IGL Seniors
This year, the university is unable to hold graduation ceremonies on its campuses. While the graduate schools will have virtual graduations, the undergraduate Class of 2020 opted for an in-person graduation once large gatherings are permitted again. The IGL wanted to celebrate its graduating students by featuring them in the newsletters student spotlight. We wish them the very best in this challenging year and welcome them to the IGL Alumni Community!
Jessie Newman (A'20)
Evan Corcoran (F'20)
Sara Torres (A'20)
Vladimir Proaño (A'20)
Magnifique Mukundwa (E'20)
Ana Maria Samper (A'20)
What I did at Tufts: I was a columnist for The Daily during my first two years at Tufts, I danced in La Salsa, was part of the Tufts Cycling Team, and worked at the Rez for my last two years. What I dedicated the most time to was definitely LAC. Since it began, I was part of the E-Board and held three different positions: Communicator, Treasurer, and ended up as VP. I have a double major in Economics and International Relations, and learned French from scratch here at Tufts.
My interaction with the IGL: Through their immense support for every single event we did at LAC and motivating us to use the resources they provided, the IGL became a place where I really learned the value of a community. Especially a community that thrives on seeing each other succeed.
Future plans: My dream is to work in something related to Economic Development, Impact Investment, Sustainable Energy, or anything that uses economics as a source of sustainable development. Hopefully I'll be working in Washington D.C.
Impact of COVID-19: COVID-19 has affected every aspect of the way we live our lives. I believe the largest impact is going to be in the priorities of governments with respect to their budgets. By this I'm referring to the investment and importance given to public health. This pandemic has proven that health goes before anything else in society, and I hope all governments and businesses learn from the lack of preparedness for a crisis of this magnitude. This pandemic will also impact the way we see society, since this virus isn't exclusive of a race or a social class. It has served as a tool to demonstrate that at the end of the day, we are all human and we all deserve equality in opportunities, life conditions, healthcare services, etc.
Courtland Priest E'20
My Tufts experience:
I graduated in December 2019 with majors in mechanical engineering and astrophysics. During my time at Tufts, I was heavily involved in the Tufts Electric Racing Team, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, and the Tufts Climbing Team. I additionally participated in Engineers without Borders and the Marathon Team and was also active within the Tufts Mountain Club. My diversity of interests within and outside of the engineering sphere carries over to my approach to life, and I love reading, making and listening to music and mountain biking.
My IGL/EWB quote:
My work with Tufts’ chapter of Engineers without Borders to develop a local water supply for a school system in Malawi was incredibly fulfilling. Employing my hard-earned engineering skills to directly improve people’s quality of life is something I’m always looking to do, and EWB gave me a wonderful outlet to do just that.
My future plans:
I’m planning to take my skills, knowledge and project experience into the aerospace industry, with an eye towards economizing humanity’s use of space and increasing its accessibility for all people.
My thoughts on COVID-19:
I think this pandemic will result in a significant reordering of modern society. Especially if development of a vaccine is delayed, the dramatic socio-behavioral changes implemented in response to the outbreak may become part of our longer-term way of life, and we’ll adapt. The world is reeling right now, but there are people working to lessen the blow, reduce mortality due to the virus and help society recover. I hope these people are truly recognized for their efforts once this is all over – they’ve earned it.
Michelle Gee (A'20)
My Tufts experience:
The most challenging and rewarding role I took on during my time at Tufts was co-project leader of Engineers Without Borders. Our group is working to supply clean water to a two hundred person community in Nicaragua by designing and constructing a water tower. IGL has been supportive of all our endeavors and acts as a conduit between different Tufts organizations to share lessons learned. We hope to use this knowledge during our next trip to visit the community. Unfortunately, that trip has been delayed due to COVID-19. Despite these unexpected circumstances, I'm excited to see what the next project leaders are able to accomplish and plan to stay in contact with the Tufts Engineers Without Borders group as I continue my education as a PhD student in chemical engineering at University of Delaware.
Jorge Eguiguren (A'20)
My Tufts experience:
I am soon to graduate from Tufts with a Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Quantitative Economics. Under the IGL guidance, I co-founded the Tufts Latin American Committee and managed a project for the Tufts International Development - Ecuador team. I always found a much needed non-engineering academic space at the IGL, where I was able to learn about and explore political trends and development strategies in the Latin American region. My post-graduation plans were affected by COVID-19, so I am now on the lookout for Software Engineering positions in the Bay Area or NYC.
Joaquin Bustamante (A'20)
My name is Joaquin Bustamante and I majored in Quantitative Economics. Throughout my time at Tufts, I participated in Tufts Latin American Committee and Tufts International development. Both groups help to promote friendly and educational dialogue as well as implement projects in developing regions. I also had the opportunity to study abroad at UCL in the Tufts-in-London Program. That experience taught me intercultural dialogue and also gave me the opportunity to live in a major city like London.
A reoccurring memory that I have is that we’d come up with an idea and wonder if it would be possible to bring it to life. Someone would say, “Ask Saida at the IGL and see if she can help make it happen”
While my future plans are still uncertain, I do believe that the Covid-19 crisis will reshape our priorities, decrease our spending, and make us value what we took for granted.