In honor of STEAMtober, Post University’s School of Arts & Sciences is celebrating our amazing alumni from our programs. These graduates demonstrate “Post Pride” in their respective fields, and they reflect on what they learned from their experiences from their days as an undergraduate.
Biology
NAME: Nick Levesque
DEGREE: :Biology (2021)
POST U. ACTIVITIES & HONORS: Goaltender on Men’s Ice Hockey Team; Resident Assistant in Office of Resident Life; 2020-2021 NE-10 Elite 2 award; 2020-2021 Post Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award; Office of Resident Life’s 2020-2021 Leadership Award; Academic Program Excellence Award for Biology; President’s List for all four years.
CURRENT CAREER: I am currently working at MilliporeSigma (the U.S. life science division of Merck) as a Quality Analyst in the QC lab. I am also approximately halfway through working on a Masters in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at George Mason University.
HOW DID POST UNIVERSITY PREPARE YOU FOR THE FUTURE? The curriculum in the BIO program has been immediately helpful in both my job and my graduate studies. I have felt completely equipped to deal with all the concepts and information I have encountered while working on my Masters. Even the completely new topics I have been able to digest thanks to the lessons I learned from the various campus also prepared me well for working and positively contributing as a member of a team and navigating departmental relations in my current job.
FAVORITE POST U MEMORY: Getting my first NCAA hockey win against Southern New Hampshire University.
Communication and Media Studies
NAME: Natasha Siku
DEGREE: Communication & Media Studies (2017)
POST U. ACTIVITIES & HONORS: Member of the women’s tennis team that reached the NCAA 16 finals; President’s List, Academic Program Excellence Award for Communication & Media Studies, Honors Program.
CURRENT CAREER: Founder of a chicken wing franchise, Wing It On, in her home country of Botswana; tennis coach and netball player; co-founder of Opportunities Without Borders, which seeks to bring the gap between college sport opportunities and athletes in Botswana and the United States
HOW DID POST UNIVERSITY PREPARE YOU FOR THE FUTURE? “Leaving the U.S. after college, I was able to immediately realize the benefit of studying abroad and the advantage and exposure Post gave me. I was able to turn theory into practice and that helped me propel my start up business by driving a social media presence and a simple, yet effect concept that was new to Botswana and challenge the traditional players in the market. My program helped me understand and translate how the media has a huge influence on people’s buying decisions. “
FAVORITE POST U MEMORY: “Becoming the first women’s tennis team to reach NCAA finals.”
Data Science
NAME: Brandon Itaoka
DEGREE: Applied Math & Data Science (2020)
POST U. ACTIVITIES & HONORS: President’s List
CURRENT CAREER: Lead data scientist at MN Custom Homes
HOW DID POST UNIVERSITY PREPARE YOU FOR THE FUTURE? “Post taught me how to use Science/Math to solve real-world problems and gave me the tools to articulate the problem, the process, and my conclusions. Post gave me the skills I needed to be successful in the real world as a scientist.”
FAVORITE POST U MEMORY: “SDSS 2019 or struggling through Data Structures and Algorithms.”
Equine Studies
NAME: Brooke Dominello
DEGREE: Equine Studies and Biology with a minor in chemistry. Certificate in equine veterinary assisting (2021)
POST U. ACTIVITIES & HONORS: Honors program, graduating Honors with Distinction; National and regional honors conference presenter in New Orleans and Baltimore; vice president of Equine Club; rode on IDA team; Equine program office assistant; SGA treasurer, Equine Club senator and chair of the SGA finance committee
CURRENT CAREER: second-year veterinary student at Mississippi State University pursuing a career in zoo/exotic companion medicine
HOW DID POST UNIVERSITY PREPARE YOU FOR THE FUTURE? Personal relationships developed in a small classroom setting helped me understand the material. I had a great support system among faculty. Developed many connections I still keep in touch with!
FAVORITE POST U MEMORY: The joy of graduation day.
NAME: Anyce Nagle-Cochrane
DEGREE: Dual degree in Biology and Equine Studies
POST U. ACTIVITIES & HONORS: Honors program; Alpha Chi Honor Society; Academic Program Award for Equine Studies; Dean’s List, President’s List; Equine Club; Vice President of Student Government Association; Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, Hunt Seat Team member; Residence Assistant; Admissions Assistant; Biology Laboratory Technician; Peer Tutor.
CURRENT CAREER: Associate Veterinarian
HOW DID POST UNIVERSITY PREPARE YOU FOR THE FUTURE? “My double major helped prepare me for the rigors of veterinary school in many ways. My degree in biology gave me the knowledge and foundation to excel in my medical training, while my degree in Equine business management was a two-fold advantage for me. The business aspect helped prepare me for the challenges we as veterinarians face in practice, including how to balance the passion for my job with the realities of being a business. I was also able to focus on veterinary medicine in my equine degree which helped advance my knowledge base in and out of the classroom with hands-on experience. In addition to getting this practical experience, I was also able to make so many connections in the community that helped me throughout my vet school journey. My extracurricular activities and on campus jobs also allowed me to develop the time management and organization skills that helped me excel in my education and career. Post University made sure I was equipped to handle all of the challenges that have come my way, and I’m grateful for the experiences and friendships I gained along the way. “
FAVORITE POST U MEMORY: “Equine Club spring and fall Fest were always some of my favorite memories. I loved being able to bring our passion for horses to campus. We were able to introduce our horses to other students who would likely never have gotten the chance to pet or ride a horse. Seeing my classmates smile and enjoy getting a glimpse into our world was always a great feeling.”
Art (Minor)
NAME: Sabrina Martino
DEGREE: Dual degree in Child studies and Human services with a minor in Art & Psychology (2021 & 2022)
POST U. ACTIVITIES & HONORS: All-academic student athlete, Intercollegiate Tennis Association; member of Chi Alpha Sigma; Honors Program, graduating with honors distinction; presenter at Northeast Regional Honors Council Conference; member of the Student Government Association; SGA senator for the Art Club; founder and President of the Child Studies Club; awarded Academic Program Excellence Awards for Child Studies, Human Services and Art; President’s List; graduated Cum Laude.
CURRENT CAREER: Community Director of Campus Life at Post University
HOW DID POST UNIVERSITY PREPARE YOU FOR THE FUTURE?” Post has prepared me for my future by giving me the mentors that have made the biggest impact on me. I am so fortunate that I graduated from an institution that has professors and faculty members that have cheered me on through my most difficult times and my most celebratory times at Post. I strive to continue to be a mentor and friendly face for other students at Post because it made such a difference when I first started here. Post has also allowed me to fall in love with social justice, advocacy, and diversity on campus; I plan on taking what I’ve learned to grad school when I start. “
FAVORITE POST U MEMORY: “I have two favorite memories at Post that will forever have a special place in my heart. One of the memories was my first tennis match I won at a collegiate level and the other was my last Student Government Association Banquet where I was overwhelmed by love/support from my professors and classmates.”
The School of Arts and Sciences at Post University is celebrating STEAMtober (#PostSTEAMtober on social media) during the month of October with events, programs and opportunities for both campus and online students. The celebration will highlight and celebrate its programs and disciplines, which includes the Sciences (Biology), Technology (Computer Information Systems), Equine Studies and English, Arts (Art, Music, Communication & Media Studies) and Math (Data Science), as well as liberal arts. For more information, visit https://post.edu/academics/school-of-arts-and-sciences.