Civic Scholars Gephardt News Student News

Next Steps for Civic Scholars Program Graduates

Over the past two years, the Civic Scholars Class of 2018 completed four semesters of academic coursework, received multiple levels of mentorship, and developed substantial summer civic engagement projects. Like the 40 program alumni who have come before them, they acquired advanced civic leadership skills and demonstrate a significant commitment to civic engagement post-graduation. Learn more about their current and upcoming plans below.

  • Andres Avalle is working as an Associate at Bain & Company, a management consultancy, in Chicago, Illinois. Eventually, he hopes to earn an advanced degree in complex systems, economics, or philosophy.
  • Molly Brodsky is pursuing community-focused agriculture and food justice work in San Francisco, California. She will serve as a Community Educator with Global Student Embassy (GSE), a nonprofit that facilitates garden-based experiential learning and leadership training for high school students in the Bay Area. GSE partners with urban farming organizations in Ecuador and Nicaragua and aims to highlight both local and global food issues.
  • Caitlin Cheeseboro moved to Los Angeles, California and will serve as a City Year AmeriCorps member.
  • Michael Collins stayed in St. Louis for the summer to conduct research on Chinese refugees during the Korean War. This month, he is moving to Beijing, China, where he will pursue a Masters in History at Peking University as a Yenching Scholar.
  • Claudia Evaristo moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota and is applying for community health and reproductive justice advocacy jobs. She also traveled with family in Hong Kong and India. She hopes to begin medical school in fall 2019.
  • Ishak Hossain is applying to medical school. For the next year, he is working full-time for the Missouri chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations.
  • Assiatou Jallow is spending the summer in Detroit, Michigan and is in the process of applying for positions that will allow her to explore community and economic development as tools to address systems of oppression.
  • Wesley Jenkins stayed in St. Louis to complete freelance writing projects for MICDS high school and the Division of Student Affairs at Washington University. In September, he is moving to Chicago to begin a Master of Science program in Journalism at Northwestern, with a specialization in print and digital magazine content.
  • Anna Noronha is working as a Research Assistant for Ariadne Labs, a health systems innovation think tank. She is situated in the Office of the Executive Director, where she will assist with research for writing projects and review literature on global health innovations.
  • Karthik Rohatgi spent the summer in India. This month, he will be starting medical school at Washington University. He plans to pursue a combined Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health degree.
  • Nathan Stanfield is interning at Populous, an architecture firm in Kansas City, Missouri. He plans to pursue a graduate degree in architecture.
  • Maddie Stewart spent the summer with friends and family. She is returning to St. Louis to work at Places for People for the next year before starting medical school at Boston University.
  • Sarah Vaughn is working as a ScribeAmerica Medical Scribe for a family medicine physician in Champaign, Illinois. She is also applying to medical school programs to begin in fall 2019.
  • Cole Warner is an AmeriCorps member at The Biome School in St. Louis. He is also shadowing in the ER at BJC HealthCare and pursuing a certificate in narrative medicine through Columbia University.

Click here to learn more about the Civic Scholars Program and to watch a video as the graduates reflect on their experiences in the classroom, the St. Louis community, and beyond.