Alumni Gathering RSVP deadline is today!
Celebrating the community
We ended 2025 on a high note, celebrating the Flinn Scholar alumni community. Photos from last month’s alumni gathering are linked here.
We are grateful for the many ways you honor the Foundation’s investment in you through your professional and personal endeavors, and for the ways you show up for this program. Staff often reach out for support, and this community answers the call. The generosity of time, expertise, and care is one of the greatest strengths of the Flinn Scholars Program.
February Alumni Hour: 2015 Scholar Alexis Darb
4-5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 2 (Arizona time)
What are we supposed to do when the “obvious” or “logical” path stops feeling right? Next month, we’ll be sitting down with Alexis “Lexi” Darby (‘15) who changed her major no fewer than nine times during undergrad and made the hard call to leave a Ph.D. program two years in to forge a different direction. Now an executive recruiter in biotech and pharma, she helps industry professionals of all types navigate their own career transitions. We’ll talk about recognizing when it’s time to pivot, managing the pressure to be perfect, balancing mental health and tough decisions, and what Lexi has learned from the recruiting side about how successful careers actually unfold: rarely in straight lines. Plus, she’ll offer practical advice on breaking into new industries, leveraging your network, and building a career that actually fits your life and values.
Previous sessions are available on our YouTube channel or listen to the podcast on Apple/ Spotify.
Alumni Voices
Sharad Desai – Class of 1999
Will you share a little about your current role and what excites you most about your work?
On Jan. 7, 2025, President Biden appointed me to serve as a United States District Judge for the District of Arizona. In this role, I preside over both criminal and civil cases as a trial court judge based in the Sandra Day O’Connor courthouse in Phoenix. My criminal cases include charges for illegal reentry into the United States, drug and weapons trafficking, violent crimes, and financial crimes. My civil cases cover a wide range of disputes, including personal injury suits, securities class actions, and social security appeals (to name just a few categories). In addition to my caseload, I have the privilege of admitting immigrants as United States citizens at naturalization ceremonies, which are always beautiful events.
I love coming to the courthouse every morning. I get to work on a variety of challenging cases while working with committed public servants and mentoring younger lawyers who are passionate about the rule of law. Every day I learn something new about the law, the litigants and lawyers in my cases, and how to better serve people often experiencing the most challenging circumstances of their lives. While I can’t eliminate the stress civil litigants, criminal defendants, victims, and others experience while navigating our legal system, I do enjoy trying to make them feel as comfortable as possible. This is my dream job.
Before moving into public service, I worked in Honeywell International Inc.’s legal department for almost a decade in various roles, most recently as the Vice President and General Counsel for the company’s Integrated Supply Chain and Information Technology departments. Before joining Honeywell, I practiced commercial litigation and appellate law at Osborn Maledon, PA, a law firm in Phoenix. I’ve now had several different legal jobs and have both enjoyed and learned a tremendous amount from each.
How did being a Flinn Scholar shape your academic and/or career path?
Being a Flinn Scholar has shaped who I am, what I studied, and my career path, in three main ways. First, being a Scholar afforded me the opportunity to meet and engage with people with varying backgrounds, interests, and experiences. Being surrounded by brilliant and engaging peers allowed me to explore new passions, ultimately leading me to switch from being pre-med to pursuing a career in law. Second, and relatedly, the scholarship gave me the financial freedom to explore different interests and ultimately pursue my passion. Last, the scholarship’s focus on international travel experiences taught get comfortable with being uncomfortable, which has served me well each time I’ve taken on a new challenge in my career.
How do you stay connected with the Flinn community today?
I attend as many events as possible at the Flinn Foundation, which has helped me maintain connections with Flinn Scholars I knew while in school while also allowing me to make new connections. Recently, I have tried to serve as an informal coordinator for my class by encouraging attendance at Flinn reunions and events. My classmates have also done a great job scheduling virtual and in-person meet-ups, including one we held in early January — it was wonderful catching up!
Looking back, what’s one lesson from your time as a Flinn Scholar that has stayed with you?
The importance of developing and fostering a supportive, diverse, and interesting community of peers is a lesson that I learned as a Flinn Scholar and continue to employ each time I’m in a new environment. My Flinn class was diverse, and I treasured my friends’ insights and experiences, many of which differed significantly from my own and challenged my perceptions. When I went to law school, I was fortunate to create a similar community, and I have tried to do the same thing in each phase of life and step in my career.
What impact do you hope to make in your field or community in the coming years?
Beyond endeavoring to serve the litigants and lawyers in my courtroom with empathy, diligence, and integrity, I hope to bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the federal courts here in Arizona and more broadly. The technological environment has changed rapidly since I first started practicing law 20 years ago, and there are opportunities to employ new tools and approaches to manage our challenging caseloads. Generative artificial intelligence is already altering how lawyers and parties litigate their cases, and I am eager to explore the responsible use of that and other technologies in our work.
What’s one unexpected skill you picked up during college that you still use today?
During my Flinn Summer Seminar in 2000, I unexpectedly learned that I could eat absurd amounts of fried cheese without getting sick of it (or getting sick). Fried cheese was often the only vegetarian food available on our travels in Budapest and Romania. I recently adopted a keto diet and, once again, fried cheese is my only option when I eat at certain restaurants. And I still love it!
What’s the most surprising way your Flinn experience has popped up in your life post-college?
I’ve worked with Flinn alumni throughout my career, but joining Honeywell took it to a new level: My mentor in one of Honeywell’s development programs was Ben Driggs (’90), and when I was a general counsel in the Aerospace division Jen Nelson (’89) was my boss!
Class of 2026 Semifinalists
This fall we received 1,150 applications for the Class of 2026 Flinn Scholarship. With the support of many reviewers, including several alumni, we narrowed the pool to 79 Semifinalists. Learn more about these students, including a complete list, on our website.
Meet Michael!
The Flinn Scholars team is pleased to welcome Michael Wang as the new Program Coordinator. A graduate of Hamilton High, Arizona State University, and Barrett, The Honors College, Michael brings a unique blend of operational expertise and entrepreneurial spirit to the team.
Earlier in his career, Michael was active in ASU’s startup space as a co-founder of PeerSquared and later became a key team member for Ask Benji, Arizona’s innovative FAFSA chatbot. He most recently oversaw statewide college access initiatives at the Arizona Board of Regents. The most enjoyable part of his work has always been supporting students and building connections — a priority he looks forward to continuing with current and alumni Scholars.
Outside of Flinn, Michael volunteers with the Asian Corporate & Entrepreneur Leaders (ACEL) and the Million Dollar Teacher Project (MDTP). He often finds himself traveling to Northern Arizona for hikes and to Southern Arizona, where he is active in the real estate and small business scene.
Connect with Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-minze-wang/