Photo courtesy of Connecticut College
Recently, the College continued an annual, time-honored tradition and honored 13 seniors as Winthrop Scholars. These seniors constitute the top 3% of the graduating class based on GPA. “13 just happens to be the number [of the top 3% this year],” said Professor and President of Phi Beta Kappa, Delta of Connecticut Chapter, Lawrence Vogel. “The top 10% [of the graduating senior class] is Phi Beta Kappa and the Winthrop scholars are described as having academic excellence in the classroom as measured by grade point averages.” Without further ado, here are the stories behind the 13 graduating Winthrop Scholars.
A.J. DiCesare – Morristown, New Jersey
Economics major, Computer Science minor, Entrepreneurship pathway, President of the Peggotty Investment Club, Economics Student Advisory Board, Accounting tutor, and former Men’s Varsity Hockey player.
Why Conn?: Chose Conn for its competitive academics and athletics- also because I wanted to stay on the east coast for college.
Why Major/minor?: I majored in economics because it’s an interesting field that teaches you much about how interactions between and across individuals, political and economic institutions, and countries really work, and what the consequences are for everyday people. I think it is a good foundation of knowledge for what I want to do after college. I chose CS because 1) it’s an important skill to have as much of the world and work life is becoming automated, but also because I enjoyed the logic and clarity required when writing code. I chose my entrepreneurship pathway as one day I may like to be my own boss.
Post-Conn Plans: I intend to go work for Citigroup in NYC [New York City] upon graduation. I see an MBA as a possibility but an uncertainty at this point.
Thank You’s: First and foremost I’d like to thank the many outstanding professors I’ve had, particularly former chair Professor Mukerji and Professor Park who taught two of my favorite economics electives. I’d also like to thank professor Noel Garrett, head of the ARC and my accounting professor, who has supported me in every endeavor since I arrived at Conn. I’d lastly like to thank my hockey coaches, Jim Ward and Joe Giordano for the opportunity to come play at Conn, and all of my friends and former teammates for the great memories.
Adriana Cretu – Bucharest, Romania
BCMB (Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology) major, Computer Science minor. Conducted research as part of the Summer Science Research Institute program, International Advisor, ISA board member, College Greenhouse staff member.
Why Conn?: When I first read about Connecticut College, I really enjoyed learning about the strong connections formed between students and their professors as well as the college’s dedication to academic achievement and helping students in shaping their professional paths. I was further really excited about the opportunities offered for conducting research on campus. Besides the wide variety of academic resources, centers promoting interdisciplinary work, and programs that the college has to offer, I think one of the main reasons I chose Conn was furthermore the diversity of the school which made Connecticut College feel like a second home when I was one ocean away from my own.
Why Major/Minor?: I have always been interested in science since I was a child, in particular, in biology and chemistry. My grandparents have been working with meristem cultures and genetic engineering of new plant varieties, hence I have always been exposed to the the scientific world. Discovering more in-depth throughout high school the chemical processes behind biological phenomena made me want to pursue the field of biochemistry. As I had already admired the focus on a liberal arts education and interdisciplinarity of Connecticut College, I wanted to immerse myself in a wider field than just focusing on one subject, which is why I chose the BCMB major – Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology. I was also really interested in the research that the professors in the department were conducting, who I was interested to work with if given the opportunity.
One of the first intro courses I took at Conn introduced me to the field of bioinformatics and to the emerging importance of computer science knowledge in biology and chemistry research work. My previous experience with programming gained before coming to Conn and the developing interest in obtaining computer science skills that I can utilize in the future for biochemical research determined me to pursue a minor in CS as well.
Post-Conn Plans: I am planning to pursue a PhD in biochemistry or biomedical sciences and in the future I would like to work in the biochemical research field part of the pharmaceutical industry. At this moment, I will be returning this summer to work at Pfizer, on the Groton site, where I have interned before last summer as part of their SGE program.
Thank You’s: I am extremely grateful to Connecticut College for giving me the opportunity to obtain an education in my favorite field and for providing me with academic resources and research opportunities that I couldn’t have easily accessed back home. I am also very thankful for the amazing faculty who provided guidance along the way, in particular Prof. Schneider who has been an amazing mentor and offered me valuable lessons for the future path of becoming a scientist. I am also grateful to the Career Center and the career advisors that helped me shape my professional path for the past four years, and also to Dean Patton for always being an amazing advisor for the international students.
Lia Dietrich – Cranston, Rhode Island
Psychology major, PICA scholar, Program Assistant in the Office of Student Engagement
Why Conn?: I wanted a small, liberal arts college in the Northeast that had a flexible curriculum and a lot of trees (it was mostly about the trees if we’re being honest) :)
Why Major/pathway?: I took AP psychology during my senior year of high school and became really interested in learning more about how people think. I came into Conn undecided, but my interest in the psych major was solidified after taking PSY 100 during my first year here. I applied to PICA because I’ve always been interested in helping people and giving back to my community and this center felt like a good way to meet like-minded people while pursuing those interests.
Post-Conn Plans: Next year I will be working as a research assistant at Butler Hospital (in RI) within their Behavioral Medicine and Addiction Research lab. I hope to work as a research assistant for a couple of years before going on to grad school for a clinical psychology PhD.
Thank You’s: A big thank you to my major advisor Professor Marshall and everyone in the psychology department and to all of the PICA faculty and staff for all the ways they’ve supported me throughout my time at Conn. I also want to thank my parents and younger brother for always supporting and encouraging me!
Kate Haas – West Newbury, Massachusetts
Sociology major, Government minor, Media, Rhetoric, and Communication pathway, Marketing & Communications Fellow at the Hale Center for Career Development, Sociology Student Advisory Board Chair
Why Conn?: I was drawn to Conn because of the small, tight-knit community. Forming strong relationships with my professors has been an incredibly important part of my college experience, which starts in a small classroom setting where trust and engagement are at the core of the class structure.
Why particular major/minor/pathway choice?: My passion for sociology stems from my desire to understand what influences patterns of human behavior. This desire also sparked my interest in marketing and communications, which led me to pursue the Media, Rhetoric, and Communication pathway as a means of exploring my interest in marketing, particularly social media marketing, interdisciplinarily.
Post-Conn Plans: I am pursuing full-time roles in marketing and communications.
Thank You’s: I am incredibly grateful for the support I have received from my advisors throughout my time at Conn — Professor Flores and Professor Flagg in the Sociology department, and Professor Borrelli in the Government department. I am also grateful to Deb Brunetti and Persephone Hall in the Hale Center for their unwavering support of my professional development.
Junhyung Han – Seongnam, South Korea
Philosophy and Neuroscience double major
Why Conn?: I chose Connecticut College because of the generous grant it offered.
Why Particular major/minor?: Had I not taken an Introduction to Philosophy course, I would have not known that I have interest and passion in philosophy and would have chosen BCMB as my major. I loved that philosophy professors allow so much freedom in writing papers. For my final paper for that intro course, I even added an appendix to illustrate my ideas via figures, which, in retrospect, was a bold thing for a novice to do, but the professor, who is now my adviser, loved it and encouraged me to take more philosophy courses.
Post-Conn Plans: I am hoping to pursue a doctorate degree in philosophy a year after my graduation. In the meantime, I will work on my application for graduate programs while reading all the great books that I’ve bought but haven’t yet read.
Thank You’s: I particularly thank all the professors of the Philosophy Department–Professor Derek Turner, Larry Vogel, Andrew Pessin, Simon Feldman, and Lindsay Crawford– and my neuroscience major adviser, Professor Ruth Grahn, for their immense support and guidance.
Theodora Moldovan – Romania
Statistics and Data Science major, Computer Science minor, Ammerman Center for Arts and Technology, Housefellow, CS and Statistics Grader & TA, Ammerman Center Social Media Coordinator
Why Conn?: I wanted to be on a small liberal arts college campus.
Post-Conn Plans: I will be pursuing a master’s in machine learning and statistics.
Susanna Procario-Foley – New Rochelle, New York
Dance major, English and GSIS double minor, PICA scholar, Dance Club member, RefleXion member, Roth Writing Center tutor.
Why Conn?: I chose to come to Conn for a couple of main reasons. I knew I wanted a small liberal arts school but I was limiting my search to schools that offered a dance major. After taking a class in the Dance Department as a high school senior and meeting the professors, I fell in love with the department. The Holleran Center was another critical component of my decision to attend Conn. Social justice and community service have always been really important to me, so having the Holleran Center and PICA program was a huge draw for me. I also thought the campus was pretty and loved the arboretum :)
Why particular major/minor?: Dance, English, and PICA were pretty clear-cut for me. Those are subjects I had been interested in and passionate about throughout high school so the decision was a no-brainer for me. GSIS was the one surprise. Spring of my first-year, I took a ConnCourse called Making Sex with Dean Egan in the GSIS department, mostly just because I wanted to fulfill the ConnCourse requirement. However, after a few weeks in the course I knew that I wanted to pursue the subject further.
Post-Conn Plans: As of now, I have no clue what I’m doing after graduation (yikes!). However, some of my interests include teaching, community-engaged nonprofit work, and continuing to dance and choreograph. My ideal job would be something that allows me to combine dance with community work. Eventually I would like to pursue an MFA in dance.
Thank You’s: Leather and Glitter (taught by Rotramel and Ferhatovic) was one of my absolute favorite classes ever! Some of my most influential professors have been Rachel Boggia (dance), David Dorfman (dance), and Hubert Cook (English), but I am so appreciative of the faculty at this school.
Clark Strauss
Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology Major, Computer Science Minor, Co-Chair of the Chemistry SAB, Founder and president of Club Basketball, Men’s Ultimate Frisbee team member.
Why Conn?: I chose to come to Conn for its close-knit community both inside and outside of the classroom. I wanted to go to a school where I could get to know my professors and have the opportunity to conduct meaningful research as an undergrad.
Why particular major/minor?: I was undecided between biology and chemistry when I came to Conn with interests in both research and medicine. I settled on the BCMB major because it allowed me to dive into both disciplines and helped me to decide on my career path moving forward. I also enjoyed my intro computer science class as a freshman and wanted to continue to learn more about the field, especially how it relates to chemistry and biology. I joined Dr. Timo Ovaska’s research group during the summer of 2021 as part of the SSRI program and have been working there for the past 2 years on an organic synthesis project. Recently, I just completed my honors thesis which centered around the synthesis of frondosin D, a naturally occurring molecule with drug-like capabilities shown to inhibit pathways that lead to certain cancers as well as HIV.
Post-Conn Plans: Next year I will be attending Yale graduate school as a doctoral candidate and expect to earn my PhD in organic chemistry. I hope to use my degree in the future to explore both pharmaceutical research and academia. I have really enjoyed my time as a tutor for various chemistry courses and as a chair for the chemistry SAB. I hope to continue helping others better understand the field of chemistry moving forward through graduate school and beyond.
Thank You’s: I would like to thank Dr. Timo Ovaska for being a great professor, mentor, and research advisor. I couldn’t have succeeded in chemistry without his help and support. I would also like to thank Dean Eastman for being my academic advisor for the past three years and providing me with insight into careers in the STEM field.
Tali Sureck – Northampton Massachusetts.
Dance and Psychology double major, Creativity pathway, Dance Club member, Tour Guide/Ambassador.
Why Conn?: I knew I wanted to go to a small liberal arts school where I could continue growing as a dancer and choreographer alongside pursuing my academic interests. What I loved about Conn was the equal value placed on the arts, academics, and sports. Before I committed to Conn, I received a personalized letter from a student in the dance department which meant a lot to me and had a big impact on my decision. Ultimately, I got a strong sense of community here. I felt like people really supported and showed up for each other across all areas of campus, which was the type of environment I was looking for.
Why particular major/minor?: Choosing to be a dance major was a no brainer. After meeting the dance faculty and fellow students in the department, I knew this was a community I had to be a part of. Over my four years here, the dance department has felt like family to me. In terms of my psychology major, I have always been interested in studying mental health and human behavior. I liked how many different areas of psychology you could study here, and how the class material and homework felt relevant and useful across all areas of life! Psychology applies to everything, including dance, and in the creativity pathway I was able to combine these two passions of mine together. In my pathway I explored the intersection between dance and psychological well-being, specifically researching and presenting on the psychosocial benefits of dance education.
Thank You’s: I would like to thank my advisors Professor Dorfman and Professional Marshall for supporting my growth over the past four years. I would also like to thank my friends for making this place feel like home!
Matthew Yamamoto – San Francisco, CA
Botany major, Music minor, Creativity Pathway.
Why Conn?: I came to Conn because I wanted to live in a new part of the country. Since I had a variety of interests I liked that Conn gave students so much freedom in choosing classes to build their own education. Conn had the Arboretum, a botany program, and free music lessons which all seemed to fit my interests.
Why particular major/minor?: I knew I was interested in natural resource management/stewardship and I thought I might major in environmental studies since I was intimidated by biology. The biology/botany/chemistry courses ended up being my favorite classes to take so I declared my major in botany. Botany is enjoyable because you get to see, touch, smell, and taste the plants that you’re studying.
Post-Conn Plans: I’m going to get my master’s in botany at the California Botanic Garden and Claremont Graduate University. Over the summer before that starts, I will be a field biologist for the National Park Service.
Thank You’s: One of the highlights of my time at Conn has been doing research with Professor Chad Jones in the botany department. He is very smart but also very down-to-earth and has taught me many of the most valuable things I will take from Conn. He also taught one of my favorite courses, plant systematics, which is more or less the field that my work in grad school will fall under.
Other scholars who were not available for response: Gjina Ahmetaj, Chau Minh Le, and Makena Lurie.
On behalf of The College Voice, congratulations to all of the 2023 Winthrop Scholars!
