Congratulations to the class of 2025! We are proud to present members from the graduating class with Residential College Senior Awards. Each year, RC faculty and staff submit nominations for students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement during their time at U-M.
Congratulations to these awardees and all the RC seniors for your hard work and contributions during your time here!
Ann Savageau Award for Visual Arts and Community Engagement
NEW for 2025! The Anne Savageau award is presented to a graduating RC or RC-affiliated student who has made notable contributions to the betterment of the visual arts community through RC course work, outside community-engagement work in the arts, contributions to the betterment of underserved communities, protection of the natural environment using the arts, or contributions within classes working with incarcerated population.
Aine Beale
Hometown: Oxford, MI
Degree/Major: Arts and Ideas in the Humanities
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I will be staying in Ann Arbor and pursuing a Masters of Arts in Higher Education at the Marsal School!
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am proud I completed my ceramic thesis and am so grateful for the skills I learned along the way.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I want to thank Susan and Toby for nominating me. Their support has meant so much! I also want to thank my family for their encouragement of my artistic endeavors.
Note: Aine is also a recipient of the Robby Award!
Kate Mendeloff Award for Excellence in Drama
NEW for 2025! Established in memory of the beloved and visionary Director of RC Drama, this award honors a graduating RC or RC-affiliated student who has demonstrated outstanding dedication to theatre through performance, direction, production, playwriting, or organizational leadership. The award recognizes those who have made meaningful contributions to the RC’s drama community and who embody the collaborative, creative, and socially engaged spirit that Kate Mendeloff championed in her decades of teaching and mentorship.
Madeline Nolen
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Degree/Major: Majors in RC Drama and Romance Languages; Minors in English, Asian Languages, and Linguistics
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I'm not entirely sure what my post-grad plans are! I'm currently waiting on hearing back from the Fulbright Program, as I am a semi-finalist for the English teaching assistantship in Andorra. I'm also considering heading to Chicago to job hunt, audition, or continue my studies. Regardless of where I go, I hope to keep pursuing theatre, music, and learning languages!
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I just finished directing my senior thesis, Epiphany, or What Would You? It was a long, laborious process, but it was so much fun-- and the production turned out better than I could have ever hoped. I'm so grateful that I got to push myself as a creator alongside the best cast and crew ever : )
Anyone you'd like to thank? So many people's support and love got me through college, but to name just a few-- RC Drama's own Audrey Becker and Jennifer Goltz-Taylor, Priscilla Lindsay, Shakespeare in the Arb, the entire cast, crew, and production team of Epiphany, my wonderful friends (like Em, Solar, Maeson, Siku, Roma, Lia, Cammie, Kathy...), and, of course, Mom and Dad.
Anything else you'd like to add? Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow.
Note: Madeline is also a recipient of the Robby Award!
The Spirit of the RC Award – The “Charlie”
Established in 2013 to honor former RC Director, the Charlie is awarded to the member of the senior class who best exhibits the animating spirit of the RC as defined by a demonstrated commitment to the RC and its mission in undergraduate education. Throughout their time on campus, this student has embraced the values associated with the liberal arts and a well-rounded education; has taken full advantage of all that the RC has to offer and has encouraged others to do the same; has played a significant leadership role as a part of this community; and has excelled academically.
Natalie Dixon
Hometown: Boulder, CO
Degree/Major: Romance Languages and Literatures & Computer Science
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? This summer, I’m returning home to Boulder for an internship in web development at Viget. Following that, I look forward to exploring the vast and nebulous future of possibilities and opportunities. I hope to visit Ann Arbor often to continue to be the RC Players’ biggest fan!
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I’m most proud of how many amazing projects, organizations, and communities I’ve been able to be a part of in my time at Michigan. I’ve met and welcomed so many people, said yes to so many opportunities, tried so many new things, and invested so much of myself into what I care about. As I walk around East Quad and campus, waving to so many friendly faces, I feel so much joy at the life I’ve made for myself here these 4 years. I’ve truly made the most of my time at Michigan.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I feel so much gratitude for everyone that has been a part of my time here. If you’re reading this, I’m talking about you. I’m also infinitely grateful for East Quad being the best home I could’ve asked for these 4 years. Thank you to the Courtyard and the Dining Hall and Greene Lounge and the Blue Cafe and the Green Room and the Keene Theater and every door and east facing window I’ve called mine.
Anything else you'd like to include? Joining the RC was perhaps the best decision I’ve ever made in my life :)
Note: Natalie also won a Janet, a Tommy, and a Robby Award!
The Emerging Writers Award
The Emerging Writers Award was established in 2014 to recognize, nurture and encourage creative writers in the Residential College’s creative writing program who demonstrate excellence in creative writing but have not previously received a writing award recognizing their writing achievements.
Ally Choi
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Degree/Major: RC Creative Writing and Literature
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? This summer I get to travel to Asia with friends and celebrate my grandpa's 90th birthday! After, I'll hopefully be here in Ann Arbor, searching for opportunities to improve my writing and help others do the same, while reconnecting with my introvert after four years of nonstop, very full campus life. I hope to embrace whatever adventures the future holds in store with lightness, following whatever really excites and scares me.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I'm proud of the risks I took, new genres and art forms I experimented with, and the moments God let me slow down and really see and connect with people. I'm really lucky every semester here has allowed me to use writing and art as a venue for self-discovery, trust, wrestling, and expression in my personal voice. And honestly, MY THESIS!!! -- there were moments she felt bigger than me, but WE MADE IT :)
Anyone you'd like to thank? I'd like to thank Sarah Messer, Christopher Matthews, and Laura Thomas for nominating me — the time, generosity, and encouragement you've all given me have changed me invaluably as a writer. And for all the people who have given me grace and patiently walked me through my struggles and endeavors (creative and otherwise!) — I've been undeniably blessed by your presence in my life :’) Finally, thanks to my family, roommates, and friends for putting up with me (and secretly ending up in my stories...)
Anything else you'd like to add? Harvest Mission Community Church, Prison Creative Arts Project, New England Literature Program, and Lloyd Scholars for Writing in the Arts are U-M communities I was so lucky to be a part of. Thank you to everyone who exists in these ecosystems, I love you all so dearly.
Suparna Hande
Hometown: Canton, MI
Degree/Major: Creative Writing & Literature and Asian Studies
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? After graduation, I'll be heading to Northern Michigan University in Marquette to get my MFA in Creative Writing. I'm excited to continue my writing journey which I started here in the RC Creative Writing Program.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? This year I worked on my honors thesis in Creative Writing. It's a collection of all my work thought the years I've been here and I'm so proud of it because I can see the tangible evidence of my growth in 4 years.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would like to thank my sensei Tomoko Okuno and the friends I made through the RC & ALC Japanese language programs. They set me on a path I never thought I'd be on and enriched my love for the Japanese language. I'm also grateful to all of my CW professors (Laura Thomas, Christopher Matthews, and Sarah Messer)--I'm a better and smarter writer because of them. Finally, all my love to the people at Creative Writing forum who've been consistent in supplying my weekly giggles for the past 4 years.
Note: Suparna also won a Janet Award!
Award for Exceptional Achievement in a Foreign Language - The “Janets”
This award, inaugurated in 2010 and renamed in 2015 to celebrate Janet Hegman Shier, former head of the RC German Program and Director and Faculty Administrator of RC Deutsches Theater, is given to graduating seniors who have shown outstanding accomplishments in the mastery of foreign languages, including a deep engagement with a language and its culture beyond proficiency, the active use of a second language in the RC or surrounding communities through community engagement programs and/or the arts, and/or a serious engagement with more than one foreign language. Language faculty often consult with each other about nominees and students may be nominated for more than one language.
Parnia Roxana Haste
Hometown: Rochester Hills, MI
Degree/Major: History and Sociology
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? Following graduation, I will be working for one year as a paralegal in Paris. Afterwards, I would like to pursue opportunities concerning civil rights and immigration with the eventual goal of attending law school. I also hope to learn Spanish!
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am most proud of helping asylum seekers from French-speaking African nations with their English and knowledge of American culture through the course RCCORE 309. I hope that I was able to make a real, long-lasting impact on their lives as they adjust to being in a new country.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would like to thank all my family and friends for their support. I'd also like to thank Dominique Butler-Borruat, Elissa Bell Bayraktar, Mark Burde, as well as the rest of the RC French Department for providing such amazing instruction and for helping me through my journey with French. Finally, I'd like to thank all the teachers that I have had over the past 22 years for helping me reach this moment.
Anything else you'd like to include? I am so grateful for all that I have learned at Michigan and for all the amazing people that I have met. I am also very glad that I joined the RC!
Ke Liu
Hometown: Chengdu, China
Degree/Major: Major: Computer Science, Minor: Philosophy
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? Following graduation, I will be moving to Providence, RI to begin the next chapter of my journey. I hope to find meaningful work, cultivate a life with healthy rhythms, and live each day with sincerity, curiosity, and a sense of purpose.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I've grown into someone who dares to take responsibility for her own choices.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I'm grateful for everyone who's crossed paths with me -- even those whose names I never knew. In quiet ways, they've shaped my choices, touched my character, or left behind a bittersweet trace of memory. All these fleeting yet profound moments have gently pieced together who I am today. I also want to thank Karein and Carla for teaching me German and nominating me for the award!
Anything else you'd like to include? Ke would also like to thank her bunny, Qi Yuan, for emotional support, silent judgment, and reminding her when it's time to take a nap.
Caitlin Lynch
Hometown: Ann Arbor, MI
Degree/Major: Bachelor of Science in Environment
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I hope to contribute solutions to climate change and use my language skills to develop climate infrastructure and urban planning that feels culturally relevant to different communities.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I really enjoyed being a Spanish tutor in the RC Intensive Spanish Program. I loved seeing students' confidence grow as their language skills developed, and I feel grateful for students' willingness to be brave with their Spanish speaking! It is a big deal to get though an RC Intensive Language Program and I was happy to encourage students along the way.
Anyone you'd like to thank? Thank you to Olga López-Cotín for nominating me and for being such a supportive teacher and mentor throughout college, and to Cristhian Espinoza-Pino for the great experience I had taking two of his classes, one of which solidified my interest in environmental justice! I loved the interesting discussions led by Olga and Cristhian in their Readings classes. Thank you to my parents, family, and friends for your support and encouragement throughout college!
Shao-Chi Ou
Hometown: Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Degree/Major: Comparative Literature & Women's and Gender Studies
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? After graduation, Shao-Chi will go to University of Oregon to start his PhD in Comparative Literature.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? When I studied abroad at Université Sorbonne-Nouvelle, I was able to complete multiple 4-hour, in-person, dissertation-style exams in French with access to only paper dictionaries (which were not super helpful); I got a 20/20 for one of them! I really saw my competence in French improve to a large extent.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I want to thank Dominique, Elissa, and Mark for being such amazing French teachers and helping me reach proficiency. I also want to thank Audrey for introducing me to the study of language and identity, Ray for teaching me how to think and practice art, and last but not least Candice for being supportive whenever I went to her.
Anything else you'd like to include? While before senior year I kept saying how much I looked forward to graduating, I already start to miss this place! I appreciate all the kind, generous, and supportive people I met at UM.
Isabelle Thyfault
Hometown: Menlo Park, CA
Degree/Major: International Studies; Environmental Studies
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? After graduation, I hope to be in the sustainability field working on policy, environmental justice, and community advocacy.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am proud of the hard work that I’ve dedicated and the connections that I’ve made during my time at UofM. The RC has introduced me to so many challenges, resources, and people that have shaped my time in college. I’m happy to say that I’m leaving UofM with a plethora of knowledge, experiences, memories, and friends.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I'd like to thank Dominique Butler-Borruat for the support, care, and advice that have allowed me to pursue amazing opportunities, languages, and ideas. I'd also like to thank my family and friends for the time and care they've always given me. Finally, I'd like to thank my first French teacher, Hessen Ghazal, for introducing me to the language and giving me the foundations to grow with it.
Jack Thompson
Hometown: Perrysburg, OH
Degree/Major: BS Computer Science
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I'll be continuing to work with the RC as both an Admissions Assistant and an Instructional Aide for the Intensive Japanese program. Next March, I hope to move to Tokyo once again to work as a software engineer full-time.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? The Charlie Murphy stickers scattered across East Quad, passing the highest level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT N1), and some other things that I got away with that nobody has noticed yet.
Anyone you'd like to thank? The chunky man, Mr. Large and In Charge, the Fumby himself - my cat Leo.
Anything else you'd like to add? I'll think about it until I eventually put it on the website myself, because we all know I'll be the one doing it.
Lydia Ulfig
Hometown: Sandusky, OH
Degree/Major: BA in Spanish and Anthropology
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I will be staying in Ann Arbor throughout the summer, continuing my work as a nanny and daycare teacher. I am currently applying to programs through Americorps, as well as jobs in and outside of Michigan, hopefully to allowing me to continue utilizing Spanish in my daily life.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? My time in the RC has taught me the value of building strong and amicable relationships with my peers and creating a supportive network. Buying into the strong sense of community has really allowed me to encounter so much kindness and hopefully provide that for others in return. I am particularly and proud of the relationships, language, and dialogue skills I've developed and how I have been able to apply them to other aspects of my life.
Anyone you'd like to thank? Cristhian Espinoza-Pino has been an incredible mentor, helping me grow as a student and person, challenging me to grow. All of my professors, particularly those in the Spanish department, have inspired me through instructing with compassion and committment.
Anything else you'd like to include? Throughout my time at the University I've been able to discover my passions of education, community service, and intercultural exchange. I've enjoyed teaching and mentoring students aged 2-20 in various contexts and languages, and I hope to make an impact on communities in the future much in the same way that I see engaged students, staff and faculty do in the RC.
Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Creative Arts – The “Robbies”
Established in 2000, to honor the founding Director of the RC, James H. Robertson, the “Robbies” are given to students who have shown a high level of achievement in one of creative arts in the RC. Typically seven to ten graduating seniors who have excelled in Creative Writing, Drama, Music or the Studio Arts over their RC careers receive recognition and a modest stipend. Faculty in the various creative arts programs discuss student names among themselves and put forward nominations.
Leonor Brockey
Hometown: East Lansing, MI
Degree/Major: Double major: Arts and Ideas in the Humanities; International Studies
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I hope to find myself in a warm and caring community surrounded by art, books, and friends. Someday, I might find myself back in the classroom, this time pursuing graduate studies, but not quite yet.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I'm most proud of the friendships that I've made in the RC and the hard work that I've put in to make the most of my education at the university.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would love to thank my fantastic RC professors, especially Sarah Messer, Ray Wetzel, and Sascha Crasnow for encouraging my creativity and Professor Goodenough for nominating me for this award :) I would also love to thank my Beat and my wonderful parents!
Taylor Burnham
Hometown: Macomb, MI
Degree/Major: Psychology, Creative Writing and Literature, English; CASC minor
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I will be attending the University of Michigan for graduate school to obtain MPH and MSW degrees. I hope to pursue a career as a clinical social worker and support individuals and communities through mental health concerns while building my romance novel empire.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am most proud of my growth as both a writer and as an individual. Through RC writing courses, I have gained the confidence and skills to feel proud of my writing and the stories I create.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would like to thank Christopher Matthews for nominating me and encouraging me to keep writing and developing my work. I would also like to thank my mother - I would not have been able to accomplish everything I have without her unconditional support.
Riley Hodder
Hometown: Oxford, MI
Degree/Major: English Language and Literature, Creative Writing
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I hope to find myself a home in a newsroom somewhere in the U.S., working on improving my skills as a journalist and serving a community. In my free time, I hope to work on getting my first novel published and working on my next one. While a lot of things are up in the air, I know that I will be living with my partner and our cat, Noodle.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? In my junior year of high school, I had an idea for a scene. I loved that scene so much that I turned it into a short story idea, that ended up not being very good. It wasn't I started my first creative writing tutorial through the RC, and became a Creative Writing major, that I took the first step of taking that scene, and turning it into a novel. It is because of the amazing mentors of the RC, and the Honors Thesis program, that I can stand up here and tell you that that novel is done, and it is a truly beautiful thing.
Anyone you'd like to thank? Thank you to Paige Hodder, my older sister, for reading everything that I write. Thank you to my parents, for always beliving in and supporting my dreams of becoming a writer, even in times I didn't. Thank you to Abbey Hodder, my little sister, and to Noodle, my cat, for always listening to my writerly ranting. And thank you to Robert Butler, for...everything.
Anything else you'd like to add? To Christopher Matthews - thank you for reading Red Water, Clear Water in all of its forms, and for believing in this project, and me, at all. Thank you for nominating me for this award, and thank you for being my mentor through my whole RC experience. I truly couldn't have asked for anyone better.
Annika Seigel
Hometown: Houghton, MI
Degree/Major: Arts & Ideas in the Humanities
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? After graduation, I'll be heading to Northern Michigan University in Marquette to get my MFA in Creative Writing. I'm excited to continue my writing journey which I started here in the RC Creative Writing Program.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? Releasing my debut solo album, "girlfriend," in 2023 and then planning and going on tour with my band in 2024 have definitely been my most pronounced accomplishments, but personally, I'm the most proud of the lifelong connections and friendships that I've made throughout my time at U-M, like meeting one of my best friends—and now backing vocalist—via our random East Quad roommate assignments! Academically, I'm also very proud that I went from speaking barely a word in Spanish to being near-fluent, and my completion of an Arts & Ideas Honors Thesis in music.
Anyone you'd like to thank? First, I'd like to thank my family for supporting me in all of my different interests and artistic endeavors since I fist sang a babbled rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle". I'd also like to thank my found family, my band and friends, for not only putting up with my craziness, but for wholeheartedly joining in. To my instructors and mentors in and outside of the RC—especially my thesis advisor, Mark Kirschenmann—thank you for all of your guidance, for nominating me for this award, and for allowing me to forge my own path here at U-M.
Anything else you'd like to add? Check out my music and upcoming East Coast tour dates (summer '25) at animarimusic.com
Claude VanValkenburg
Hometown: Grand Rapids, MI
Degree/Major: BA in Arts & Ideas in the Humanities and BSI in User Experience Design
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I look forward to exploring a new place, building community, sharing meals, and dedicating more time to creating.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am most proud of the growth I have experienced, both personal and artistic. Upon entering the RC, the imagined turmoil of repeatedly switching majors quickly turned into gratitude for lessons learned and connections made; the wobbly mugs and misaligned booklets were eventually followed by ornate ceramic sets and carefully bound keepsakes.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would like to thank my mentor Susan Crowell for instilling in me a love and patience for clay, and putting up with my antics as I took every single class she offered. Big thanks to Toby Millman for introducing me to the beautiful world of book arts, to Elissa Bell Bayraktar for being the most thoughtful and tenacious of advisors, and to Becca Pickus and Deb Gordon-Gurfinkel for teaching such impactful courses. Lastly, I’d like to thank my parents for getting me here, my brother for guiding me forward, and my close friends for helping me appreciate right where I am.
Award for Outstanding Service in Community Engagement – The “Tommies”
The Residential College established these awards in 2006 to honor former RC Director, Thomas Weisskopf. The “Tommies” are given annually to students who have made substantial contributions to the communities around them – whether to East Quad, to the University campus, or to communities in the region or beyond – during their undergraduate careers.
Samuel Aupperlee
Hometown: Grand Rapids, MI
Degree/Major: Bachelor of Social Theory and Practice / Bachelor of Theatre Arts (Playwriting)
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? Following graduation, I will be moving to Detroit to continue my work with both Shakespeare in Prison and the General Baker Institute. I hope to continue developing the Shakespeare in Prison program to include a summer creative writing program and to begin monthly community performance events at the General Baker Institute.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? In my three years with PCAP and now Shakespeare in prison, I was able to take part in the touring production of With Love, From Inside - a theatrical production aimed at bringing stories from inside prison to folks on the outside. I was also recently honored to receive a Hopwood Award for my one-act play focusing on the ever-changing queer identity in America. I am also working on my senior dissertation right now which discusses how children imagine their future's in the context of the climate crisis.
Anyone you'd like to thank? First and foremost, my wonderful wonderful RC advisor Becca Pickus, who has been an incredible source of encouragement and strength throughout my time here! Would also love to thank my mentor and playwriting professor Jose Casas, for his consistent positive advice and support. Finally, Darcy Brandel, for being a constant source of wisdom on using art to promote positive change in others' lives.
Alifa Chowdhury
Hometown: Chittagong, Bangladesh
Degree/Major: Political Theory B.A
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? After graduation, I’ll be pursuing a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning at Taubman College, with the long-term goal of practicing land use law both in the U.S. and internationally. I hope to bridge legal strategy with grassroots planning to challenge dispossession, defend community control of land, and build just futures across borders.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? At the RC, I’m most proud of my work with Semester in Detroit—recruiting students, creating art, and building deep relationships with Detroit’s activist communities. It’s been an honor to be part of that space. At U-M, I’m equally proud of my work with the TAHRIR Coalition, organizing for divestment and fighting for Palestinian sovereignty and freedom. Both experiences have grounded my politics in practice, and my education in struggle.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I want to thank Stephen Ward, Craig Regester, and Rose Gorman for always keeping the door to Semester in Detroit open to me. Their belief in me has meant more than they know.
Anything else you'd like to add? I’m driven by the belief that land, liberation, and love are inseparable—and I hope to carry that conviction into every space I move through. Inshallah. (God Willing)
Ruby Howard
Hometown: Potomac, MD
Degree/Major: Social Theory and Practice
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I will be up at the biostation working as the food gardener right after graduation, and after that I hope to keep working with my hands and with people in the realm of food and community work!
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am most proud of my work as a Japanese tutor in the RC. I've gotten to see each year of students evolve and grow through this rigorous learning process and being able to help them along that journey while learning and growing so much myself along the way.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would like to thank my incredible RC professors and advisors, Tomoko Okuno, Darcy Brandel, Nora Krinitsky, Rose Gorman and Craig Regester, Becca Piccus, and all of the many more lovely and inspiring mentors that helped me on my path. Also, all of my incredible friends and classmates who have been on the STP journey with me, mutual support and community is everything!
Anything else you'd like to share? Long live the RC!
Ariana Kertsman
Hometown: Bay Area, CA
Degree/Major: Social Theory and Practice, Afroamerican and African Studies
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I will be somewhere where I can strengthen my capacity to build community, deepen relationships, and foster curiosity about perspectives I don't immediately understand. I will also bring and create music wherever I go—that's a no brainer.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am proud to be part of Telling It and PCAP, where I found ways to destabilize harmful systems by building personal relationships and community. I am leaving U-M with profound gratitude for the time I've spent in both of these organizations, and I am excited to foster the friendships I gained in each beyond my time on campus.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I am grateful and honored to thank all of my RC professors, but particularly Becca Pickus, Deborah Gordon-Gurfinkel, Heather Ann Thompson, and Nora Krinitsky; their mentorship and expertise, particularly on the origins and implications of America's criminal legal system, have shaped how I see the systems around me and the role I play within them. They've also offered me many moments of laughter and joy, which I've learned are critical along the way. Additionally, I want to recognize that I initially joined the RC because my family raised me to care deeply and act daily in the face of injustice. I would like to thank them for shaping the core values that I'll bring with me wherever I go.
Anything else you'd like to add? Hire me!!! I need a job. I will work hard and try to make you laugh.
Princess-J'Maria Mboup
Hometown: Kalamazoo, MI
Degree/Major: Biology
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I'm looking forward to working under a veterinarian for a year and attend vet school to become a wildlife veterinarian! I also plan to continue organizing for the liberation of Black people and all oppressed peoples globally. I would like to eventually work on a wildlife reserve in Africa or Asia to address the biodiversity crisis we're currently in, working with people to bridge the gap between wildlife and humanity.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I'm most proud of being part of our Black Student Union for 3 years. It's given me a home away from home and changed my life. I'm also proud of having a short story published in the 2022 Cafe Shapiro Anthology!
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would like to thank my RC professors, Michael Zhai, Dominique Butler-Borruat, and David Schoem! I'd also like to acknowledge and thank my family, especially my mother, for allowing me to get this far and preparing me to thrive in the world. Lastly, I want to acknowledge and thank my friend at UM and from back home, who've stayed in my corner!
Anything else you'd like to add? Princess-J'Maria is graduating with her B.S. in Biology on a Pre-Veterinary track. During her time at U-M, she was a Big Sib (mentor) for S.I.B.S, a College Access and Success Ambassador for the Center for Educational Outreach, was a mass member in the Black Undergraduate Psychological Association, and a 2 time Creative Writing Forum member. Her most cherished and longest standing role has been serving on the executive board for the Black Student Union, serving as the Trotter Multicultural Center Committee Chair, then Vice-Speaker, and finally Speaker. If there's anything she'd want to be remembered for, it is that she has an undying passion and love for her community and for learning. She believes that the pursuit of knowledge has given her the tools with which to act and make the world a better place.
Karla Osorio
Hometown: Detroit, MI
Degree/Major: Communications and Media
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? After graduation, I plan to take a gap year to gain hands-on experience working for a non-profit before applying to graduate school. During this time, I hope to explore my interests further and solidify my long-term goals.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? In the RC, I’m most proud of contributing meaningfully to the community, particularly through service-learning initiatives in my courses. At U-M, my proudest accomplishment was being selected for the senior honors thesis program in Communication. I got the opportunity to research something I found interesting while deepening my research and analytical skills.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I want to express my deepest gratitude to my parents for their support and sacrifices—I wouldn’t be here without them. A special thanks to Professor Teresa Sanchez-Snell, whose mentorship in and beyond the classroom made me feel valued and empowered at U-M. Also, for the nomination! Lastly, I’m grateful to the RC community for fostering such a welcoming and inspiring environment. I will forever value all the lessons I have learned and all the relationships that have grown out of my time here.
Anything else you'd like to add? A special shoutout to my siblings—their humor and support kept me sane and grounded throughout these four years. I’m also endlessly grateful to the RC for its vibrant classes and dedicated professors; the creativity and passion in every course made learning unforgettable. The lessons I’ve learned here will stay with me long after graduation!
Oliver Satola
Hometown: Washington, DC
Degree/Major: BA in Environmental Studies and Social Theory & Practice, with minors in Music and Food & the Environment
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I am returning to my hometown of Washington, DC, to integrate myself into similar spheres of activism which I have encountered at UM, and in the RC in particular, including decarceration, youth advocacy, and/or environmental justice. A year or two down the line, I plan to obtain either/both an MSW or a Law Degree to kickstart a career transgressing the carceral state and/or environmental injustices. My life’s goal is to establish and facilitate a program like Telling It and PCAP in the DC area, providing arts/play-based programming for at-risk/affected youth and/or incarcerated folks/reentering citizens.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? As someone who loves to be involved in the community, try new things and say yes to every opportunity that comes my way, I can appreciate that the RC is a place that has taught me that nothing is more important than self care (shoutout Becca Pickus’ for pushing this!). Ultimately, I am most proud that I can, without any feelings of guilt, take time for myself on a daily basis, to enjoy the journey and not worry solely about the destination. I believe this best prepares one for a lifelong commitment to activism (which, I have come to learn, is very much a marathon and NOT a sprint).
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would like to say thank you to all the professors I’ve had in the RC, including Sandra Nuñez and Cristhian Espinoza-Pino (who kindly coached me through intensive Spanish); Ivette Perfecto (who greatly informed my worldview with her course on “Globalization and Its Discontents” AND kindly served as faculty advisor for my independent study on environmentalism and the music of the Great Lakes Region); Ian Robinson (for educating me and my peers on the fragility of our current political system and the need for organizing in such dire times); Virginia Murphy and Sueann Caulfield (for their help with my STP Capstone last Fall); Becca Pickus, Ashley Lucas, Megan Holmes, and Nora Krinitsky (for all of the knowledge they have imparted with respect to the carceral state and the need for its dismantling), as well as Tore Price, Mary Heinen-McPherson, Kenneth “Bear” Tello, Shaka Senghor, Cozine Welch, and others for sharing their firsthand accounts of incarceration in Michigan, and helping to inform/shape not only my Capstone project but also the trajectory of my career and life post-grad; Deb Gordon-Gurfinkel (who during my final semester kindly allowed me to volunteer with ‘Telling It,’ which has been an incredibly formative experience, in turn igniting my passion for youth engagement in carceral settings); and last but CERTAINLY not least, Jennifer Goltz-Taylor – the most important musical mentor I have ever had. I would also like to recognize my wonderful family and friends for their endless love and support – I cannot thank you enough!!
Anything else you'd like to add? I will dearly miss all the wonderful people in the RC, but I recognize that this community is ultimately a launching pad for what I hope to be a fulfilling career in activism. Go Blue, and GUFF love to all!
Emma Shimovich
Hometown: Skokie, IL
Degree/Major: Social Theory and Practice
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? At the time I am writing this, I still have not solidified my plans for next year but I hope to be following my adventurous spirit and backpacking around South America or doing van life in New Zealand. After my travels, I hope to get my masters in social work and continue to engage in social justice work.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am most proud of the connections I have formed with my wonderful professors and classmates, completing my STP Capstone centered around the intersections of art, trauma, and healing, as well as doing community engagement work through PCAP and Telling It. Most of all, I am proud of following my gut and deciding to focus my college education on building critical thinking skills, social justice principles, creative expression, learning about the root causes of systemic oppression, and doing community engagement work.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I feel so incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to learn from so many extraordinary professors who have completely shaped my world view and have helped solidify my personal values, passions, and commitment to engaging in social justice work. Thank you to Becca Pickus, Deb Gordon-Gurfinkel, Ashley Lucas, Theresa Braunschneider, Norah Krinitsky, David Schoem, and Isaac Winfield for all of your support and encouragement throughout my four years in the RC.
Anything else you'd like to add? Check out my handmade jewelry @SpiralSigalJewelry on etsy and instagram!
