Fellows Bios

As a recent graduate of a Ph.D. program in Molecular Microbiology, I am quite guilty of keeping my eyes “glued to the books” and not thinking about the larger picture of my educational endeavors. I spent five years studying foodborne pathogens, and I often joke about the paleness of my skin caused by always working in lab. At the end of the program, however, I began to reflect on my future and found myself wondering if I was going to be satisfied at the end of my life, if I continued as a scientist in the lab trying to solve one problem? For me, the answer was no.

Some people hoard objects. Some may collect mounds of figurines, clothes, or dishes. I, however, hoard information—any tidbits I can grasp. So during my first weeks at the office of University Initiatives, I basked in the whirlwind of new faces, new names, new facts, and new details. Like a contestant in a cash cube, I collected as many valuable pieces as possible. I may not have captured everything thrown at me, but I was thrilled to catch what I could.

Just a month ago, I was sitting on the floor of a small apartment in Cambridge, Ma. The lights were dim and the atmosphere was blissful but somber (despite Lady Gaga blaring in the background).  I was surrounded by my classmates, my friends, my comrades.  We had all just turned in our final paper of graduate school, and we were reveling in the accomplishment of having completed a Masters at Harvard in less than nine months.

Dear ASU,

I can’t believe that 3 years ago we met for the first time. I recall that moment when I drove onto campus to participate in the Teach For America (TFA) summer training institute held at ASU. I was welcomed with palm tree-lined streets, the blazing desert sun, clear blue skies, and a wide open door to opportunities I could have never imagined.

I am very happy to be part of University Initiatives after a long slog in graduate school. I joined Arizona State University after completing a Ph.D. in English and American Literature at Stanford University, and that background has already led me on some unusual paths in my work here. What attracted me to this fellowship is something that several other people have told me also drew them to ASU: things are happening here and they happen fast.

Given Ed’s initiative and with gentle (albeit, increasingly less so) nudging from Jacqueline, I figured it was about time I began blogging. Besides temporarily maintaining a Live Journal to chronicle my teenage angst, and dabbling a bit in college, I have not blogged too much, but I excel at reading them and hopefully that will parlay itself into somewhat decent blog writing skills.

In the spirit of 10,000 Solutions, a new entrepreneurship initiative at ASU, Nikki & Alicia say their farewell as fellows via a video.

With graduation right around the corner, excitement and anxiety are surely mounting. Especially for those of us who wait for the last minute to figure out what’s next. Fear not, there are still events where you can find opportunities for what’s next, particularly in National Service.

During trying economic periods, it is important for students to be aware of alternative career options that are open to all majors. Two of these options are in areas of National Service and Entrepreneurship. In Career Services at ASU, a new initiative that has been implemented to help promote these opportunities called High Impact Careers.

In the National Service world, many programs are seeing expansion of opportunities available. High Impact Careers has partnered with three main National Service programs Teach for America, AmeriCorps and Peace Corps.