Arts and Sciences Seniors Find Their Calling
Arts and Sciences Class of 2019
Congratulations to the School of Arts and Sciences Class of 2019!
The 5,499 students graduating this year from Rutgers University–New Brunswick’s largest school are diverse, accomplished, and committed. They embody the values and traditions of the School of Arts and Sciences, which this year is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Paul Robeson's graduation as valedictorian in 1919.
From Avina Rami, a cell biology and neuroscience major committed to curing spinal cord injury, to Brent Leoni (pictured above), an English major and budding film director and screenwriter who will teach English in South Korea next year, these Arts and Sciences students found their path at Rutgers and are going places!
Each year brings new standards of academic excellence. And the class of 2019 is no exception with more than 1,600 graduating with a 3.5 grade point average or higher, and 63 with a 4.0.
School of Arts and Sciences students value the ability to explore many fields as they search for their calling. A total of 745 students are graduating with two majors, like Miah Hagood, who majored in sociology and criminal justice and will be attending Rutgers Law School-Newark next year.
The School of Arts and Sciences takes pride in providing students the opportunity to seek, to grow, and to discover not only what they want to be, but who they want to be.
Read their inspiring stories below.
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A Budding Filmmaker Finds a Creative Wellspring as a Rutgers University English Major
Brent Leoni came to Rutgers knowing he would major in English--and then minored in creative writing, Italian, and digital communication, information, and media. Now, he's graduating as an experienced filmmaker.
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Rutgers Graduate Mixed Activism with Academics and is Poised for Career as a Scholar
A double major in political science and Latino and Caribbean studies, Geidy Mendez was one of 14 in the nation selected for a national political science summer program. A graduate in the Rutgers class of 2019, Mendez is now a graduate student in the Department of Political Science at the...
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Finding the Perfect Equation as a Statistics Major
Brenda Johnson says that statistics offers many ways to apply her knowledge and skills as well as many possible career paths. As a statistics major, she has learned computer languages, developed coding skills, and gained much insight into how statistics is applied in government and business.
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A Passion for Justice Leads to Sociology and Law School
Miah Hagood, a double major in sociology and criminal justice with a minor in Africana studies, says, “It’s important for me to use my Rutgers degree to help others, such as representing indigent clients or people who are disadvantaged.”
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Drawn to Public Service, He Found a World of Experience at Rutgers
Nick Pellitta, who majored in economics and political sciences, will leave in August for Tsinghua University in Beijing to study global affairs, where he will join 146 students from around the world who have been selected as Schwarzman Scholars. When he returns, he plans on going to law school.
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A Gifted Science Student Discovers her Mission
Avina Rami, a Cell Biology and Neuroscience major, found her calling researching spinal cord injury at W. M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, where the emphasis on compassion and collaboration led to her interest in international healthcare as career.