Save the Date: Alumni Reunion — Dec. 21
Results from our alumni survey indicate great interest in attending this year’s gathering: 116 plan to attend and another 212 expressed interest. Mark your calendar for Sunday, Dec. 21, at the Flinn Foundation—details and RSVP to follow in next month’s newsletter.
Author Event: 1996 Scholar Katherine Larson
We’re delighted to host Katherine Larson, a poet, essayist, and scientist, for a special hybrid event at the Flinn Foundation to celebrate the release of her new book, “Wedding of the Foxes.” Katherine will be interviewed by 1993 Scholar Matt Ellsworth.
Event Details:
- When: 11 a.m.–1p.m., Saturday, Oct. 4
- Where: Flinn Foundation (virtual option available for remote attendees)
- Who: Open to the community
- Extras: Lunch will be provided; books will be available for purchase and signing
This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with a Flinn Scholar who has earned national recognition for her literary voice. Her honors include a Ruth Lilly Fellowship, the Larry Levis Reading Prize, a Kate Tufts Discovery Award, the Foreword Indies Gold Medal in Poetry, and the Yale Younger Poets Prize.
October Alumni Hour features 1986 Scholar Paul Burkhardt, Ph.D.
4-5 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 28 (Arizona time)
Join us for our upcoming Alumni Hour as Sara Zervos (’87) interviews Paul Burkhardt (’86), the newly appointed president of Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. Paul has built a distinguished career in higher education as a provost, most recently serving as provost at the University of Olivet in Michigan and previously as executive vice president and provost at Prescott College in Arizona. Recognized as a collaborative leader and champion for social justice, Paul is known for building transformational partnerships, and strengthening the student experience through inclusive, community-centered approaches.
Want to check out previous sessions? Watch them on our YouTube channel or listen to the podcast on Spotify/Apple.
Upcoming: Alumni-organized gatherings
We’re excited to share that Claire Gibson (’20), one of our Tucson-area alumni, is leading the charge to bring the Fl-amily together! Mark your calendars for 6–8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 24 for an evening of connection and community. The location will be finalized soon—RSVP to signal your interest and help guide the space reservation. This is a wonderful chance to gather with fellow alumni, strengthen your local network, and celebrate the bonds of the Flinn community.
Thanks to the initiative of Wendy Cassity (’93), Brook Rosenbaum (‘94), and Risha Das (‘20), Flinn alumni in Massachusetts and across New England have a new reason to connect! Mark your calendars for 6–8 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 13 for an evening of connection and community. The location will be finalized soon—RSVP to signal your interest and help guide the space reservation. Whether you’re reconnecting with longtime friends or meeting new alumni for the first time, this is a great opportunity to be part of a growing regional Flinn community.
2025 Centennial Lecture: Anthony Robles
Do you remember your favorite Centennial Lecturer? Good news, you don’t need to be a current Scholar to attend this year’s event. Alumni in Phoenix can attend in person, while those outside the area are invited to join via livestream.
Wednesday, Oct. 15 | 7–8 p.m. (MST)
This year’s speaker is Anthony Robles, an ASU alum, three-time NCAA wrestling champion, National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee, and the subject of the major motion picture “Unstoppable,” starring Jennifer Lopez and Jharrel Jerome.
Alumni Voices
Ravi Ram
Flinn Scholar Class of 2009
Q: Will you share a little about your current role and what excites you most about your work?
I currently run my own business, designing and facilitating leadership development and executive education programs for organizations around the world. Before this, I worked as an executive at Springboard, an education-technology startup in San Francisco, and as a management consultant at McKinsey.
I love traveling all over the world and working at the intersection of building teams, teaching skills, and mentoring talented individuals. I’m really energized by bringing people together from multicultural backgrounds in interactive workshops to help them develop personally and professionally.
To date, I’ve conducted programs across six continents in English, Spanish, and Portuguese for clients including McKinsey, Uber, Capital One, HP, and many more.
My programs range from business strategic thinking and problem solving, to executive presence and communication, to relationship building (e.g., practicing empathy, fostering trust, reflecting on personal values, engaging in productive conflict), to consultative sales.
Q: How did being a Flinn Scholar shape your academic and/or career path?
Being a Flinn Scholar was a life-changing experience because of three things in particular: (1) having immersive experiences across multiple countries and languages; (2) being part of the Flinn community: caring, intelligent, fun-loving, and curious Scholars with a multitude of passions alongside kind and helpful mentors/alums/advisors; and (3) attending a large public university. It also just helped me build confidence to be myself in the moment, whether that meant being silly, warm, confused, smiley, lost, grounded, caring, lighthearted, or anything else.
During my undergraduate years, I was given the opportunity to major in math and biology at the University of Arizona, practice Portuguese in Brazil, work at a medical clinic in Peru, study physics and Tamil while working at a hospital in Singapore, take economics and accounting classes in Spanish while in Spain, be part of a tennis team and a model United Nations club, and attend major collegiate sporting events.
At UA, I was blessed with not just great academic opportunities but also exposure to a broader college experience. I got to learn from, bond with, and develop alongside people from all walks of life in my hometown on a beautiful campus with sunny weather.
The freedom to explore whatever I felt interested in or passionate about in the moment was really special, and because of the multifaceted academic and global opportunities the Flinn Foundation gave me, I’m now able to live and work all over the world and truly connect with people to help them learn and grow.
Q: How do you stay connected with the Flinn community today?
I love to meet current Scholars and alums, run workshops, and attend Flinn events whenever possible.
Q: Looking back, what’s one lesson from your time as a Flinn Scholar that has stayed with you?
Michael Cochise Young, the former director of the Flinn Scholars Program and a life-changing mentor for me, once gave me a piece of advice which stays with me to this day: disturb your equilibrium.
The idea of disturbing the equilibrium is that growth and discomfort go hand-in-hand. We should constantly remind ourselves to push our limits, learn new things, and put ourselves in situations that may feel scary or uncomfortable. It is through these experiences that we expand our comfort zone and grow as humans.
I still get emotional thinking about Michael and the impact she had on me and my fellow Scholars.
Q: What impact do you hope to make in your field or community in the coming years?
I hope that I can inspire people and teams to pursue what gives them energy in service of a bigger goal. I like to believe that I can create a cascading, positive impact on the world both through small actions (like smiling at someone or saying a heartfelt thank you) and in my broader work. If even a few people build confidence, practice skills, and feel moved to take action by feeling connected to me, I’ll feel very grateful.
Q: What’s something you’re currently learning, exploring, or curious about?
Building community. I speak to friends often about how to help people feel truly seen and connected to others in a world which I think is becoming more polarized, digital, and isolating. I believe that interacting with people in person — particularly from a place of curiosity and kindness — is going to become increasingly important moving forward to build a better world.
Q: What book, podcast, or piece of media has changed how you think in the last year?
Ted Lasso. I first watched the show three years ago, and no matter how many times I rewatch it, the combination of humor, warmth, and deep uplifting messages is truly special. Somehow, I both laugh and cry during many episodes. I’ve spent a lot of time watching the show again over and over the past year, and I always come out feeling more inspired to be kind, playful, and loving.
Q: What movie title would you use to describe your career path?
The Beautiful, Ever-Winding Road.