Alumni Stories

Majors in Classics go into a wide variety of jobs and professions after graduation from Santa Clara. Some of our graduates from the past decade are now Professors and PhD or Master’s candidates in Classics, and some are elementary, middle school, or high school teachers, but most are pursuing careers outside of academics in law, medicine, optometry, acting, music, farming, accounting, engineering, nursing, and businesses like Google, Hulu, and Whole Foods.

Here are what some of our recent graduates are up to:

Serene Aandahl is a model and actress in New York City—you have probably seen her national commercials for Amazon Kindle, Blistex, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Cable Vision, Off Broadway Shoes, ACT, and on the covers of countless Harlequin romance novels!

Travis Adams, in his second year of law school at SCU, writes” “Inspired by the Socratic spirit of asking lots of questions—many of which are probably annoying—I am planning on becoming a litigator after I graduate.”

Kaitlyn Bailey-Findley just graduated from Whittier Law School—congratulations!

Lisa Biton (Rozakis) teaches high school Latin and history in Israel.

Hallie Bodey is in her first year of an M.A. program in Applied Linguistics at Teachers College, Columbia University, NY

Paul Breucop finished his law degree from UC Hastings and is a practicing attorney in San Francisco

Emily Elrod Cardenas is working on her MA in History at SFSU.

Joel Castro, finishing up his Masters of Music in Vocal Performance (opera) at CSU Northridge, tells us that “there is not a single day in my operatic studies where a Classical reference does not pop up.”

Jordan Clarke is teaching high school math in the Teach for America Programs at B.M.C Durfee High School outside of Boston.

Noah Cook is in his fourth year of medical school.

Ariel Dillon uses her classical roots as a farmer in Santa Rosa, CA (check out her writing on the farming lifestyle at www.redwoodempirefarm.com).

Alex Donalson is a Special Orders Representative/Backup Inventory Control Specialist at Whole Foods.

Brenna Donnellan teaches high school in Harlingen Texas with Teach For America.

Yen Duong is earning her Certificate of Advanced Accounting Proficiency at Leavey School of Business, SCU.

Dan Felice is a chef in Chicago.

Tom Garvey finished his PhD in Classics from University of Virginia several years ago and is currently Substitute Assistant Professor in Classics at Brooklyn College, CUNY.

Nav Grewal is studying for the LSAT and continues to work in the library.

Morgan Hunter is in the second year of an MA program in Classics at UC Berkeley.

Manuel Jaime teaches Latin and English literature at Orion Academy in Moraga, CA.

Christine Lechelt is finishing her PhD in Classics at University of Minnesota.

Emily Lauerman writes that she is applying to get Associate Teacher’s permit and is “looking forward to teaching pre-school.”

David Lio completed his MS in Information Systems and is now Artificial Intelligence Researcher, Statistical Modelling Consultant, and IT Engineer in Las Vegas: “I can also honestly say that my classics degree has helped me to get every single job I have ever had, and I've had at least a dozen since graduating.”

Mitch Metling is an Ad Traffiker at Hulu in Santa Monica.

Alvaro Pires is in his second year in the MA program in Classics at the University of Arizona.

Evan Pivonka completed his PhD in Political Science and is now a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Program on Constitutionalism and Democracy at the University of Virginia.

Victor Republicano is in his first year of the MA program in Classics at the University of Arizona.

Rileigh Turnbull-Pedrazzini is finishing up last year of nursing school at Regis University in Denver.

Linda Urbanas works in Tech Staffing at Google.