Testimonials

Maggie Fox, Class of 2018, Chemistry

Maggie is currently a Scientific Editor at Joule by Cell Press handling manuscripts primarily on Batteries and the energy field more broadly. She started as a scientific editor at Nature Communications on their energy materials team, after completing her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at UCLA in 2023. She’s married to fellow ��ý Scholar alum, Dakota Desantis, who works as an HR Business Partner at Collins Aerospace.

While at ��ý Maggie was involved in countless extracurricular activities, leadership roles, and undergraduate research and was recently named a recipient of the ��ý Bearcats of the Last Decade (BOLD) 10 under 10 Award in recognition of highly successful recent alumni.

“Success looks different for everyone and will continue to change as you move forward in your life! I put a lot of pressure on myself as a Hispanic woman in STEM to succeed … however, I realized that success for me didn’t really look like I thought it did. I enjoyed completing my research, but find success in seeing that a student I worked with understands a new concept. In my current role, it’s more about helping others share their work to continue advancing the field and creating conversations about future work that needs to be done."

DJ Hennie, Class of 2020, Human Development

After receiving his MSEd in the Childhood, Early Childhood and Literacy Education Program, DJ Hennie was awarded the Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher Scholarship for Teacher Education. This scholarship is awarded to “recognize a teacher education major who personifies the vision and mission of Chancellor Emeritus Zimpher’s commitment to excellence in the elementary and secondary teacher education profession.” As an educator, DJ hopes to make a genuine impact on the lives of students by building lasting connections and serving as a role model for the teachers of the future.

Chris Thompson, Class of 2019, Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineer at JFK&M Engineers

As a mechanical engineer, Chris gets to be involved in a wide variety of projects spanning everything from healthcare buildings to botanical gardens to projects here at ��ý. Chris works at JFK&M Engineers which is a smaller company with around 35 employees, so he was given a lot of responsibility from the start designing and managing projects.

“Many of the courses I took in college, specifically scholars courses, forced me out of my comfort zone to work with people I wouldn't normally interact with. This has been a huge benefit to my career as my day to day involves working on a team with people from all different backgrounds.”

Lauren Nardacci, Class of 2017, Biomedical Engineering

Product and Strategy in Medtech

After graduating from ��ý, Lauren went to Stanford to get a Master’s degree in biomedical engineering. Lauren then moved to the Boston area where she worked for a consulting firm called Health Advances. Lauren shifted to working in competitive intelligence and subsequently strategic marketing roles at LivaNova, a medical device company focused on neuromodulation therapy for patients with epilepsy.

“Don't be afraid to try new classes, research, projects, clubs, internships that aren't what you're used to. You won't know what you like (or don't like) until you try it. Your career path is not set in stone and you have so many opportunities at ��ý and within the Scholars Program to get involved in a variety of ways that can help you both personally and professionally. “

Sonali Patel, Class of 2022, Business Administration Management and Biological Sciences

"The scholars program has allowed me to grow both academically and socially throughout the last four years. I am so grateful to this program for introducing me to my best friends and giving me so many opportunities that have enhanced my college experience."

Brandon Smith, Class of 2023, Biological Sciences

“The ��ý Scholars program has been able to provide me with opportunities many students can only imagine. Being able to spend an entire semester working and researching in a hospital as an undergraduate was a dream come true.”