University of Connecticut |
Graduates made their markCLAS ’07 graduates headed out of UConn with big plans, leaving behind an impressive record of academic, volunteer, and internship experiences. Here is a sampling of this year’s baccalaureate and advanced degree students:
Aaron Mushengyezi
Aaron Mushengyezi, ’07 PhD in English, will return to his native Uganda after graduation with a trove of stories that preserve the country’s oral tradition of passing folk tales from elders to children. Mushengyezi came to UConn in 2002 on a Ford Foundation fellowship after earning his master’s degree in African literature in Uganda. Working with faculty adviser Margaret Higonnet, professor of English, he devoted his doctoral dissertation to documenting and analyzing Ugandan folk tales for children. Twice he returned to the countryside of Uganda, recording more than 500 children’s songs and stories passed along by village performers and elders. He transcribed them in three native dialects and translated them into English. He hopes to publish the stories in bilingual books for children that could be used in Uganda’s bilingual education system. “Aaron's work is a product of a national agenda – shaped by an urge to preserve Ugandan culture,” says Higgonet. Mushengyezi’s own children – three boys, ages 8, 6, and 3 – live in Kampala with his wife. He will return there and take a job as a senior lecturer in the literature department at Makekere University. Rachael Sampson
Rachael Sampson, CLAS '07, a double major in physiology and neurobiology and molecular cell biology from Preston, Conn., fell in love with biology in her first semester and decided to become a pre-medical student. “I was enthralled by my professors’ research projects. One professor studied muscle cells and the manner in which the fibers contract, one studied potential compounds which could be used to combat HIV, and I found one professor who worked with stem cells in the brain,” Sampson said. Sampson, who graduated from the Norwich Free Academy, was attracted to brain research because her brother had been diagnosed with a benign brain tumor several years before. During her junior year, she began working in the lab of Joanne Conover, assistant professor of physiology and neurobiology. Here, Sampson was given the opportunity to study the same type of cells that were found in her brother’s brain tumor. She was awarded a Summer Undergraduate Research Fund Grant and two research grants from the Office of Undergraduate Research. During the fall semester of her senior year, Sampson volunteered as a health advocacy lecturer in Willimantic, Conn. "I loved working with people, teaching, and just talking to people who often did not have anyone who would listen,” she said. Sampson hopes to attend UConn School of Medicine. -- Karen McCormick, CLAS ’07 Jeff Griffin
Jeff Griffin, CLAS ’07, a University Scholar from Cheshire, Conn., who crafted a research specialty in contemporary Irish literature, next fall will trade reading novels and poems for the language of the law. As a student at UConn Law School, he will prepare for a career in international law or estate planning. Griffin’s senior thesis topic, which he chose with the advice of English faculty member Mary Burke, was on contemporary Irish novelist Edna O’Brien. Griffin didn’t just read O’Brien’s books, though. He won a Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF) grant to travel last May to Dublin, Belfast, and County Clare, Ireland, where he visited O’Brien’s hometown of Tuamgraney and examined first drafts of her writing at the National Library in Dublin. Last fall he obtained an Office of Undergraduate Research grant to travel to St. Paul, Minn., to hear O’Brien read from her latest novel, The Light of Evening. On his way home, he spotted the 76-year-old author at the airport, approached her, and spoke to her about his thesis and the growing Irish literature program at UConn. He has his eye on the Law School’s study abroad program in Ireland. “I’d love to take advantage of it,” he says. Joshua Fairchild
Joshua Fairchild, CLAS '07, a psychology major who came to UConn from Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven, Conn., started college as an English major. But his plans changed after enrolling in Professor David Miller’s Psychology 132 class. “I got hooked,” he said. “He is so interesting and so dynamic. He kept me so engaged Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8 a.m.” Fairchild enjoyed the class so much that he decided to major in psychology and minor in neuroscience. He was selected by Miller to be a supplemental instruction leader, holding study sessions for students who wished to attend. He also worked in the lab of Etan Markus, professor of psychology. For his honors thesis, he studied the visual startle responses in rats. In the summer of 2006, Fairchild interned at Fellowship Place in New Haven, Conn., a social and vocational rehabilitation center for people with psychiatric and drug abuse problems. While there, he ran stress and anger management groups and taught art therapy. Fairchild also worked at the UConn Center for Students with Disabilities, and was the social chair of the psychology honor society. He was also a member of the Agents of Improv and Dramatic Paws, giving him the chance to let loose. “It was nice to get out there, to be silly and laugh,” he said. Currently he is applying for clinical research positions and he plans to apply to PhD programs in the future. -- Karen McCormick, CLAS ’07 Hear more about Fairchild and other psychology graduates’ experiences in these post-graduation interviews recorded by Prof. Miller: http://web.uconn.edu/psychology/2007Commencement.mp3 Olateju Owoye
Olateju Owoye, CLAS ’07, was given her name because it means happiness and prosperity. “My father and mother named me after an aunt and they loved the name because it described how things were going for them at the time that I was born,” Owoye said. Owoye, an economics major, first visited the University of Connecticut with her parents and while touring the Storrs campus, she immediately knew it was where she belonged. “My parents and I loved it,” she said. She was offered a Leadership Scholarship, which pays for four years of tuition. “It’s a great school and additionally having that put UConn at the forefront of my college decision,” she said. She was originally enrolled as an exploratory engineering major, but after thinking about her future career choices, she realized that she didn’t love the major as much as she loved the University. With the help of her ACES advisor, Owoye was instructed to take introductory courses in a variety of fields and decide which she liked best. She immediately developed a passion for economics. “The subject really clicked with me,” she said. “There are so many things you can do with the major.” Owoye had the opportunity to work as a tour guide in the Visitor’s Center, one of the most sought student jobs at the University. She was also a student blogger on the Admissions web site, writing about her experiences at UConn for prospective students. She volunteered to help the homeless in Boston during her senior year, through Community Outreach. She was also a member of the Undergraduate Student Government and became the Chief Justice in her junior year. Owoye also was a member of UConn club lacrosse for her freshman and sophomore years and became a cycling instructor after taking several cycling classes at Bodywise, a fitness program on campus. After working on a research project on health insurance demand with Rex Santerre, professor of finance, she will take a year off before going to law school or obtaining a PhD in economics. During her year out of school, Owoye plans to learn Spanish and travel throughout Spain with a friend. She also hopes to assist her father, who is an economist and professor at Western Connecticut State University, in his research. Owoye also plans to travel with her father to Kenya, where he teaches PhD students each summer. -- Karen McCormick, CLAS ’07 Veronica Segarra
Veronica Segarra, who earned a master’s degree in communication disorders, came to UConn as an undergraduate from Crosby High School in Waterbury, Conn., after she was offered a scholarship that paid for her full tuition. “My mom is a single mom, she needed the help,” she said. Growing up with an older brother with cerebral palsy and mental retardation, Segarra became interested in how he was treated. During her senior year of high school, Segarra was a teacher’s aide in a reading and writing enrichment program. She also participated in research that was published in the Journal of Communication Disorders. While attending UConn, Segarra worked for Birth to 3, an early intervention program for children with developmental disabilities. She was a graduate assistant on an NIH-funded three-year research project with the School of Nursing that uses an interactive software education program to teach older adults about medication literacy, safety, and adherence. “The goal of the whole project is to help enhance self-efficacy among older adults to be able to use medications in a safe and effective manner,” said Segarra. She also worked as a community assistant for UConn Residential Llife. Segarra, who is bilingual, plans to do speech pathology in schools that have a large population of Spanish-speaking students. -- Karen McCormick, CLAS ’07 Carleen Graham
Carleen Graham, CLAS '07, an international relations major from Simsbury, Conn., transferred from a smaller liberal arts school to UConn after her freshman year. “I wanted a large university where I would have lots of different opportunities,” she said. She found UConn to be fun, with lots of activities and academic rigor. Graham was involved with UConn PIRG (Public Interest Research Group). “Writing my thesis was an eye-opening experience,” she said. Graham studied the resource curse effect by looking at major oil exporting countries. “The resource curse effect is a developmental phenomenon, where developing nations that have abundant natural resources tend to under-perform economically. I'm interested in major oil exporters, because oil is such a lucrative natural resource,” she said. Graham, who graduated with a 3.95 GPA, will enroll in Emory University’s political science PhD program with a focus in international relations and international political economy. After obtaining her PhD she plans on an academic career. -- Karen McCormick, CLAS ’07 Darrylynn Montague
Darrylynn Montague, CLAS ’07, originally wanted to go to law school after graduating from UConn. But her future plans changed after she attended the Ralph Bunche Summer Institute, a program of the American Political Science Association. The program, directed at minority undergraduate students, trains students in political science research to spur their interest in graduate school. Montague, a political science major from West Haven, Conn., said the program made her want to continue to pursue political science. While attending the program for five weeks in the summer of 2006, she wrote a paper about African American support of affirmative action. Out of the 20 students that attended the program, 10 were chosen to return and present their research. She was one of the ten. As a child growing up with a single mother, Montague was taught the importance of education. “Since I was a little girl, my mom told me to do well in school because she couldn’t afford to send me to college,” she said. Even though her mother was her support system, Montague needed financial help and received it through a Leadership Scholarship, which paid for four years of tuition, and the State of Connecticut’s Capitol Scholarship, which helped her pay for other college fees. She was a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society. She was also the vice president of the Black Student Association and a community assistant for UConn Residential Life. Montague’s academic success was recognized with an award from the International Society of Collegiate Scholars and a New England Scholar award. She will enroll in Ohio State University’s political science PhD program. -- Karen McCormick, CLAS ’07 Marlene Rispoli
Marlene Rispoli, CLAS '07, a dual degree student with a BA in Communication Sciences and a BS in Business Administration, came to UConn planning to get involved. “The open opportunities for involvement on campus were endless,” she said. A graduate of Rockville High School in Vernon, Conn., Rispoli joined the communications club as a freshman. She became the president of the club for her junior and senior years. Rispoli also was president of UConn’s Habitat for Humanity. When she joined the club her freshman year, she organized an alternative spring break to Florida to build homes with 14 other UConn students. Obtaining a dual degree required an extra 30 credits, but Rispoli is graduating in four years because she has taken winter and summer courses. Rispoli was offered a full-time position with Philip Morris after interning with the company the summer of 2006. She will start as a territory sales manager in New England and will be responsible for 140 accounts. She says that her experiences at UConn have helped prepare her with organization, leadership, and public speaking. As she is preparing for her future, Rispoli has been reflecting on her experiences at UConn and the friends she has made. “I’m going to miss the comfort of the UConn community,” she said. “I’m definitely ready to leave college—I’m ready for the next step.” -- Karen McCormick, CLAS ’07 Nima Gerami
Nima Gerami, CLAS ’07, has a strong passion for foreign policy. Gerami, a double major in international studies and political science, spent his junior year studying economics and political economy at CEMA University in Argentina. While in Argentina, he interned at Nueva Comunicacion, a political consulting firm in Buenos Aires. He helped devise strategic advice for the campaign of a 2007 presidential candidate, gathered press releases relevant to clients, and analyzed opinion surveys. He also worked in the Salvation Army’s social orientation office. He volunteered in Once, a very poor town outside of Buenos Aires. His duties included handing out food, speaking about domestic problems with locals, and tutoring children. “I think it’s important to think critically about the nature of the state,” said Gerami. For graduate school, he plans to study international relations and foreign policy at either Harvard or Tufts University. “Do what makes you happy,” he advised, “but be the best at it. The field of foreign policy is what inspires me, and I hope to master it.” - Karen McCormick, CLAS ‘07 |
