Notes from the Class of 2019

Last year, Sydney Varma (Mgmt) of Denver contacted Helene Tournier (Mktg’07) — a business development specialist at Stinson LLP — on LinkedIn, asking for help and guidance breaking into the legal field. Her efforts paid off. In March, Sydney joined Stinson as a legal administrative assistant.

Michelle Ray (EnvDes’19) joined the design firm SmithGroup in 2018 as a mixed-use specialist in the Phoenix office. In her position, she will co-lead the firm’s MixedUse Convergence team, which provides clients with “an adaptive framework to navigate the complex challenges and transformative opportunities facing development projects,” according to the firm’s website. Michelle is a founding member of the Women’s Leadership Group for the American Institute of Architects. She also co-founded Arizona Kids Build, an award-winning program teaching young students how the built environment affects human well-being, the environment and society.

Olivia Sage Novotny (Soc) has moved to a remote village of 6,000 in the Japanese countryside. She will be teaching English to local children.

Esmeralda Castillo-Cobian (EthnSt) began her first job this fall as the new seventh grade language arts teacher at Martin Luther King Jr. Early College in Denver. Esmeralda previously interned at CU Boulder’s Latino History Project and was one of the School of Education’s outstanding graduates.

Claire Lamman (Astro, Phys) was named outstanding graduate of the CU College of Arts and Sciences this year. Next up — an astrophysics graduate fellowship at Harvard.

While a student, CU Boulder’s Collegiate Recovery Center helped Sean Okonsky (ChemBioEngr) with his addiction and depression. Sean graduated this spring and is now pursuing a PhD from Penn State in chemical engineering.

Army ROTC battalion commander Shane Smith (PolSci) completed his undergraduate studies this spring and is pursuing logistics officer training at Fort Lee, Va. After training he will be assigned to the16th Combat Aviation Regiment out of Fort Lewis, Wash.

With their company Stride Tech, Timothy Visos-Ely (Engr), Humsini Acharya (Engr), Andrew Plum (MechEngr) and Max Watrous (Engr’20) won first place at last year’s New Venture Challenge at CU. Along with it came a $100,000 investment toward their invention, an accessory for walkers that could help prevent dangerous falls. 

Holly Mackin (Anth) was hired as the Bentwood Inn’s sustainability coordinator in Jackson, Wyoming. The inn is one of National Geographic’s “Unique Lodges of the World.”

Kelsey Kinzer (MThtr, MBA) never imagined starting her own business — until she developed an idea for sustainable glitter glue. She competed in CU Boulder’s New Venture Challenge, a competition for entrepreneurs, with her company Gaia Glam, where she won the audience choice award.

Snowboarder Cooper Branham (Mgmt) was filmed at Colorado’s Eldora Mountain resort for Warren Miller’s 70^th feature film, Timeless. Cooper has been competing in snowboarding at the national level and hopes to continue a professional career in the sport.

The Associated Press interviewed Catherine Bowman (PhDSoc) in January for her expertise on the State Department’s J-1 visa program, which she studied for her dissertation at CU Boulder. The story is titled “Idaho Tourism Areas Rely on ‘Essential’ Work-Travel Program.” Catherine lives in State College, Pennsylvania.

Rhodes Scholar Serene Singh (Jour, PolSci) was crowned the 2020–21 National All-American Miss, winning the world’s largest pageant.

Rhodes Scholar Serene Singh (PolSci) was awarded the 2021 Diana Award. Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the award recognizes social action or humanitarian efforts. Serene’s Diana Award recognizes The Serenity Project, which she founded in 2016 to combat the stigmatization of mental health and suicide. Serene is currently pursuing a doctorate in criminology at the University of Oxford.

Founder and CEO of Auguste Research Group, LLC, Donna Auguste (PhDTechMedSoc’19) works with drones to create more STEM career opportunities in aviation within underrepresented communities. She is also working to use drones as mobile sensor platforms and transport vehicles. For more information on Donna’s company, which is located in Oceanside, California, visit augusteresearchgroup.com.

Pianist Mina Gajić (DMA’19) and her husband Zachary Carrettín, a violinist and conductor, released a CD in April with the Sono Luminus label. They run the annual Boulder Bach festival, which occurred in May. Mina also founded and is artistic director of the Boulder International Chamber Music Competition.

An F-15 Strike Eagle weapons systems officer, lieutenant Magen Olander (Russ’19) is stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Wayne County, North Carolina. She credits the CU ROTC program with teaching her the importance of balancing her studies, work and personal life.

Indigo Fischer (Mus’19) is the artistic operations manager at The Music Academy of the West, based in Santa Barbara, California. Her role is focused on supporting the academy’s annual summer festival and year-round programming, which includes coordinating the logistics of guest artists, creating the festival schedule and helping produce over 120 master classes, concerts and competitions each summer. She told the CU College of Music in an interview last fall: “I had such an amazing undergrad and am so grateful for my time in Boulder. I miss the Flatirons, the farmers market, but mostly the community at the College of Music — I can’t wait to visit!”