The Flinn Scholars Program honored 22 graduating Scholars at the program’s annual Recognition Dinner on May 17, celebrating the students’ exceptional array of accomplishments during their undergraduate years and highlighting their diverse goals for the future.
The graduating Scholars included scientists and musicians, aspiring entrepreneurs and aspiring community leaders. Caitlin Acker interned with the state Legislature’s Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. Sean Aiken’s band Doubletop released its first album and had headlining performances at Tucson Weekly‘s Bi-Annual Club Crawl. Joe Fu, a Truman Scholar, conducted HIV/AIDS education in India and worked as a surgical assistant in Thailand. Wayne Shen laid the groundwork to launch businesses supplying music and photography for weddings and events.
Several graduates are on their way to further academic studies. Arielle Silverman, who graduated in December, is currently at a blindness training program at the Louisiana Center for the Blind and is aiming for graduate studies in psychology. Daniel Sullivan will be studying psychology as well, having accepted an invitation to the doctoral program in social psychology at the University of Kansas. Margaret Neff will pursue a master’s degree in archeology at Northern Arizona University, David Hernandez will begin a doctoral program in astrophysics at MIT, and Howard Chu will enter the doctoral program in dental medicine at Harvard.
A number of Scholars’ next steps will take them beyond the United States. William Valencia, who has conducted research on China on behalf of the Arizona State University President’s Office of Strategic projects, will pursue a graduate degree at Sichuan University in China’s Chengdu province. Annie Roethel will return to Chile, one of her undergraduate travel destinations, to launch a new branch of Projects and Teaching Abroad. Megan McGinnity, a Truman and Marshall Scholar named to USA Today‘s All-USA College Academic First Team, will begin a master’s program at the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies.
Other Scholars will remain closer to home. Steven Cottam will work as a full-time social-services volunteer at Andre House of Hospitality in Phoenix. Brittany Shaw will work for Pacific Manufacturing, a Phoenix-based, family-owned custom furniture company. Dustin Cox will stay in Tucson to fulfill the terms of a grant he secured to establish the A-Town collegiate social-justice and leadership conference model. John Snowberger will enter UA’s doctoral program in surface chemistry of flotation.
Mary Plante and Samantha Winter are en route to law school. Adeel Yang and Christina Kwong will both be working for a year before attending medical school. Anne McGettigan will work as an associate consultant for Semler Brossy Consulting Group in Los Angeles. Brian Indrelunas, with one semester remaining as editor in chief of The State Press at ASU, will work as a daily newspaper reporter after he graduates.
“We are proud of what these members of the Flinn family have accomplished,” said Michael Cochise Young, Flinn Foundation assistant vice president, scholarship programs. “And we anticipate eagerly the contributions they will continue to make to their professions, their communities, and the world.”