Creating Their Own Way: This Year’s Emory University/Center for Ethics Graduates

This year's seniors are seeing signs of improvement.

A recent film produced by Emory Communications reported that Emory has seen an 18% increase in job recruitment, a 3.5% hike in full-time job interviews, and a 10% expected increase in employment for graduates. Nationwide, unemployment rates for recent graduates holding a bachelor’s degree have dropped month after month for the past year, from 8.3 to 6.2 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor. Having entered Emory in 2008 at the height of the recession, this year’s seniors are seeing signs of improvement.

Below are the stories of some graduating seniors who have been involved with the Center for Ethics during their Emory years. Their accomplishments reflect their drive to succeed at Emory and a willingness to ask questions and confront the answers, even if the answers mean changing directions.  The students we interviewed are thinking beyond employment statistics and salaries. These graduates have learned that a job should be more than its description on paper. 

Hannah-Alise Rogers is graduating with a degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and heading to the UGA School of Law. 

            “Instead of wanting to be a ballerina or play a role stereotypical to little girls, I grew up wanting to be the Surgeon General,” reflected Hannah-Alise Rogers. Elective courses had a profound impact on Rogers in her first year at Emory’s Oxford campus. She described one sociology professor in particular, Dr. Mike McQuaide, as, “willing to go the extra mile for a student. He invested in me.” Investigating social issues and the practical application that she received through internships got Rogers interested in women’s issues and healthcare.

Hannah-Alise Rogers, Carlton Mackey, and Mariangela Jordan

Hannah-Alise credits her experience in Dr. McQuaide's “Social Problems” course and the 2010 Ethics and Servant Leadership program with deepening her academic and professional interests. Both of these experiences allowed her to see the complicated realities of health care and women’s rights through the lens of government programs. She said, “I’m interested in politics, administration, and educating people. I find that many people have such strong opinions but don’t know much about the issues beyond their own political parties.”

Her advice for future graduates is advice that she has certainly taken seriously in her own life. “I would say the thing that I learned the most academically and life learning in general is that you need to do exactly what you want to do.” Hannah-Alise capitalized on the resources at Emory to hone in on her interests and to understand how to apply her knowledge to contribute to the common good. 

Sabrina Bernstein is graduating with a major in Physics and minor in Sociology and is considering a career in architecture. 

During her years at Emory, Sabrina Bernstein discovered that she “likes to build things.” She decided to major in Physics because, she said, “it was the fastest route to graduation and left me with flexibility for the future.” Her sociology minor however came by chance.  After a few courses with Dr. Paul Root Wolpe, the Director of the Center for Ethics, Bernstein developed an interest in Bioethics. The topics in bioethics that connected science and sociology, she said, “played right into my curiosities.” Bernstein also co-leads The Emory Art Club. With a diverse array of interests, she has contemplated various possibilities for the future.

Last summer, she began to think about architecture as a career. “I looked into architecture more, how to get there, and whether it would be something I’d be good at. I received more and more fuel pushing me in that direction.” Through a connection with Dr. Arri Eisen, a faculty member at the Center for Ethics, she enrolled in an architecture program at Georgia Tech through Emory’s ARCHE Program. She has applied for a scholarship to study abroad at the University of Capetown’s architecture college. For Bernstein, difficult choices involved experiencing various options and taking time for thoughtful contemplation.

Danielle Willis is graduating with a degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and is working towards a career in sports marketing. 

Tanya Anderson and Danielle Willis

                Danielle Willis was attracted to Emory because she saw it as a “place that was rich in resources and opportunities for professional degrees.” Danielle, like Hannah-Alise, was deeply impacted by a few of her electives in the humanities. The direction that Willis has taken her interests is significantly different. She has paired her work in women’s studies with classes at the business school. She is hoping to connect knowledge she has attained about communications, sociology, and women’s rights to the practical skills of business and marketing. Her dream job is in sports marketing with a focus on women. To get there, she has already interned with Turner Sports in public relations, worked with the Emory Eagle Athletics department, and interned in marketing and public relations at the Center for Ethics.

She has no regrets on the marketability of her women’s studies major because “the difference with Emory is that it’s so reputable that they don’t look at your major, they just see your leadership and other activities. Most importantly, employers will notice skills outside of the classroom.” For students, her advice is to take advantage of the many resources at Emory to build capabilities such as leadership roles to improve public speaking skills, studying abroad to learn new languages, or computer analytics. Her advice in regards to selecting a major is “don’t lose site of other interests outside of your major.” Perhaps the most important resource at Emory is that a student’s interests, even within their major, can be diverse and interdisciplinary.

Michael Arenson is completing a master of arts in Bioethics and pursuing a career in education.

            Michael Arenson’s interests in bioethics began in high school when he wrote a report about stem cells. He was fascinated by topics that blended ethics and medicine because he wanted to become a doctor. After majoring in Biology at the University of Minnesota he wasn’t ready to commit to medical school and instead pursued a master of arts in bioethics.

Michael Arenson with his family and Toby Schonfeld

For the past two years, Arenson has been a student in the Master of Arts in Bioethics program and developed an interest in social and moral psychology. During this time, he also became less interested in medical school. Inspired by leaders in education like Ron Clark, Arenson has decided to pursue a career in education. This type of work, said Arenson, “gives me energy instead of sapping energy.” In making this decision, he recalled memories of working as a camp counselor and acting as a role model and teacher.

Arenson received advice from his academic advisor, Kathy Kinlaw. She advised that anyone contemplating a career should make sure it aligns with three main objectives: 1.) is there a need in the world 2.) does it align with your strengths 3.) is it something you want to do. For Arenson, it took a master’s degree and many other experiences to realize that education fulfills those three objectives. “I’m more passionate about it than anything else. To be a classroom teacher in our society takes an ego hit, but I’m okay with that.” Arenson talked about how his passion always ended up creeping into his decisions. “I didn’t go to medical school because I wasn’t truly passionate about it.” In the end, although he went back and forth in his decision making, it was important for Arenson to come to terms with and follow his real passion (teaching) and not what he had thought was his passion (medicine). 

Each individual facing the job market is unique. Not only have these students excelled academically and in extra-curricular activities, they are also innovators in the ways they have made life changing decisions. Their stories illustrate that this type of decision-making involves the whole person. Beyond the job description is an even more important quest to find opportunities that match one’s unique interests and values.

A special thanks to these graduates for sharing their stories and perspectives. We would also like to thank and congratulate all of the graduates who have contributed so much to the life of the Center for Ethics this year. 

Carlton Mackey, Hannah-Alise Rogers, Mariangela Jordan, and Edward Queen