first-generation

Accounting alum elevates talent and culture at KPMG

Katelynn C Hipolito — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 15:57:31 +0000

Accounting alum elevates talent and culture at KPMG Katelynn C Hipolito Mon, 11/03/2025 - 10:57

Growing up in southern Virginia, Sandy Torchia, BS Accounting ’93, discovered her passion for accounting early. During high school, she realized that hard work in the field could not only open doors to exciting opportunities but also to a fulfilling career.

Sandy Torchia. Photo by KPMG

As the first in her family to attend college, she chose �鶹��Ƶ because it checked a multitude of boxes for her, including its academic rigor, location in vibrant Fairfax, Virginia, and proximity to Washington, D.C. Four years later, she graduated from the Costello College of Business with an even deeper appreciation for the learning environment that shaped her educational and professional journey.

“My parents taught me to put in the work and dream big,” Torchia says. “Graduating from George �鶹��Ƶ was accomplishing one of those dreams for myself, and also for them.”

Torchia attributes her current position as vice chair of talent and culture at KPMG to the education she received at Costello, which equipped her with a strong business foundation and a comprehensive expertise in accounting. She states that these skills are critical to her and her organization’s success as they drive the firm’s talent strategy, positioning KPMG to attract, develop, and retain the best talent.

Her work—leading KPMG into the future—puts her focus on the firm’s employees and partners and how they experience the firm. And like her passion for accounting, she also has a passion for people—she states it’s one of the main reasons she’s stayed at KPMG for more than 28 years. “I love the people I work with,” she says.

Among Torchia’s most impactful experiences at Costello was helping found George �鶹��Ƶ’s chapter of Delta Sigma Pi, one of the largest co-educational professional business fraternities in the country. Establishing and leading the chapter honed skills she has continued to use throughout her career, including relationship management, public speaking, and negotiation. Those came in handy as the work required her to coordinate with other universities and organizations at George �鶹��Ƶ.

She’s proud to not only have co-founded the chapter but to be part of the chapter’s first graduating class too. Torchia encourages Costello students to get involved in special projects and extracurriculars like Delta Sigma Pi. "Whenever and wherever you can, take advantage of opportunities to develop and elevate your skills, including those beyond the classroom,” she says. “Whether it's a formal program like a business fraternity or an informal mentorship, seeking new experiences or training will always add value."

"Whenever and wherever you can, take advantage of opportunities to develop and elevate your skills, including those beyond the classroom. Whether it's a formal program like a business fraternity or an informal mentorship, seeking new experiences or training will always add value."

—Sandy Torchia, BS Accounting ’93

Of course, her drive extended to the classroom as well. “Sandy was a student in one of the first accounting classes I taught at �鶹��Ƶ, and she remains every professor’s model success story,” says Janet Faughnan, senior instructor of accounting at the Costello College of Business. “The technical accounting knowledge and interpersonal skills Sandy developed through her dedication to her studies at George �鶹��Ƶ have been refined and perfected throughout her professional career.”

Sandy Torchia’s journey from a first-generation college student to management committee member at KPMG is a testament to the impact of education, leadership, and innovation. Her time at the Costello College of Business not only equipped her with academic and technical expertise but also inspired her to build something lasting—like George �鶹��Ƶ’s Delta Sigma Pi chapter—that continues to benefit students today. As she leads KPMG's talent strategy, Torchia can call back to those academic and leadership experiences as a strong foundation, equipping her with the right skills for fostering environments that encourage new ideas to excel and people to thrive.

In This Story

Janet Faughnan

Topics

Accounting Area

Costello College of Business News

Costello College of Business Alumni

Accounting Advisory Council

Alumni

first-generation

Practicum and research empower this future public health leader

Mary Cunningham — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:28:03 +0000

Practicum and research empower this future public health leader Mary Cunningham Fri, 09/19/2025 - 20:28

�鶹��Ƶ master of public health (MPH) student Janell Addo-Boateng, MPH ’25, describes her practicum experience at Culture Care Collective as a launchpad into the public health field.

Janell Addo-Boateng, MPH '25, Photo provided.

“This experience helped solidify my interest in policy and program evaluation for maternal and community health, which is an area of interest I hold dear to my heart,” she explained. “I strengthened my skills in policy writing and stakeholder engagement, which are all important skills for working in public health policy and advocacy.”

For Addo-Boateng, a first-generation student who graduated in May, her practicum provided a strong foundation for a career in the public health field. She participated in research, evaluation, and communication initiatives at Culture Care Collective—a health equity program aimed at integrating community health workers into university and clinical environments to improve care for underserved populations. During her time with the collective, she wrote a policy brief and a case study, supported the design and analysis of qualitative data on program impact, and co-authored a manuscript summarizing her findings.

Beyond her practicum, Addo-Boateng worked as a graduate research assistant, supporting research led by CPH faculty Rochelle Davidson Mhonde and Michelle S. Williams on fertility desire among women living with HIV. The role allowed her to sharpen her writing, data analysis, and time management skills, while also learning how to communicate research findings to both academic and non-academic audiences.

In addition to supporting faculty-led projects, Addo-Boateng pursued her own research at George �鶹��Ƶ, conducting a policy analysis for the March of Dimes on closing Medicaid postpartum care gaps and addressing maternal mortality disparities. She evaluated three policy approaches through the lenses of effectiveness, efficiency, and feasibility, with an emphasis on justice-oriented solutions, and presented her findings in testimony and peer presentations on how strategic policy changes could reduce costs, strengthen care coordination, and improve maternal health outcomes.

She further demonstrated her skills at the national level by participating in the 2025 National Case Study Competition in Health Education, where her team earned the silver award for their solution to address rising rates of sexually transmitted infection among young adults.

Janell Addo-Boateng, MPH '25. Photo provided.

“I learned how to put research into actionable policy tools that will resonate with diverse stakeholders,” explained Addo-Boateng. “I also learned how important it was to be adaptable, especially when working on interdisciplinary teams and navigating real-world timelines. In my case, I was completing full time studies as a graduate student, working on my research assistant position with my professor Dr. Rochelle Davidson Mhonde, and contributing to my practicum responsibilities.”

Addo-Boateng says she is incredibly grateful for the opportunities she had at the College of Public Health, especially the mentorship and hands-on experiences that helped bring everything together. She believes her time at �鶹��Ƶ has truly prepared her to step into the next phase of her career with confidence and clarity.

For fellow students, she offers this advice, “Choose a practicum that aligns with both your values and your long-term goals. Also, don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone, as it’s often where the most growth happens! Lastly, take initiative because from my personal experience, my practicum was a launchpad into getting experience in the public health field.”

Topics

MPH

Student Research

Master of Public Health

How resilience, caring, and lived experience created a social worker

Mary Cunningham — Thu, 08 May 2025 20:05:41 +0000

How resilience, caring, and lived experience created a social worker Mary Cunningham Thu, 05/08/2025 - 16:05

Before she ever considered social work as a profession, Rocío Rodríguez Morales was already an advocate for her family, starting at a young age.

Growing up in Southern California as the oldest of five in a Mexican American home, Rodríguez acted as her family’s unofficial translator and guide—managing doctor’s appointments, school meetings, and social services. “I was doing things most children don’t have to do,” she said.

Rocio Rodríguez, MSW '25. Photo by Madalyn Julianna

In high school, Rodríguez’s parents encouraged her to seek out support through the federally funded TRIO program, a college access initiative run through local universities that helps students from disadvantaged backgrounds. “They said, 'I don’t know how to teach you about financial aid, so go ask the lady you see every Saturday.'"

The program opened doors for her to tour college campuses, spend summers in dorms, and get help with tutoring and admissions.

Rodríguez became the first in her family to attend college, earning a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, then a master's in education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Her background led her to roles assisting military families and helping students navigate college and financial aid. But in 2020, when she took a job as a case manager for Exodus Recovery—a California nonprofit serving veterans, Medicaid patients, and people facing housing instability—her path came into focus. “I called my parents and said, ‘I found a job doing what I’ve always done: helping people,’” she said.

The team surrounding her, meanwhile, was packed with social workers. "All of them kept telling me, 'You should become a social worker, too. Just do it.'"

“That was my community”

When life as a Marine Corps spouse uprooted her young family cross country to Virginia, Rodríguez enrolled in the online Master of Social Work (MSW) program at �鶹��Ƶ. By that point, it was clear that the formal degree wasn’t just an option—it was a necessity. “Doors for jobs kept closing because I didn’t have my MSW,” she said. “And I needed a career I could carry with me, wherever life took us.”

She began her degree during one of the most tumultuous periods of her life in 2022. Isolated from loved ones out West and newly pregnant with her third child, she was helping her husband recover from an injury that led to his medical retirement while also coping with her mother’s immigration challenges. “It was a very vulnerable time,” she said.

Rodríguez reached out to George �鶹��Ƶ faculty for support—not knowing exactly what she needed, just knowing she couldn’t do it alone. “I finally sent that email saying, ‘I need help,’” she says—and in return she found empathy, flexibility, and guidance toward resources.

The �鶹��Ƶ Community-Academic Partnerships in Behavioral Health (CAP-BH) Program in the Department of Social Work’s became her anchor, providing a $10,000 stipend, training in trauma-informed care and telehealth, and virtual reality-based therapy simulations. She found herself part of a close-knit cohort of about 30 peers.

“That was my community,” Rodríguez said.

Behind the scenes, her husband was a steady source of support. “There were days I’d rush from dropping off the kids straight into a Zoom class, and my husband would be sliding a coffee or plate of food next to me," she said.

Making it official

As Rodríguez worked toward her degree, her career in Virginia expanded. She first led the education arm of a foster care company for unaccompanied children at Adore Children and Family Services, then started conducting foster parent home studies. Since August 2023, she has served as program director for Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area’s (LSSNCA) specialized foster care program, helping place unaccompanied refugee minors in safe and supportive homes.

She’s seen the impact firsthand, like with the young man in her program who’s now pursuing a college degree, supporting his recently resettled family, and taking on a “big brother role” to the new kids at LSSNCA. “He shares what worked for him with others,” she said. “That’s exactly what we want.”

Rodríguez will officially become a social worker on May 15, the day she graduates from George �鶹��Ƶ. The same week, she will take the podium as the College of Public Health’s student degree celebration speaker.

From there, she’ll begin logging 3,000 clinical hours, part of her long-term goal to one day open her own practice. “There’s so much stigma around mental health, especially in the communities I care about,” she said. “I want to build a practice that feels safe for military families and Spanish-speaking families."

Rodríguez is even nudging her husband to consider joining her in the field. “I keep telling him, ‘You’ve been my partner through all of this—you’d make a great social worker, too,’” she said.

Connect with the Alumni Association

Topics

master of social work

First-generation alumna and MBA student shares recipes for creating treasured memories in new book

Jennifer Anzaldi — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:14:34 +0000

First-generation alumna and MBA student shares recipes for creating treasured memories in new book Jennifer Anzaldi Thu, 11/07/2024 - 10:14

Born and raised in Paris, France, Ava Uppal, BS Marketing ’19, fondly recalls baking with her mother and turning simple ingredients into heartfelt memories.

Uppal grew up eating her mother’s freshly baked French yogurt cakes for breakfast and enjoyed every bit of it. Now, as a part-time Costello College of Business at �鶹��Ƶ MBA student and a working mother of two children, she’s a small business owner and author of a new cookbook.

Uppal, a self-described dream chaser, is the founder of Baked à la carte, a French bespoke cakes and dessert bar catering company in Washington, D.C. She credits her success in starting and managing a small business to the business education she received at �鶹��Ƶ, and the cadre of amazing mentors she encountered in the business college’s alumni community. “Being a student at �鶹��Ƶ was the start of my American Dream journey,” says Uppal. “The alumni network has been a tremendous support to me along my journey, from student to post-graduate.”

“The alumni network has been a tremendous support to me along my journey, from student to post-graduate.”

She began Baked à la carte to carry on her mother’s legacy of spreading love with baked goods, using recipes she learned from her mom and which she now shares in her new book, Baking Memories. The cookbook is a nod to her Parisian roots and her mother’s baking legacy.

Baking Memories is filled with a collection of simple and fun recipes that readers can use to start their own family traditions and create treasured memories. The recipes have a French flair and include a variety of tasty treats—from French-style cakes and cookies to madeleines and other baked goods—all inspired by her beloved mother and Ava’s own life as a first-generation immigrant, George �鶹��Ƶ alumna, working mom, military spouse, and entrepreneur.

She and her daughter, Zoya, were recently featured in a Small Business Spotlight segment on WJLA ABC 7’s Good Morning Washington show. During the broadcast, she shared her recipe for French Yogurt cakes with co-hosts Eileen Whelan and Britt Waters. As Uppal demonstrated, her recipes are easy to follow and customizable, which makes them appealing to almost everyone in the family.

Uppal continues to share her creative ideas and recipes as an on-air lifestyle expert and has appeared on television stations including affiliates of ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC.

“There is something special about being in the kitchen and creating,” says Uppal. “The process of baking allows us to explore, express our creativity, and get something delicious at the end.” Uppal also notes that baking appeals to our senses—sight, smell, taste, touch, and even hearing—and can serve as a psychological cue in awakening treasured memories. One of her fondest childhood memories is sitting on the kitchen counter bonding with her sister and late mother, while baking French yogurt cakes.

Uppal expects to complete her Costello MBA in 2025.

In the meantime, she’s focused on building treasured memories with her own family while chasing her dream of growing her business portfolio. Her recipe for personal and professional success includes generous portions of passion, hard work, and balance, which is making quality time for her family and involving her children in her life’s work.

Uppal’s debut cookbook is available for purchase on avauppal.com.

Topics

Costello College of Business News

Costello College of Business Alumni

Rubiera becomes the first ADVANCE MVP student to matriculate to George �鶹��Ƶ

Colleen Rich — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 14:22:20 +0000

Rubiera becomes the first ADVANCE MVP student to matriculate to George �鶹��Ƶ Colleen Rich Mon, 09/09/2024 - 10:22

Alizé Rubiera was focused on graduating from community college and had never heard of �鶹��Ƶ’s ADVANCE Program until she received an e-mail that changed her life last fall.

Photo by John Hollis/Office of University Branding

For Rubiera, this program was the catalyst that led to the 19-year-old Fredericksburg native to transfer from Germanna Community College to George �鶹��Ƶ to begin her junior year. Now, she is proudly poised to become the first person in her family to earn a college degree.

ADVANCE, part of the �鶹��Ƶ Virginia Promise (MVP) initiative, is a collaborative partnership between �鶹��Ƶ and several Virginia community colleges, designed to enhance the transfer experience for community college students pursuing a bachelor's degree. These partnerships offer significant cost savings, a simplified admission and financial aid process, and access to additional grant programs, all while benefiting from the support of a dedicated advisor to ensure success with no loss of credits.

George �鶹��Ƶ’s partnership with Germanna Community College in Fredericksburg, Virginia, was announced in June 2022.

“It feels amazing,” Rubiera said of her eventual graduation. “My mom reminds me every day, and I feel like I’m motivating and inspiring my brothers and sisters. I want them to see that we can do this—that we’re allowed to go to college and have the same opportunities as everyone else.”

The second-youngest of five children, Rubiera, is majoring in criminology, law and society, with aspirations of becoming a criminal defense attorney. Due to graduate in spring 2026, she chose George �鶹��Ƶ not only for its criminology program, but also for its diversity. This fall, Rubiera is among the many new faces on the Fairfax Campus and is notably the first ADVANCE MVP student to transfer to George �鶹��Ƶ after completing two years at community college.

“Alizé is an MVP trailblazer,” said Rita Alcala, associate director of the Office of Community College Partnerships at George �鶹��Ƶ. “Her story and recent transition to George �鶹��Ƶ underscore the ADVANCE Program’s importance and its ongoing impact through its extended partnerships. With clear academic pathways, coaching support, and streamlined admissions and matriculation processes, ADVANCE and its partners help make a bachelor’s degree more accessible to community college students across Virginia.”

Rubiera’s story is common among Virginia community college students seeking a better life, as 64% of ADVANCE students identify as first-generation college students.

Currently 60 students are enrolled in the ADVANCE MVP Program across its five extended partner institutions, outside of the flagship institution partnership with Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), with more students expected to enroll this coming academic year. George �鶹��Ƶ officials expect at least one more ADVANCE MVP extended partnership student to transition to its Fairfax Campus in Spring 2025.

Overall, 66% of Virginia Community College System students now have access to ADVANCE at their respective community colleges.

Rubiera credits her ADVANCE advisor, Dana Brantley, for being invaluable support throughout the transfer process. “She was always reliable whenever I needed guidance,” Rubiera said. “Having an advisor who is available when you’re unsure or confused is crucial, and Dana was always there for me.”

It all started with an unexpected e-mail nearly a year ago. “That e-mail provided me an opportunity that I am extremely grateful for,” Rubiera said.

Learn more about ADVANCE

Explore the growing list of ADVANCE pathways for community college students

Topics

Students

�鶹��Ƶ Virginia Promise

ADVANCE

first-generation

Strategic Direction

George �鶹��Ƶ team creates augmented reality campus tour for transfer students

Shayla Brown — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 18:03:10 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ team creates augmented reality campus tour for transfer students Shayla Brown Thu, 07/18/2024 - 14:03

A team from �鶹��Ƶ is using augmented reality (AR) to create a smartphone app that will provide first-generation ADVANCE students with a virtual tour of the Fairfax Campus as they prepare to transfer from Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA).

ADVANCE is a collaborative effort between George �鶹��Ƶ and Virginia’s community colleges to create a seamless pathway for students’ transfer to a four-year institution.

Kelly Schrum. Photo provided.

The AR project is co-directed by Kelly Schrum, a professor in George �鶹��Ƶ’s Higher Education Program in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Graziella Pagliarulo McCarron, an associate professor in the School of Integrative Studies.

The app, created using ARway, will provide students with interactive GPS tracking and indoor visual positioning through a geolocation feature, directing students to their location as they travel from point A to point B.

“One of the things this tool does really well is, if you say, ‘I’d like to find the gender-neutral bathroom,’ or ‘I would like to take the elevator,’ or ‘I would like to find disability services,’ you can select it from the directory, and it’ll basically hold your hand and guide you the whole way there,” said Schrum.

The team is focusing on the four floors in Student Union Building (SUB) I, which houses on-campus student support services including the �鶹��Ƶ Student Services Center, Student Health Services, Student Success Coaching, and many more. Each floor gets a separate AR map, Pagliarulo McCarron said. After they map SUB I, Pagliarulo McCarron said they will start work on Fenwick Library and then the Johnson Center.

The app is funded by grants from George �鶹��Ƶ’s Office of the Provost and 4-VA@�鶹��Ƶ, which receives funding from the state to build collaborations across institutions as well as create new technologies that promote first-generation student transfer pathways to higher education.

Graziella Pagliarulo McCarron. Photo provided.

Representatives from the First-Gen+ Center and undergrad, graduate, and PhD students are researching the common challenges transfer students face, including the need to find community, to incorporate those aspects into the app.

“Kelly and I talked a lot about possible tangible resources that would help create a stronger connection to George �鶹��Ƶ for our students,” said Janette Muir, vice provost for academic affairs.

The team conducting the technology and digital humanities-based research includes many who are first in their family to go to college.

“Throughout this process, we learned that students felt disconnected and disoriented when they didn’t know how the campus was laid out,” said Muir, who is also director of the 4-VA@�鶹��Ƶ program. “With the work that this team is doing, we could decrease that anxiety and help students access the services that are available to them.”

ADVANCE students currently attending NOVA are testing the app and providing feedback to the team.

In addition to student testers, ADVANCE has provided the team with aggregate data of qualitative and quantitative feedback received directly from students through an Ask an ADVANCE Student Ambassador forum on the program’s Canvas course. This information helps the program identify what students are most focused on throughout through transfer journey and time in ADVANCE.

“My hope with providing that additional data is to help narrow down what should be covered in the tours and what could be helpful to incorporate into the app,” said Jason Dodge, the executive director of community college partnerships at George �鶹��Ƶ.

Mariya Khan. Photo provided.

“The AR campus tour and ADVANCE both highlight that transfer is not the responsibility of a single office, but that it takes a collective of folks across the university in order to pull something like that off,” said Dodge.

Schrum said several students from the graduate course HE 703 Higher Education in the Digital Age are working on the project. Team instructional designer Mariya Khan gave an in-person interactive presentation on AR and gamification to the class.

“Kelly saw how the AR I used in my presentation could be infused into what she envisioned for this project,” said Khan, who works in the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning.

“I’m a first-generation American, so I understand why projects like this are important,” Khan added. “It would be super helpful to students who want to feel more engaged and like they’re part of something.”

Veronica Visser. Photo provided.

Veronica Visser, a master’s student in higher education and leadership, has been a part of the project since its inception.

“As a first-gen international student, sometimes it can feel like you just go to campus, go to your lecture, and then you go back home,” said Visser, who is from Paraguay. “But with resources like the AR app, you learn that there are people available to help you with your resume, to help you with time management, getting your �鶹��Ƶ [ID] card, or other resources that will make you a better student and person.”

The team will conduct a second round of user testing on the app this summer.

“Although we are focusing on first-gen transfer students for now, the project has a lot of potential to expand to other underrepresented minorities, and we’re excited to explore that,” said Schrum.

Take a look at the app in action

Currently this augmented reality experience is only mapped for Student Union Building I. The Johnson Center and Fenwick Library are both on the list to receive a similar AR map.

Topics

This nontraditional student puts the focus on others through her photography

Shayla Brown — Mon, 15 May 2023 17:15:51 +0000

This nontraditional student puts the focus on others through her photography Shayla Brown Mon, 05/15/2023 - 13:15

Sisc Johnson in front of some of her photography. Photo by Cristian Torres.

Sisc Johnson, a �鶹��Ƶ School of Art student and staff member, will be the first in her family to graduate from college this May.

“My parents never graduated high school,” said Johnson. “[My siblings and I] were in and out of foster homes, and we were always raised to believe that college wasn't an option for us. It wasn’t until I started working at �鶹��Ƶ, that I discovered I actually could go to college.”

Johnson, who started at �鶹��Ƶ as the business manager of Student Centers in 2008, began taking nondegree classes. Her determination to earn a degree, coupled with her discovery of �鶹��Ƶ’s employee tuition benefit, led her to enroll in the BFA in photography with Art and Visual Technology (AVT) program in 2018.

“I originally went into the interdisciplinary studies degree program and one of my first classes was a photography class, with Sue Wrbican. She was amazing and it completely changed my trajectory,” Johnson said.

Johnson was very active in the Writing for Artists course during the pandemic, said course instructor Heather Green.

“Sissy was great because when we were all doing class from our houses, it could be a little bit demoralizing, but she would always bring her unique perspective, her insights and humor, and kick off the conversation,” said Green, an assistant professor in �鶹��Ƶ’s School of Art.

Although her parents never finished high school, Johnson understood the value of a degree and encouraged her two daughters to go to college, and both earned degrees—at Lewis and Clark College and University of Virginia—as their mother pursued hers part-time while working full-time.

“We’re so lucky to have Sisc, one of our most dynamic students, bringing her business experience and art knowledge to her new position in School of Art,” Green said.

Johnson, who also teaches photography at Stepping Stones, a treatment program for court-involved boys, age 14 to 18, often incorporates social justice into her artwork.

“Every year I take cameras over there and teach art as a way of expressing what's going on and expose them to �鶹��Ƶ. Hopefully they [will see that they] can go to college too."

Her projects on the prison systems and prison reform are inspired by loved ones who are in and out of incarceration, said Johnson, similar to how her projects on women’s rights tie back to her personal experience of being a woman who grew up in the foster care system of rural Tennessee and dealing with many gender inequalities.

Johnson, who now works for the School of Art as the business and operations manager, has several projects featured on her personal portfolio website.

“I don't like talking about my experiences very much, so I focus on others,” she explained. “One of my last projects ‘Lost in America’ was about undocumented members of our community and the abuses that they suffer.

“I've been at 7-Eleven photographing them, and somebody will drive up in a truck that says ‘Build the wall’ on the bumper. Those things really enrage me.”

Bobby Yi, assistant director at the School of Art and the interim director for painting and drawing, has been Johnsons’ academic adviser throughout her career.

“Sissy is pretty freaking amazing,” Yi said. “That challenge of having to juggle so much is humongous, and it speaks volumes about her personality and what she's willing to give for her family and for other students.”

“There's been so many times that my peers at �鶹��Ƶ all show up for me when I need them, and they all motivate me,” said Johnson.

“One thing about �鶹��Ƶ is that everybody has an opportunity to make their dreams come true here, and Sissy is the embodiment of that,” Yi said. “She deserves all the accolades that she could get.”

Topics

Faculty and Staff News

Students

In This Story

Heather Green

Apply to the Program!

Learn more about the School of Art

Birds of a Feather: Alum’s detective work can improve flight safety

Colleen Rich — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 18:37:21 +0000

Birds of a Feather: Alum’s detective work can improve flight safety Colleen Rich Wed, 01/11/2023 - 13:37

The pilot reported that his plane had hit something in the air big enough to knock a hole in the side of the wing. But when Carla Dove, MS Biology ’94, PhD Environmental Science and Public Policy ’98, received the strike sample's DNA results from the lab, she was stumped. “It kept coming back as whitetail deer…we sent it three times.”

Carla Dove in her lab. Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution

The case of the deer in the sky was just one of the 10,000 bird strike cases Dove’s team investigates every year in the Feather Identification Lab at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. As program manager, the �鶹��Ƶ alum identifies the specific birds involved in collisions, with samples coming to her from various branches of the U.S. military, commercial airlines, and more.

It's work that can save lives and improve flight safety. Once the species is identified, airfield biologists work to mitigate the habitat to keep those birds from being attracted to the airfield, while engineers use the data to design safer aircraft and build models to increase awareness of this aviation hazard.

Dove has done this work for decades, going back to when she was pursuing her master’s and PhD at �鶹��Ƶ. �鶹��Ƶ’s flexibility, she said, was ideal. “The courses being offered at night allowed me to work during the day.”

She also credits the mentorship she received from the late �鶹��Ƶ professor emeritus Carl Ernst. “He was extremely helpful, patient, and encouraging because he knew I was a first-generation college student and that I needed a little bit of extra help.”

Carla Dove examines a specimen. Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution

Dove’s experience is typical of �鶹��Ƶ’s ethos of welcoming and supporting every kind of student, with 40% of current students identifying as first-generation.

Because of Dove’s work with government and military entities, Ernst advised her to look at a policy PhD. Dove says her PhD helped her advance professionally. “It helps open doors; it helps write grants. It was something that I needed for my job here.”

And her job is a busy one. In addition to the aviation industry, Dove works on everything from crime scene investigations (think evidence from a down jacket or a pillow) to identifying the feathers used on anthropological artifacts like arrow heads, spear tips, and headdresses.

As for that collision supposedly caused by a deer at 1,500 feet? Dove took another look and found a tiny feather remnant. When she observed it under the microscope, it all clicked into place.

“It turned out to be a black vulture,” she said. The bird was likely feeding on a deer just before it soared into the sky and collided with the plane. “That for me was a case of ‘mind over molecules’…you always have to have an open mind [and] think about it in the broad sense—how does all this fit?”

It all comes down to being able to think differently—just one of the ways Dove and her alma mater are birds of a feather.

Topics

Alumni

College of Science

Department of Environmental Science and Policy (ESP)

Graduate’s �鶹��Ƶ experience was value-added

Colleen Rich — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 20:40:36 +0000

Graduate’s �鶹��Ƶ experience was value-added Colleen Rich Fri, 12/09/2022 - 15:40

For Juan Escalera, marketing and economics are very similar in that both look at human behavior. From studying economics, Escalera said he has learned the importance of value. From studying marketing, he said he learned the value of communication.

Juan Escalera. Photo provided

A double major and member of the Honors College, Escalera came to �鶹��Ƶ as an alumnus of the university’s Early Identification Program. That program, he said, pushed him in high school to take Advanced Placement courses that helped prepare him for a college workload. He is also a first-generation student.

“Definitely a sense of accomplishment that will probably hit once I’ve graduated,” Escalera said. “But right now, it’s just a relief that I’ve come this far. It makes me look forward to what other challenges will come up and what I can accomplish.”

Where are you from?

I am Bolivian, but have lived in Arlington, Virginia, most of my life.

What is your best memory of �鶹��Ƶ?

My best memory of �鶹��Ƶ is when my Honors College Learning Community floor threw a Halloween party where we all dressed up. It was an experience that was needed after we all spent that week taking exams.

How have you grown while at �鶹��Ƶ?

One way I have grown while at �鶹��Ƶ is by developing and further implementing a professional mindset when decision-making. I have refined work ethics that best work for me to reach my goals for the day.

What is your best advice for incoming students?

My best advice is to explore when it comes to their education. To get an accurate understanding of our world, an individual needs to understand multiple perspectives, which our education provides.

What’s next for you?

My next step is to figure out some travel plans before I really get going starting my career.

Topics

Students

Graduation

Early Identification Program (EIP)

Honors College

first-generation

Costello College of Business News

Costello College of Business Students

Costello College of Business

Blazing a Trail

Colleen Rich — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 15:25:51 +0000

Blazing a Trail Colleen Rich Tue, 11/01/2022 - 11:25

�鶹��Ƶ Nation would not be what it is without our first-generation students. Nearly 40 percent of �鶹��Ƶ students identify as being the first in their families to attain a college degree. Of those, 33 percent are eligible for need-based Pell Grants, which is greater than Virginia’s average.

In �鶹��Ƶ’s Class of 2022, 27 percent of the graduates identified as first generation.

President Gregory Washington, himself a first-generation college graduate, talked about first-gen students during his Investiture address in October 2021.

“We've always prided ourselves on putting students first, and they have truly shown us what they are made of,” Washington told the audience in EagleBank Arena. “Most of our students hail from historically disenfranchised communities—three out of 10 are first generation. They have a vision for a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities, and they are not strangers to adversity, occasional rejection, and hard work.”

�鶹��Ƶ’s definition of a first-generation college student includes someone whose parent or legal guardian(s) did not receive or complete post-secondary education, or who received a two-year degree, or earned any level of postsecondary education outside the United States.

“Sometimes we have �鶹��Ƶ students come up to us who realize that they are also first-generation college students because of how we define it,” says Amber Holton-Thomas, director of the First-Gen+ Center. “Just because, for example, someone’s parents got an advanced degree outside the [United States] doesn’t mean they understand or have experience with navigating the U.S. college system, so we are here to help.”

Housed in Student Union Building I on the Fairfax Campus, first-generation students are able to seek advice and insight at the First-Gen+ Center. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

In 2021, the national Center for First-Generation Student Success, an initiative of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and the Suder Foundation, named �鶹��Ƶ to its 2021–22 First-Gen Forward cohort. The designation recognizes institutions of higher education who have demonstrated a commitment to improving experiences and advancing outcomes for first-generation college students. Selected institutions receive professional development, community-building experiences, and a first look at the center’s research and resources.

Putting Resources in Place

First-generation college students face various barriers when trying to excel both academically and socially. �鶹��Ƶ works to eliminate these additional barriers and foster first-generation student success through intentional programming and catered support. This support includes:

Early Identification Program: �鶹��Ƶ’s college preparatory program collaborates with local public school systems to provide access to educational resources for middle and high school students who will be the first in their families to attend a college or university. The program boasts more than 1,600 graduates and has 600 students currently enrolled at �鶹��Ƶ.
Student Transition Empowerment Program (STEP): This initiative, which is part of the First-Gen+ Center, was created in 1990 to enhance the recruitment, engagement, and retention of first-generation college students accepted to �鶹��Ƶ.
First-Gen+ Center: This year-old center in �鶹��Ƶ’s University Life division provides resources, mentoring, and programming for first-generation students.
First-Generation Peer Mentoring Program: The First-Gen+ Center's mentoring program supports first-generation student success.
First-Generation Student Task Force: This task force is led by �鶹��Ƶ faculty and staff who were first-generation students themselves.

Additionally, the student organization F1rst Gen @ �鶹��Ƶ boasts more than 200 members and aims to provide opportunities for first-gen students to make connections with others to help them overcome the obstacles they face and make the most of their college experiences. In the spring semester, this group hosted its seventh I Am First Stories night, an event where first-gen students, alumni, and faculty and staff share their success stories.

Sharing Their Stories

Arturo Barrera

Arturo Barrera, BA Conflict Analysis and Resolution ’21, was among those sharing their stories at the I Am First event. Barrera is the first in his family to attend college in the United States, but he acknowledges that he didn’t get there alone. He credits his parents for their perseverance in a new country after emigrating from Bolivia. He also says �鶹��Ƶ began supporting him long before he was a freshman.

“The Early Identification Program gave me resources and a different way of seeing the idea of college,” says Barrera, who joined the preparatory program in seventh grade. “I wanted to give back what they gave to me.”

Since coming to �鶹��Ƶ, Barrera says he is most proud of helping first-generation students attend college and achieve their dreams. He has served as a college readiness instructor and academic success coach for EIP.

“It was a little intimidating [mentoring high schoolers], but it developed me as a leader in that I gained a lot of confidence,” says Barrera, who is currently working on an accelerated master of public administration degree. “I also was a peer advisor for a University 101 class—if it wasn’t for EIP, I would’ve never considered that.”

Hazel Cartagena

Sophomore Hazel Cartagena also used EIP’s resources. After coming to the United States from El Salvador to join her mother late in 2010, Cartagena enrolled in EIP. She was an academic star at Freedom High School in Woodbridge, Virginia, and earned a spot in �鶹��Ƶ’s University Scholars Program, which offers academically outstanding incoming freshman a four-year, full tuition scholarship.

A member of �鶹��Ƶ’s Honors College, Cartagena says she has a good start thanks to EIP, which introduced her to mentors and faculty members she believes will be part of her network even after she graduates.

Just as important, though, were introductions to other first-generation students and students of different backgrounds who would join her at what is already the most diverse public research university in Virginia. She calls it a “built-in community.”

“I remember seeing a lot of people from different places, different countries, and, at least for me, that helps me,” says Cartagena, who is majoring in accounting. “It encourages me. All these people from all these places are trying to do their best and put in that effort to have something better for themselves. For me, it is really inspiring.”

In fall 2021, in celebration of National First-Generation College Celebration, we asked the �鶹��Ƶ Nation on social media to share their first-generation stories. Many students talked about the importance of the �鶹��Ƶ centers and resources in helping them feel like part of the community.

�鶹��Ƶ alum Kareema Smith, BA Psychology ’15, MS Educational Psychology ’16, credits the Student Transition Empowerment Program (STEP) for having a huge impact on her academic life. She says she heard about the program at an admitted-student event before she started at �鶹��Ƶ.

“Thanks to STEP I was able to enter college with other first-generation students the summer before our first year began where we learned so much and established true community,” says Smith. “At 18 years old, that program gave me the tools and confidence to become a leader on campus, to truly care more about the humanity of others, and to think critically while challenging myself and my ideals.”

And Smith continues to pay it forward. From 2016 to 2019, Smith was the director of student success at �鶹��Ƶ’s Honors College. She is now a career counselor at Auburn University, where she is pursuing a PhD in counseling psychology.

For alum Bianca Alba, BS Community Health ’11, MPH ’15, EIP was a portal of opportunity.

“Also, getting involved with my Latina sorority, Chi Upsilon Sigma, opened up network opportunities and provided me with women role models who had their life and careers set,” says Alba, who now works as a public health analyst.

Graduate student Isidore Nsengiyumva, who is attending �鶹��Ƶ online from Kenya, says the National First-Generation College Celebration serves as a great personal reminder of everyone who has supported and sacrificed for him to get where he is today.

Nsengiyumva spent part of his childhood living in refugee camps after fleeing his native Burundi during the civil war there. He is now a Charles E. Scheidt Fellow at �鶹��Ƶ’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

“It is also a good time for reflection on how far I have come and what it took for me to get here,” Nsengiyumva says.

Words of Advice

We asked our first-gen students and alumni to share advice they could pass on to other first-gens.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself! It is okay to fail, but just because you fail a class doesn’t make you a failure. I had to learn the hard way. Surround yourself with like-minded people, and remember self-care is also important.” —Bianca Alba, BS Community Health ‘11, MPH ‘15

“Don’t forget where you come from, be humble, and don’t forget to thank those who helped you attend college. You can thank them by making sure you graduate and being the positive change that we need in our society. Lastly, don’t forget to make lifelong friends. Together, we can make our network stronger.” —Thomas Oh, BS Criminology, Law and Society ‘13, MBA ‘19

“Some of our professors were first-generation students themselves and understand what we’re going through. Support your fellow students, and they will support you back in their own ways. This support that you receive from others will give you a strong sense of motivation and inspiration to work hard academically and professionally” —Kenny Rakwong, BS Information Systems and Operations Management ‘22

“Don’t ever ignore your mistakes; learn from them. We know what it’s like to feel scared and overwhelmed because we’re first-gen, we’re all in this together.” —Electrical Engineering major John Sejas-Cordova, class of 2024

“Be awesome, follow your dreams, and don’t feel the pressure of overachieving. The mere fact that you’re enrolled in a university working toward a better future is more than enough. Be proud, work hard, and be thankful for everything, and don’t waste the opportunity to prepare for a better future.” —Lisa Castro, BS Management ’09, MA International Commerce and Policy ’17

“Never be afraid to ask for help! There are so many resources on campus and beyond to help you succeed during this time. There will definitely be some things about college that you won’t know about that others will—this isn’t something to be ashamed of. It is an opportunity to learn.” —Physics PhD student Phoebe McClincy

Mariam Aburdeineh, Damian Cristodero, and Anna Stolley Persky contributed to this feature.

This article originally appeared in the Summer/Fall 2022 �鶹��Ƶ Spirit.

"They have a vision for a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities, and they are not strangers to adversity, occasional rejection, and hard work.”

—President Gregory Washington

Check out the First-Gen+ Center

Topics

�鶹��Ƶ Spirit

First Gen + Center

Early Identification Program (EIP)

first-generation

Spirit Fall 22

first-generation

Accounting alum elevates talent and culture at KPMG

In This Story

Topics

Practicum and research empower this future public health leader

Topics

How resilience, caring, and lived experience created a social worker

“That was my community”

Making it official

Related News

Topics

First-generation alumna and MBA student shares recipes for creating treasured memories in new book

Topics

Rubiera becomes the first ADVANCE MVP student to matriculate to George �鶹��Ƶ

Related Stories

Topics

George �鶹��Ƶ team creates augmented reality campus tour for transfer students

Related News

Topics

This nontraditional student puts the focus on others through her photography

Topics

In This Story

Read More Graduation Stories

Birds of a Feather: Alum’s detective work can improve flight safety

Recent News

Topics

Graduate’s �鶹��Ƶ experience was value-added

Read More Graduation Stories

Topics

Blazing a Trail

Putting Resources in Place

Sharing Their Stories

Words of Advice

More on First Gen+

Topics