Home for the Holidays - PGIA Alumni Luncheon

From left to right: Kendal Benjamin '17 Duquesne University, Ali Bartsch '17 Stanford University, Kayla Rivers '17 Seton Hall University, CJ Fahie '16 Indiana Tech University, Kiyalyn Bump Dalhousie University '16, Aneesh Chandiramani '17 Clark University and Leah Trotman '17 Agnes Scott College

Not pictured: Abraham Hamed '16 Valencia College, Christina Brett '17 University of Tampa and Eyad Hamed '17 Valencia College

The PGIA College Counseling office hosted the fourth annual Alumni Luncheon on Wednesday, December 20th.  Our alumni were full of energy and excitement as they returned to campus to share experiences, insights and goals with our current juniors and seniors.  Many of our returning alums have only completed their first semesters of college but are well of their way to blazing some amazing trails.  

Some notable pieces of advice from our former Volts: 

"Be an advocate for yourself and what you believe in."

"All of your hard work (in the DP program) is totally worth it."

"Follow your passion."

"Keep an open mind."

"Go to class!"  :)

Thank you Alumni!  We wish you the best!  

PGIA Alumni Luncheon

On Wednesday, January 4, the PGIA College Counseling office hosted the third annual Alumni Luncheon. This is a time when all alumni are invited to return to campus to offer pearls of wisdom to our current juniors and seniors. It's also a time for them to reflect on their experiences here and provide our administrative team with constructive feedback. This year, 19 alumni returned. Each of them shared stories of their college experience and future plans. It's so exciting to see the paths they have chartered! Our former Volts are certainly making their marks on the world.

Kai Bartlette '11 graduated Providence College with a BA in math and Spanish. She is currently getting her PhD in applied mathematics at the Colorado School of the Mines. Nathaniel Fuller '11 is getting his Bachelor's degree in Computer Science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Kelsey Morrison '13 will graduate Ohio Wesleyan this May. She spent last semester in Chicago working with a law firm on human rights abuse cases. Her future plans are to pursue a JD/PhD program. Ariel Stolz '13 will graduate Brown University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. She plans to take a gap year to travel and then obtain a graduate degree in sustainable energy. PJ Chemont '14 is getting a Business Technology and Marketing degree at the University of Miami. He is also a drumline section leader. Isis Collier '15 is a dual sport athlete (soccer and lacrosse) at Cornell College in Iowa where she is pursuing a degree in music and kinesthesiology. She still plays the violin. Michael Emanuel '15 is at University of Rochester studying Political Science with hopes to attend law school in the future. Tariq Davis '15 is at Beacon College in Florida studying Business. Noah Stolz '15 is at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute studying computer science and cognitive science. He is currently conducting research at RPI in coordination with a professor at UVI. Jeremy Knight '15 is studying Environmental Science and Sustainability at Emory University. Whenever he's on island, he interns with the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Dakarai Potter '16 is studying Health Management Systems at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. CJ Fahie '16 is studying Computer Engineering at Indiana Tech and playing soccer. Kiyalyn Bump '16 is enjoying her Creative Writing and English program at Dalhousie University in Canada. Nicholas Figueroa '16 will begin a Bachelor's in Business Management at Embry Riddle Aeronautical Institute this month. He spent this semester on island getting his pilot's license. Naomi Laing '16 is attending UVI studying Business with a concentration in finance. She plans to transfer to a school in Florida for her sophomore year. Shakima Esprit '16 is also studying at UVI focusing on nursing. Isabel Setorie '16 is pursuing Pan-African Studies, Spanish, and Linguistics at Drew University. Abe Hamed '16 is studying Business at Valencia College. Jesse Wyatt '16 is studying Art at St. John's University.