She earned her B.A. in Sociology and English from Vassar College. As the SAVP Director, Nicole provides survivor-centered support and advocacy to individuals impacted by sexual and interpersonal violence, coordinates on-campus violence prevention trainings and workshops, and works closely with the SAVP student interns on events and programming throughout the year. Previously, Nicole was the Violence Prevention Educator at Vassar where she developed and implemented sexual violence prevention events and programming for students and employees in the Vassar College community. She also worked in the anti-violence field at the Center for Victim Safety and Support (CVSS) in Poughkeepsie, NY where she held the positions of High Risk Case Manager and Coordinator of Advocacy. At CVSS, Nicole provided counseling, advocacy, and safety planning services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, supervised direct service staff, as well as coordinated daily program activities. Nicole is a private resource on campus.
Advice to Students:
Be kind to yourself in the ways that you can be! Vassar can be really tough sometimes because of how fast paced everything moves and the pressure to be doing a million things all at the same time. Take the time to slow down and celebrate the small things, if you can. And more importantly, don't hesitate to reach out for help or support, even if you don't feel like you need it.
Adam Yuro ’84
College Instructor, Lehman College
Bronx, NY
BA, Education and Hispanic Studies, Vassar College
MA, Spanish Literature, Hunter College
Education
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-h-yuro/
Adam Yuro earned his BA from Vassar College in 1984 and his MA from Hunter College in 1989. He is a successful educator with 35 years of experience as a high school teacher and college instructor. As a secondary level educator, Adam taught Spanish and Italian, grades 9-12, for most of his career at Fox Lane High School (28 years) in Bedford, NY. In addition to his work as an educator, Adam became active in the Bedford Teachers’ Association, serving as an executive officer and labor contract negotiator for many years. During his tenure he was awarded the GLSEN Leadership Award in 2005. Adam began teaching at Lehman College in Bronx, NY in 2017 in which he supervises student teachers. He also serves as a mentor for first year teachers through the Jump Start Program at Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY. In addition to Adam’s work in higher education, he also runs workshops for Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES (also in NY) in world language education for middle and high school teachers.
Advice to Students:
I knew as a young child that I wanted to be a teacher. Vassar helped me to realize this dream. What I didn’t know at the beginning of my career as a teacher was that Vassar had trained me to ultimately become a mentor, a coach, an advocate, a confidant, an activist, a facilitator, a mediator - - - and so much more! Vassar College gave me the tools to take risks, to expand my horizons and to open my eyes to a variety of opportunities. Accept Vassar’s gift and then pass it on!
Alexandra Yuster ’85
Associate Director, UNICEF
New York, NY
BA, Anthropology, Vassar College
MPH, Hunter College, City University of New York
Government/International Affairs
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-yuster/
Alexandra Yuster is Associate Director, Programme Division, UNICEF HQ, leading the organization’s global work on Social Policy. Key aspects of her recent work include championing the inclusion of children in SDG 1 on poverty and social protection and increasing UNICEF’s support to better use of public resources for children. She has also worked to improve the use of social protection to respond to fragile and humanitarian contexts. Ms. Yuster previously served as UNICEF Representative in Moldova (2008-2013) and held positions previously at UNICEF HQ, as well as UNICEF Country Offices in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and India. While in Moldova, UNICEF helped the government maintain and strengthen social protection during the economic crisis. At UNICEF HQ from 2003-2008, Alexandra was part of a multi-agency effort to advance child-sensitive social protection. Her previous work in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and India encompassed work on health, HIV, child poverty and social policy. Born and raised in New York City, she holds a BA in Anthropology and a Masters in Public Health.
Advice to Students:
Let me share what's worked for me: Once you figure out what you want to do, work at it—put in the time, get the degree, and get the ground-level experience. Particularly if you're interested in international development, get real community-level work under your belt early in your career; there's plenty of time for policy impact later, and you'll find those on-the-ground experiences to be invaluable. More mid-career: fight for what you believe in. Listen, collaborate, but don't let go of that good idea you have. My proudest achievements all derive from when I had the confidence and tenacity to keep at it and convince others of my point of view—or work productively with those who already shared that vision. Sometimes the most important things take years—and sometimes they are about pouncing on an opportunity. Be ready for both scenarios.
William Zichawo ’10
VP-Digital Platforms & Advisory Consulting Business, BlackRock
New York City, NY
BA, Political Science, Vassar College
JD, Yale Law School ‘15
Business/Consulting/Entrepreneurship/Finance
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/william-zichawo-34619381
Will works closely with a variety of businesses and platforms at BlackRock supporting the firm’s digital strategy.
Advice to Students:
Trust your instincts, but always seek a second opinion.