Arts and Sciences Class of 2018

Congratulations to the Class of 2018!

The 5,595 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 marks its 10th anniversary this year.   

From Colin Chehanske, on the left, a Criminal Justice major, Air Force ROTC cadet, and tri-athlete, who is one of 16 Arts and Sciences Fulbright winners and will teach English in Taiwan next year—to Michael Antosiewicz on the right, a 4.0 Classics and History major, and recipient of the Gates Cambridge fellowship to study Classics at Cambridge University—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 2018 is no exception with 37 students graduating with 4.0 grade point averages, 207 Honors Scholars, 445 Phi Beta Kappa inductees, 927 writing honors thesis, and 1,508 graduating with GPAs above 3.5.

Students in the School of Arts and Sciences students value the ability to explore many fields as they search for their calling. A total of 828 students are graduating with more than one major, like John Capangpangan, center above, who majored in French and Political Sciences, and used that knowledge to visit France, interview politicians, and write an honors thesis about the National Front. 

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.

 


  • From ROTC to Triathlon Team, He Found His Niche at Rutgers

    Colin Chehanske attended the Air Force Academy and the University of Maryland before finding the perfect home at Rutgers.  While majoring in Criminal Justice in Arts and Sciences, he joined the Air Force ROTC and garnered a Fulbright to study in Taiwan before accepting his commission as an officer.

  • Using Her Skills and Knowledge to Empower Others

    As a linguistics major, Aida Bahrami studied the roots, history, and processes of language, did extensive research, and shadowed speech-language pathologists. It all set the stage for graduate studies at Teachers College, Columbia University. "I wanted to empower others to have a voice," she says.

  • An Economics Major Finds an Entrepreneurial Passion in Music

    Brian Rauth found the study of economics both compelling and empowering. And it was economics that helped him launch an entrepreneurial project in New Brunswick. “Studying economics changed my life because it made me more comfortable living in modern society,” Rauth says.

  • Studying Russian Prepared Rutgers Student for the World

    Petter Carkhuff, a Class of 2018 graduate, says that majoring in Russian language and literature had a major impact on his life. “I am much more engaged with the world, more culturally aware, and better able to understand different perspectives,” he says.

  • From Molecular Biology to Martial Arts, this Rutgers Senior Built a Full Undergraduate Experience

    Soo Jeong Hwang, a Molecular Biology and Biochemistry major, takes advantage of the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences focus on interdisciplinary studies by minoring in French.

  • Rutgers Senior Discovers His Calling in the Study of Mind

    Knycholas Sutherland had far-reaching interests in STEM, linguistics, and human behavior. At Rutgers, he was drawn to the array of course offerings at SAS. He eventually discovered the ideal major: cognitive science, the interdisciplinary study of the mind. 

  • Graduate Sees Humanities as Response to Troubled Times

    At Rutgers, Michael Antosiewicz embraced the study of humanities, both as an introspective journey and a way to respond to the current state of world. “One way to re-embed ourselves in the world is to start talking about the humanities and bring them back into the discourse.” 

  • Studying Languages and Embracing the World

    Maria Di Costanzo, an Italian and Spanish major with a minor in international and global studies, finds a deeper connection with her own history through her heritage language, Italian.

  • A Rutgers Senior Looks Back on an Expansive Academic Journey

    Matthew Habel tried out several possible majors in the social and physical sciences, conducted research on cancer and heart disease, and worked at an internship where he learned about the process of bringing medicine from the conceptual stage to consumers. He found his niche in biomathematics. 

     

    "I

    ...