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The Future is Bright for Class of ’15

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Chemistry major James Ulcickas has been accepted to the chemistry PhD program at Purdue University in Indiana.
Chemistry major James Ulcickas has been accepted to the chemistry PhD program at Purdue University in Indiana.

Graduate school, community service programs, transitional jobs, and professional work in their fields of study – when it comes to the future, Keene State’s 2015 graduates are moving on in style. Here’s a selection of this year’s graduating class and their plans for the coming months. We’re updating this list regularly, so check back often!

Hear about some of the plans of our graduates

Samantha Dormio is attending East Carolina University in North Carolina, where she’s working on a master’s degree in biology with a concentration in ecology and conservation.

Kalie Randlett, who majored in communication and social science, is a talent acquisition manager for Barton Associates in Keene.

Stephanie Krasco, an English major, has accepted a position as an administrative assistant in the Marketing and Sales Department of Financial Architect Partners, a Boston-based national firm, focused on evaluating, building, and actively managing large life insurance portfolios. As a senior, Stephanie interned with the Keene State Marketing and Communications Department.

Lauren Villanova, a management major who played field hockey for Keene State, is moving to Barranquilla, Columbia, where she spent a semester in 2014 and will be seeking work in her field.

Krystal Bunnell, a psychology major with minors in communications and health science/substance abuse, begins a graduate program in K-12 school counseling this summer at Plymouth State University. She’ll work as a summer conference crew worker there and also as a resident assistant.

Blake Holton, an Environmental Studies major and safety and occupational health minor, has landed a job as a health and safety engineer with Moretrench American Corporation in Yonkers, NY.

Communication major and dance minor Olivia Lynn has landed a job as IT recruiter for Robert Half Technology in Boston.

Shaun Filiault, a political science major with minors in biology and international studies, will be attending the Boston University School of Law to undertake a Master’s of Law in Intellectual Property.

Psychology major Marisa Lemoine will be pursuing a master’s degree in school counseling at Plymouth State University and working part time.

Ryan Scrivano, a management major and economics minor, will be attending the University of Utah in Salt Lake City in the fall. He’s landed a slot in the Master of Finance program, and will be on the financial analyst track. He writes, “I am seeking to extend my knowledge in the finance profession and possibly enter into the career field of investment banking after I finish my graduate work.”

In the fall, Katie Newell heads to Springfield (MA) College, where she’s landed a slot in the two-year Master’s of Exercise Science Program with a concentration in strength and conditioning.

Matthew McDougal will spend the summer working on two theatre productions and at two youth summer theatre camps. In the fall, he’ll head to Boston to pursue a master’s degree in library and information science at Simmons College, where he’s received a Program Director’s Scholarship.

Hersch Rothmel, a double major in American studies and women’s and gender studies, is heading to Little Rock, AR, where he’ll be a senior corps member (i.e., a team leader) with City Year.

Chelsea Shirsac, a health science and psychology double major, will be heading to Salem State University in Salem, MA, where she’ll be working toward a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree.

Four seniors have landed jobs as fulfillment specialists with Barton Associates, a national staffing and recruiting center for healthcare practitioners with headquarters in the Boston area and offices in Keene and other locations. They are:

  • Management major Kelsey R. Walsh
  • Journalism major David Padrazo
  • Communication major Shannon K. Thompson
  • Communication major Steven A. Mignano

Kristen Paterson Jackson, a history major, will be working as a marketplace assister with Monadnock Service Link, an ageing and disability resource center.

Sustainable product design and innovation (SPDI) major Meghan Shaw will join Raytheon as an entry level mechanical engineer. Her job will include performing research, design, analysis, and development in such areas as mechanical systems, thermal systems, materials, test equipment, hardware processes, or manufacturing processes. She’ll apply the skills she developed at Keene State to the planning, design, development and testing of mechanical and/or electro-mechanical systems, instruments, controls, and/or machines.

Safety and occupational health applied sciences major Mackenzie Birrell has landed an internship with the Disney Imagineers.

Christopher Kouroyen, a sociology major with a minor in addictions, is heading to the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology in Newton where he will work toward a master’s in general counseling and pursue Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor certification. He is a member of the sociology honor society.

Chelsea Harris, a health science major, will attend Ball State University in Muncie, IN, next fall. She will be working toward a master’s degree in student affairs administration in higher education. She has landed a graduate assistantship in Student Center Programming, where she will be advising the programming board and working on late night programs.

Sustainable product design and innovation (SPDI) major Alex Hyde has been hired as a manufacturing engineer trainee for RBC Bearings. He’ll be based at the company’s Oxford, CT, facility, where he will work with an engineering team developing spherical plain bearings. “I start June 1, and am very excited,” he writes.

SPDI major Taylor Warriner starts her job at RPI Engineering in Wyomissing, PA, June 1. She’ll be working as an entry-level facilities engineer. She will also begin the master of engineering program at Carnegie Mellon University.

John Fanning, a SPDI major, will spend the summer as a manufacturing engineering intern at Karl Storz in North Attleboro, MA. The company produces endoscopes for use in field including medicine and aerospace. He’ll be focused on CNC practices, lean manufacturing, flow manufacturing and machining.

A number of Keene State students will spend the coming year as volunteers in the AmeriCorps Vista City Year program. They are:

  • English literature major Ashley DeFilippo, heading to Miami
  • Secondary education major Devon Coletta, Columbia, SC
  • English literature major Christine Pitino, Boston
  • Psychology major Alyson Schaffrick, Boston
  • Psychology major Chelsea Day, Boston
  • Psychology major Jacob Margolis, New York
  • Sociology major Allison Picone, San Antonio, TX
  • Elementary education major Kelsey Sobestanovich, San Antonio, TX

Kaley Mientkiewicz, a chemistry major, will be attending Tufts University this fall, where she will be working on a master’s degree in chemistry.

Sarah Croitoru, a women’s and gender studies, social science, and sociology triple major, will be working two part-time jobs. She’ll stay on at Keene State as events assistant in the Advancement Division, and she’ll be working in Brattleboro, VT, as supervised visitation monitor for Youth Services Inc., a social services nonprofit agency, while she considers applying to law school.

Chemistry major Sean Millikan has accepted a fully funded slot in Indiana University’s PhD program in chemistry. He will be working under Dr. Jeremy Smith, conducting research that includes magnetic properties of low coordinate transition metal complexes for information storage applications and electrocatalytic water splitting magnesium complexes for a sustainable energy source.

Leigh Ronan, a communication major, will be working for Smart Trip in Florence, Italy, as a travel guide for study abroad students. Ronan studied in Florence herself as a junior, taking courses in Italian language, pairing food and wine, event planning, public relations, and environmental philosophy.

Biology major Maggie Kelly has been accepted to the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine in West Lafayette, IN.

Physical Education - Exercise Science major Alison O’Brien is heading to the University of Rhode Island, where she’s been accepted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.

Julia Gomberg, a communication major and art minor, is heading to New York, where she’ll be working as a music public relations intern at Central Park Summerstage, an outdoor concert venue that features a variety of musical and art performances in Manhattan.

Music performance major Lauren Weiner, a vocalist, is heading to graduate school in the UK at the Royal Northern College of Music In Manchester, England. She is also the first student ever to complete a music degree and receive a certificate from the KSC Morris-August Honors Program.

Emily DeAngelis, another vocalist who majored in music performance, will be going on to a master’s program in vocal pedagogy at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.

Nick Tocci, a third music performance major, has been admitted to major graduate schools and is choosing among them. Professor Joseph Darby writes, “Nick made a remarkable transformation while at KSC. He started out as a trumpet major, converted to a voice major, and now has one of the finest voices among college baritones in this area of the country – simply amazing.”

Graphic design major Sean Crater has been hired as a designer at MicroArts, an agency in Greenland, NH. He’ll join two earlier Keene State graphic design graduates at the firm.

Several health science/nutrition majors have been accepted into post-graduate dietetic internships, the next step in the process of gaining registered dietitian accreditation. The students, and their internship locations, are:

  • Heather Eads, VA San Diego Healthcare System
  • Elizabeth Haley, University of Maryland College Park
  • Taylor Sirles, University of Maryland Medical Center
  • Amanda Joyce, The Ohio State University
  • Nina Pirozhkov, Concordia College
  • Kassy Montgomery, Oregon State University
  • Maria Alfaro, VA Caribbean Healthcare System in Puerto Rico

Nicole Baker, a management and psychology double-major, has been accepted to the doctoral program in developmental psychology at the University of Rhode Island. Nicole was awarded a Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship last summer to research the connection between media exposure and body image satisfaction in young women. Her faculty advisor for the project writes: “Nicole is one of the top students in the department with a current 4.0, who tutors for Statistics, Research Methods and Brain and Behavior.”

Brad Stubenhaus, who has been working as a research associate with Assistant Professor of biology Jason Pellettieri since graduating in 2014, has been accepted to a PhD program in cellular and molecular biology at Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore.

Chemistry major James Ulcickas has been accepted to the chemistry PhD program at Purdue University in Indiana.

Gabriella Raccio, who majored in English and secondary education, will be teaching English at Brattleboro (VT) Area Middle School.

Graduating with a degree in safety and occupational health applied sciences, Jeremiah Cole has landed a job as a manager in the safety office of El Sol Contracting in Maspeth, NY.

Amanda Diiulis, graduating with a degree in communication with a concentration in management, has been accepted into the AmeriCorps Vista program, where she will be working with the Kenneth Young Center in Elk Grove Village, IL, for community mental health and senior services.

Graduating seniors: Add your plans to our list! We will update regularly. Email Jane at jeklund@keene.edu.

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