The Chancellor’s Career Fellowship, launched in 2020, provides undergraduates with career-oriented opportunities without financial limitations. Among the 61 students selected for the inaugural class of fellows, 41 are members of the College of Arts & Sciences.
When Andrew D. Martin assumed his position as chancellor in 2019, he shared his commitment to making Washington University a more accessible and equitable place for students at every stage of their university experience, including as they prepare for future lives and careers. As a testament to this commitment, the Chancellor’s Career Fellowship, a comprehensive, fully-funded career education experience, came to fruition in just a few months instead of what was expected to be years.
“The program supports and reflects our continued and shared commitment towards inclusion, equity, and access for all WashU students,” said Aimee Wittman, interim associate vice chancellor for student affairs for career development, by ensuring that students have equitable access to career resources and can pursue career-oriented opportunities without financial limitations. Among the 61 students selected for the inaugural class of Chancellor’s Career Fellows, 41 are members of the College of Arts & Sciences.
Arts & Sciences Inaugural Chancellor's Career Fellows
Tinuola Adebukola • Valencia Ajeh • Lina Ali • Simon Baek • Frank Baron • David Bradford • Mickey Brozek • Mariah Davis • Keona Dordor • Tiangelique Dunigan • Ad'mirel Durden • Nkemjika Emenike • Taylor Gardecki • Pedro Gomez • Hannah Grimes • Jaylen Hankins • Luke Hendricks • Melissa Huerta • Jenna Johnston • Alexandra Jones • Jake Joseph • Lillie Kang • Emily Konkus • Jimmy Le • Ashley Lee • Paul Lee • Megan Matlock • Kalid Mohammed • Princess Offei-Dua • Adrianna Patacsil • Hannah Richardson • Jordan Rivera • Yair Rojo • Milo Santiago • Miriam Silberman • Ken Soe • Matthew Wagner • Sampson Williford • Kayli Yip • Kacey Yip • Brandon Zhou
The program is a collaborative effort administered by the Division of Student Affairs through the Career Center with assistance from the Office for Student Success, the Office of Scholar Programs, and Student Financial Services. Fellows participate in career preparation opportunities such as enrollment in a career education course, mentorship from alumni and staff, participation in networking events, and the receipt of up to $5,000 of financial support for a summer professional development opportunity of their choosing.
Robyn Hadley, associate vice chancellor and dean for scholar programs, knows first-hand just how impactful programs like the Chancellor’s Career Fellowship can be. During her time at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hadley, who was the first in her family to go to college and hailed from a small town, was selected for a similar program that provided a stipend for summer internships and professional development coaching. “It was transformational,” she said. “I gained exposure to the work environment, how to be a young professional, and, most importantly, confidence.”
“This is an exciting opportunity for Arts & Sciences students, in particular, because it helps them explore the many ways in which the skills they are learning through their academic programs will prepare them for and complement their professional lives.”
Hadley has since championed the establishment of the Chancellor’s Career Fellowship, in the hopes that it will “level the playing field” by providing similar opportunities for first-year and sophomore students from low-income and first-generation backgrounds at Washington University.
Moreover, the program is intended to be focused on more than just concrete career opportunities. Carol Moakley, associate director for career development through the Career Center and one of four instructors of the one-credit career education course in which fellows are enrolled this spring, believes that the program will also foster a space for students to self-reflect on their passions, questions, and aspirations.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Arts & Sciences students, in particular, because it helps them explore the many ways in which the skills they are learning through their academic programs will prepare them for and complement their professional lives,” she said.
Reflecting the breadth of the College of Arts & Sciences, fellows’ interests span technology, finance, healthcare, advocacy, and more. Tinuola Adebukola, a sophomore majoring in anthropology: global health and environment with minors in urban studies and psychological and brain sciences, says that exploring this range has been a significant benefit of the program. “Thanks to the help of Carol Moakley, the other staff members, and student aids, I was able to feel more comfortable branching into the industries I am interested in,” she said. With the support of the Chancellor’s Career Fellowship’s resources and mentorship, Adebukola has accepted a position as a strategy and operations intern at Kojin Therapeutics this summer.
Adebukola has also found a community within the fellowship, where students support one another and their many accomplishments in the classroom, in the job search, and beyond. “The inaugural cohort of Career Fellows have organically developed into a supportive community, gaining not only from formalized programming and mentorship but also informal support to one another,” said Sarah Sperry, a career consultant in the Career Center.
This year’s fellows are undoubtedly the first of many more outstanding students. “The Chancellor’s Career Fellows represent so much of what Washington University embodies,” Sperry said. “Excellence in academics, diversity in talents, passion to make an impact, and grit to own their journey.”
