One Year Later: St. Lawrence’s Class of 2020
Aspiring doctors, Appalachian naturalists, impassioned advocates, and more. Members of St. Lawrence’s Class of 2020 entered a rapidly-shifting world after graduating during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020. One year later, they have returned after meeting the challenge with great resilience, compassion, and determination.
In honor of their official on-campus Commencement celebration, several members of the class reflected on the inspiring faculty mentors, classes, connections, clubs, organizations, and opportunities they had at St. Lawrence that prepared them to go forth with confidence.
(Note: some responses have been edited for length.)
Kira Murphy ’20
Majors: Computer Science; Mathematics
Current Location: Norfolk, Virginia
What are you up to now?
I started working at Payfactors as a software engineer in July 2020. In March 2021, we merged with PayScale where I currently work in the same position.
How did your classes, programs, projects, and co-curricular activities at St. Lawrence prepare you for your current role?
As a software engineer, my computer science courses have been the most directly applicable to my work, but many of my upper level mathematics courses strengthened my problem-solving skills. The classes, however, are nothing without the incredible professors; I cannot put into words the positive impact they had.
Being on the women’s soccer team and being a staff member at Java were the two most influential co-curricular activities. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the love, support, and kindness from everyone on my team. Similarly, the Java House was full of people who filled my life with sunshine, and the theme house community led me to some of my best friends.
Was there a particular professor, staff member, alumni mentor, or other Laurentian who was especially influential in helping you navigate post-graduate life?
Computer science professor Ed Harcourt, math professor Natasha Komarov, and statistics professor Michael Schuckers each contributed to my success as a student, my love for math and computer science, and my professional success as a result. Additionally, I cannot leave out one of my biggest role models, women's soccer coach Sinead McSharry. Her kindness and support is unparalleled.
What St. Lawrence class, program, or experience would you recommend to current students interested in following your footsteps?
It may sound corny, but you can’t go wrong with what you choose to pursue at St. Lawrence. Your friendships, faculty mentors, and the experiences you create are what will lead to your success at St. Lawrence and beyond. That being said, go to a couple (or a lot) of Java shows, take Graph Theory with math professor Patti Frazer Lock, and study abroad!
Josh Elmer ’20
Major: Biology
Current Location: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
What are you up to now?
I am currently a rising second-year medical student pursuing an MD at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. I’m studying the normal and abnormal physiology of the human body to ultimately be able to diagnose and treat disease in patients.
How did your classes, programs, projects, and co-curricular activities at St. Lawrence prepare you for your current program?
Biology courses like Immunology, Cancer Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, and my public health courses provided a strong foundation in the field of human health and the social determinants of health. Inequality, Plagues and Peoples, and Darkness on the Edge of Town: Rural America in Contemporary Literature all helped me to better grasp the unique life circumstances so many individuals face and to connect these concepts to human disease.
Outside of the classroom, Ultimate Frisbee provided a wonderful network of close friends who still help me get through the stresses of school.
Was there a particular professor, staff member, alumni mentor, or other Laurentian who was especially influential in helping you navigate post-graduate life?
I am extremely grateful to my advisor, biology professor Karin Heckman, for the many hours spent helping me apply to medical school, providing feedback on countless drafts of my personal statement, and for her unwavering confidence in me as I went on interviews with prospective schools.
What St. Lawrence class, program, or experience would you recommend to current students interested in following your footsteps?
Take Immunology with Professor Heckman. It is one of the most organized and well-taught courses I took, and its contents have proved useful many times during my first year of med school.
Meca-Gaye Francis ’20
Majors: Global Studies; Performance and Communication Arts
Minor: Government
Current Location: Washington, D.C.
What are you up to now?
I work from home full-time as a marketing and operations consultant with different startups in the digital campaign space.
How did your classes, programs, projects, and co-curricular activities at St. Lawrence prepared you for your current role?
The hats I wore as a Community Advisor, Advocate, and Admissions Ambassador prepared me not only for my current job but also for the relationships I’ve made. I also defended an Honors SYE (Senior Year Experience) for each major. I wrote about memes, and I remember talking with my advisors, global studies professor John Collins and English professor Juraj Kittler, about taking an interdisciplinary approach. As I consulted professors from other departments, sociology professor Stephen Barnard recommended a podcast on social media and politics. I ended up speaking with the interviewee of the podcast, who was consequently impressed with my work and initiative. That connection resulted in my first contract right after graduation. St. Lawrence taught me to ‘think outside the box.’
Recently, I was invited to join the Alumni Executive Council and I am thrilled to continue giving back to a community that helped to shape me.
What St. Lawrence class, program, or experience would you recommend to current students interested in following your footsteps?
I took some time to get out of my shell but promised myself that I would get out more senior year. I made it my duty to go to the Candlelight Service, participate in Peak Weekend, 100th Night, Titus, you name it. My last year was a year of firsts and I’ll always be thankful that I made the most of it. Whatever you do, have fun, stay balanced, and don’t take yourself too seriously. If I had to choose… study abroad in Madrid! I still dream of my host mom’s paella.
Alec Roslin ’20
Major: International Economics—Spanish
Minor: Statistics
Current Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
What are you up to now?
I’m currently an analyst at Goldman Sachs.
How did your classes, programs, projects, and co-curricular activities at St. Lawrence prepare you for your current role?
I was a member of the men’s tennis team. Looking back, I feel that playing a sport in college prepared me better than anything else because it teaches the same kind of dynamic teamwork that’s required in the workplace.
Was there a particular professor, staff member, alumni mentor, or other Laurentian who was especially influential in helping you navigate post-graduate life?
Men’s Tennis Head Coach Neil Caniga.
What St. Lawrence class, program, or experience would you recommend to current students interested in following your footsteps?
I would recommend taking Econometrics with economics professor Michael O’Hara.
Hannah Mungenast ’20
Major: Behavioral Neuroscience
Minor: Government
Current Location: Rochester, New York
What are you up to now?
I’m a personal fitness trainer at AutismUp, a recreational organization for children and adults with autism. I’m also working towards my master's degree in applied behavior analysis at the University of Rochester, with the goal of becoming a board-certified behavior analyst for children with behavioral challenges. Recently, I published a research article from my St. Lawrence summer fellowship in the peer-reviewed journal The Psychological Record.
How did your classes, programs, projects, and co-curricular activities at St. Lawrence prepare you for your current role and program?
My leadership position on the St. Lawrence University Dance Team helped me become more able and confident when leading a group of people through physical activity. The classes in my major also prepared me well for graduate school, and helped me become a better scholar and writer.
Was there a particular professor, staff member, alumni mentor, or other Laurentian who was especially influential in helping you navigate post-graduate life?
Psychology professor Adam Fox was instrumental. He gives every single one of his lab students the opportunity to create a research project they can be proud of. Additionally, he goes above and beyond to make sure that they’re ready for graduate school or their career of choice by holding workshops on how to refine and improve their CV’s, resumes, or personal statements. Students of his Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB) lab are well-prepared after graduation, and I was lucky to have that experience.
What St. Lawrence class, program, or experience would you recommend to current students interested in following your footsteps?
I would absolutely recommend joining a research lab, but especially the EAB lab, to anyone interested in studying behavior. Even if you don't choose to conduct your own research project, being around like-minded, intelligent and highly motivated students is invaluable. I gained skills, knowledge, and friendships that I simply wouldn’t have otherwise. I also got to travel with an awesome group to present our lab's research at national conferences in Chicago and New York City.
Michael Paulino ’20
Majors: Government; English
Current Location: Lower East Side, New York City
What are you up to now?
I’m a News Associate for CBS News, specifically helping out the amazing people over at CBS Sunday Morning.
How did your classes, programs, projects, and co-curricular activities at St. Lawrence prepare you for your current role?
The ability to communicate effectively was always an emphasis, and for me, studying government was an important part of that. But it was all the things I did outside of the classroom in the Canton community, or studying abroad in Israel, or working in pretty much every office on campus. Those connections made all the difference for me.
Was there a particular professor, staff member, alumni mentor, or other Laurentian who was especially influential in helping you navigate post-graduate life?
It’s a special thing to get this question and smile at the long list of names and faces that pop into my head. I have a long list, but Bill Short and Erin Colvin and everyone at HEOP keep me going to this day. Government professors Mert Kartal and Ronnie Olesker were the greatest advisors and mentors anyone could ever ask for. The list goes on!
What St. Lawrence class, program, or experience would you recommend to current students interested in following your footsteps?
Intro to Journalism with English professor Juraj Kittler. He truly is dedicated to the development of our generation as thinkers and writers, and has such a deep understanding of the world of media in general. The things I learned from him gave me a huge competitive advantage after college—take a class with him, just trust me.
Cheyenne McQuain
Majors: Psychology; Anthropology
Minor: Gender and Sexuality Studies
Current Location: Binghamton, New York
What are you up to now?
I am beginning my second (and last) year of graduate school at SUNY Binghamton, where I’m working towards my Master of Social Work. I plan on working for a year or two and then going back to school to obtain a Ph.D.
How did your classes, programs, projects, and co-curricular activities at St. Lawrence prepare you for your current program?
I have encountered classes in my graduate career that overlap with my undergraduate experience at SLU. It was really nice to be prepared and ahead of my classes because of my undergraduate education. My leadership roles and involvement in organizations like the Barista and Spectrum really enriched my experience and equipped me well as a graduate assistant and in my field practice at a counseling center. Overall, I feel moments beyond the classroom offered the best preparation while teaching me to be a better person and Laurentian.
Was there a particular professor, staff member, alumni mentor, or other Laurentian who was especially influential in helping you navigate post-graduate life?
Anthropology professor Mindy Pitre has remained a huge part of my life. She showed me how to see my self worth, especially in my down moments. She fostered a wonderful, safe, and fun learning environment. She taught me how to empower myself as a woman, especially in the workforce, and as a first-generation college student like herself. Dr. P would drop anything to help her students and that alone has brought me tremendous comfort and support.
What St. Lawrence class, program, or experience would you recommend to current students interested in following your footsteps?
Get involved with as much as you possibly can, without bringing too much stress. Follow your passions and interests—they’ll make college and life fun. Some of my most cherished memories come from the experiences and opportunities I chose to take, despite the fear, anxiety, and even some doubt that I had. Make sure to find your support system and work with them through those decisions and worries!
Peter Eckhardt ’20
Major: English
Minor: African Studies; Biology
Current Location: The Lake of the Clouds Hut on the side of Mt. Washington/Agiocochook, New Hampshire
What are you up to now?
Here on the mountain, I work as a naturalist for the Appalachian Mountain Club, creating and delivering educational programs about the natural world while also doing research on the phenology of some local alpine plants.
Was there a particular professor, staff member, alumni mentor, or other Laurentian who was especially influential in helping you navigate post-graduate life?
Two in particular stick out: English professor Alvin Henry and Dr. Lucia Pawlowski of the WORD Studio. Professor Henry’s thoughtful and rigorous teaching and advising inspires me to create programs in my current role that are insightful and full of relevant research. Dr. Pawlowski’s gentle, thorough, and supportive mentorship in the WORD Studio helped me become a more effective researcher and communicator, allowing me to deliver more engaging programs.
What St. Lawrence class, program, or experience would you recommend to current students interested in following your footsteps?
Use the WORD Studio! Working one-on-one with a tutor on improving your work is incredibly helpful and allows you to grow as a writer, researcher, and communicator. Also, go on Outing Club trips. They’re a lot of fun
