Santa Clara University

What Our Alumni Are Doing Now

The Classics Department is proud of ALL our majors, many of whom are even gainfully employed. We also have graduates currently attending top law schools, enrolled in Masters and Ph.D. programs in Business, Classics, Political Philosophy, and Education, and working their way through Medical School.

Here’s what a few of last year’s graduates are up to already:

Ashley Baker (2008) writes:  "I'm so sad I'm not going back to SCU this fall. Right now I am working as a traveling delegate for my sorority. I've been to something like 5 universities in the last two weeks, and right now I'm at West Chester University for Recruitment. I was hoping to apply to grad school this Fall but I'm thinking it might have to wait since I really don't have a life of my own and travel so much. But overall things are going well. And I had a great summer in Germany with Prof. Tabbert-Jones!"

Michael Gray (2008) writes:  "I do happen to have some news that is so boast-worthy that everyone thinks I made it up. See, I recently won a contest to have my DNA sent into outer space. The idea is that, even if humanity self-destructs, there's a possibility that aliens will be able to reconstruct the species. Here's the contest page for proof. I'm "Lost_Gamer". http://pwnordie.com/promos/yourdnainspace
It is truly an honor to be chosen to represent my species. It's my way of fulfilling the very human dream of Achilles: to live on past my death. Most humans live on through their children; I live on through my space DNA.
Anyway, that's what's up with me - capitalizing on weird contests/marketing campaigns. God forbid that there should actually be aliens out there who get ahold of my DNA, or we could all be in really big trouble."

Matt Rinegar (2008) writes:  "I am attending Law School at Duke University (first year). Not too much else to report, a cross-country move and the workload here take up the majority of my time, though I will be doing some pro-bono tax preparation and legal work for the community after December (closer to tax season)."

Linda Urbanas (2007) writes:  "Since my contract ended at Google, I've been working at a legal recruiting firm in San Francisco. I taught myself to knit and sew because I miss the process of writing papers and memorizing insane amounts of grammar . . . but I'm still looking at grad schools for Classics too. I very much enjoy being the Classics Department website mascot!"

Catherine Adinolfi (2007) writes:  “I am moving to Co. Carlow Ireland.  I have a position there as a site assistant for Headland Archaeology Group.  Hopefully I will be digging up Ireland one trowel load at a time.”

Daniel Albers (2007) is enrolled in an MBA program.

Yen Duong (2007) will doing an internship for Greenpeace.

Noah Moon Cook (2007) will be taking the MCATS and then applying to medical schools this fall.  He’s also pursuing his old painting and sculpting hobbies.  (Oh, and we are happy to add, he and Yen just got married.  Cupid in the Classics!)

Sara Pauk (2007) was accepted in the highly competitive post-baccalaureate premedical program at Johns Hopkins; after that, she’ll be off to medical school.

Lisa Rozakis Biton (2007) writes: 

“I am currently teaching Latin to Middle Schoolers at Harker, and running the Junior Classical League there. I attended graduate school at the University of Southern California (in Education) and realized that studying outside of the classics world was just not worth it. I recently got married and spent the summer in Greece and Israel, loving all the classical sites."

We love to stay in touch with our majors—and fortunately, many try to keep in touch with us. Some of them even gave us permission to talk about them on the website!

Jennifer Roberts (2006) was a Latin (and Philosophy) major and is now in her second year at Yale Law School. Although this photo of her might seem to say it all, she has this to say about her study of Classics as preparation for the study of law:

Latin and Greek, at least when you’re learning them, seem more like a system of rules that you have to apply to a word garble to extract meaning from it, kind of like formal logic or math. That really helps with the more rules-based, mathematical kinds of law like contracts, when you have to keep in mind a large system of rules and apply them to a big, messed-up situation. Perhaps more immediately, that sort of thinking really helped me on the Logic Games portion of the LSATs (more so than my Philosophy major), which is the part that people have the hardest time with. The textual analysis and close reading of texts you do in upper-division Latin classes is invaluable for the reading comprehension section of the LSATs, or for any area of law. Often the meaning of a case, and your ability to twist it to your benefit, depends on a careful (but also creative) reading of it. And those damn three-page papers on some ridiculously complex passage that Professor McCarthy makes you write really forced me to develop a sleek writing style that has helped me with writing briefs. Besides, Latin and Greek are awesome.

Manuel Jaime Jr. (2004) was a Classical Studies major and was accepted into law school, but he couldn’t leave Classics—or his love of the classroom—behind. Manuel just started in his new position as Latin teacher at Palma High School in Salinas, CA.  He is teaching Latin 2 and the Aeneid this fall, and (we are certain) will soon be sending Classics majors by the dozens to Santa Clara!

Christine Lechelt (2004) came to SCU on a music scholarship as an award-winning pianist. She discovered Classics during her first quarter, however, and her fate was sealed. Christine graduated from SCU with a 4.0 GPA, earned her MA in Classics at UC Santa Barbara, and is currently working on her PhD at the University of Minnesota while teaching the Beginning Latin sequence.

Evan Pivonka (2004):  After graduating in 2004 with a BA in Classics and a BS in Political Science from SCU, Evan worked as a research assistant at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University for a year, and then went on to complete an MA in Classics at Stanford in 2006, emphasizing Ancient Greek. After recovering for a year in Vancouver, BC, he is now starting a PhD in Political Theory at the University of Virginia. There, working with George Klosko, Evan hopes to deepen his understanding of the Ancient Greek Philosophers, as well as explore the transmission of their ideas over time through the likes of Cicero, Machiavelli, and Thomas Jefferson. Inspired by all of the excellent teachers that he has had the privilege of knowing over the years [no, really, Evan wrote that], Evan hopes to someday follow in their footsteps as a professor himself.

Tom Garvey (2003) earned a double degree at SCU in Greek and Latin as well as Classical Studies, and was selected as class Valedictorian.  Over the past few years, Tom has somehow managed to study at the Istituto Venezia in Venice and the Berlin Sprache Institut in Berlin while completing his MA in Classics at Virginia. He is now working on his PhD and teaching.

 Shannon Nessier (1999), a Classics and English major currently in law school, writes:

“There is no greater preparation for life and work than the study of Classics.  A degree in Classics from Santa Clara means:

*  that you have learned incredible research and analysis skills - I put mine to use everyday when I was teaching for seven years and now as a law student in the top of my class. 

*  that you have mastered an ancient language which increases your speaking, writing, and reading abilities - from my score on the LSAT to interviewing skills, I know my Latin emphasis has made me a better speaker and writer.

*  that you have seen the larger picture in terms of the great ideas of the western world that have so powerfully shaped the world we live in - that big picture vision has allowed me to fit into any environment, talk about any subject, and always be first to spot and solve problems.

*  that you have been given the tools by the finest teachers to use a multidisciplinary study to attack all problems you will face in your future - with a degree in Classics, there will be no advanced degree or career that you cannot handle.

The study of Classics may at times seem lofty and abstract, but the skills you encounter will be quite practical.  And, at the same time, you will, in a very mysterious way, feel a gossamer tie to the great thinkers and doers of a world long since gone.  That connection is by far the best part of your Classics education.”

Curtis Clark (1998) graduated after just three years at SCU as a Greek and Latin major.  After a year’s sabbatical, which included a return visit to harass the Classics department faculty, he entered the Medical College of Ohio.  Curtis finished medical school in 2003 and is nearing completion of a Urologic Surgery residency at the University of Kentucky.  He is planning on further training to specialize in Pediatric Urology (which may bring him back to the Bay Area). 

When asked about his education, Curtis credits much of his success in medicine to Classics and his training at SCU.  “The Greek and Latin major was key in multiple ways:  First, it allowed me to begin upper level classes quickly, thus enabling me to graduate early.  Second, Greek and Latin roots of words appeared not infrequently in medicine, which helped to some degree in medical school.  Third, having a non-traditional major while applying to medical schools added variety to my application and was a frequent topic of conversation in the interview process.  Fourth, with the instruction on basic Greek and Latin I had previously received and the high quality of the professors and classes at SCU, I was able to focus the necessary energy on pre-med courses, while completing my Classics courses in a scholarly but relaxed manner.”  Curtis continues to stop in to visit the Classics department when travels bring him near Santa Clara.