main content Life After L&C

Our alums’ accomplishments showcase the wide variety of possibilities and pathways that our students take after graduating. Here are a few of their stories.

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Mikah Bertelmann BA ’21

Major: International Affairs
Minor: Political Economy
Extracurriculars: Associated Student Body President, New Student Orientation, Student Engagement
Overseas study: Siena, Italy

Path after L&C: Mikah received a prestigious Charles B. Rangel Graduate Fellowship, and went on to earn his master of public policy degree from the School of Global Policy and Strategy at University of California, San Diego. He then joined the U.S. Department of State as a foreign service officer.

“Lewis & Clark gave me very practical skills, such as quantitative analysis, critical thinking, and concise writing, but it also prepared me to always give my best in all I do and to persevere.”

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Max Clary BA ’18

Hometown: Evergreen, Colorado
Major: Chemistry
Extracurriculars: Amnesty International Student Area Coordinator for Oregon, President of L&C Amnesty International Club, Cofounder of KareMeKuc, Cofounder and CEO of Organic Route, Lead Student Researcher and Intern at CARES NW

Path after L&C: After graduation, Max moved to Uganda for three years to found Organic Route, an organization that addresses malnutrition in communities devastated by civil war. While building the organization, he earned a master of public health degree from George Washington University. He is currently a medical student at Stanford Medical School.

“I loved L&C’s small class size and the opportunity to engage with my professors. The connections I made deepened my understanding in class and grew my natural curiosity. Because of my professors, I was able to make the connections that turned my entrepreneurial ideas into a self-sustaining business.”

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Hannah Goldblatt BA ’15, JD ’20

Hometown: Shoreline, Washington
Major: Biology
Extracurriculars: Climbing Club, College Outdoors, Orchestra, Mossy Log

Path after L&C: Hannah became interested in pursuing a legal career in advocacy work after taking a class at our law school as an undergraduate student, despite her biology major. After earning her JD at the law school, she was hired as a staff attorney for Advocates for the West. She is also an annual guest lecturer in the same Environmental Law and Policy class she took as an undergrad.

“The liberal arts education I received at L&C prepared me tremendously for law school. I think going to a small school allowed me to get a lot of feedback on my critical thinking, research, and writing skills, which is not always possible at larger schools.”

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Raiven Greenberg BA ’17

Hometown: Huntington Beach, California
Major: Psychology
Minor: Environmental Studies
Extracurriculars: Women’s Rowing, Human Computer Interaction Lab Research Assistant, Community Engagement and Leadership in Science (CELS) Community Educator, John S. Rogers Summer Science Program
Overseas study: Ireland

Path after L&C: Soon after graduating, Raiven worked in air quality modeling with an L&C alum’s company, and went on to work in wetlands restoration and conservation with a small ecological consulting firm and at the University of California, Irvine, managing their Center for Ecosystem Climate Solutions. She recently graduated with her MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, where she was also the Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Corps Fellow.

“The interdisciplinary nature of Lewis & Clark’s academics allowed me to take classes in a variety of topics that influenced my thinking in terms of how I could bring various fields of thought together to create positive change for issues that were important to me.”

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Ben Kolligs BA ’18

Hometown: Berkeley, California
Major: Physics
Minor: Mathematics
Extracurriculars: Serious Club, Bates Center for Entrepreneurship and Leadership

Path after L&C: Ben earned his master of science degree from The Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University—the best robotics program in the country. He is now the senior engineer at Maven Robotics in Santa Clara, California.

“L&C prepared me for grad school and my career by giving me experience in rigorous study and by teaching the value of being multifaceted. If your desired path through life doesn’t exist, then you have the tools to figure out how to create it.”

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Tuse Mahenya BA ’21

Hometown: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Major: English
Minor: Political Economy
Extracurriculars: Theatre, Student Philanthropy Council, Editorial Meridian Journal, Associated Student Body Auditor, Career Center Student Advisory Board, Admissions Overnight Host, International Fair, Senior Experience, Literary Review
Overseas Study: Australia

Path after L&C: After graduating, Tuse cofounded a startup called Parachute Media that created content for and by women and nonbinary people of color. She went on to gain marketing and editing experience through work at Macmillan Publishers, Curology Inc., Forbes Media LLC, and the Black Founders Matter Fund, and she earned her master of science in communication and media studies at University College Dublin. She is now a marketing officer at GSM Group of Companies in her hometown of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

“Without the English department, the Bates Center for Entrepreneurship and Leadership, and Professor Elizabeth Bennet’s International Political Economy course, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

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Julia McPherson BA ’19

Hometowns: Wilmington, North Carolina, and Portland, Oregon
Major: Rhetoric and Media Studies
Extracurriculars: Student Leadership and Service leader, Pamplin Society of Fellows, Lambda Pi Eta, Registrar’s Office Student Worker, Student Academic Affairs Board

Path after L&C: During Julia’s last semester at L&C, she worked as the external communications intern for EDP Renewables (EDPR) and found a passion for the renewable energy industry. After working at a global PR firm to hone basic public relations and media relations skills, she was hired by EDPR as their community relations manager. One aspect of her job is mentoring current L&C students in the same internship she once held, who are then oftentimes hired at EDPR upon graduation.

“One of the most valuable things about L&C is that it gives you the freedom to run with opportunities. While you’re powering ahead, you have so much support available to catch you when you slip and advice on how to move forward. L&C prepared me for my career by letting me practice making big decisions, identifying priorities, and building the confidence to do so in a supportive space.”

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Joy Pajarla BA ’21

Hometown: Surprise, Arizona
Major: Physics
Minor: Philosophy
Extracurriculars: Philosophy Film Club, Women in Physics+ copresident, International Student Board Third Culture Kid representative, SQRC peer tutor
Overseas Study: Greece Classics program

Path after L&C: Joy is a fourth-year PhD candidate specializing in physical and engineering biology at Yale University.

“I am extremely grateful to have had wonderfully supportive and inspiring faculty mentors who played a pivotal role in shaping my critical-thinking skills, teaching me how to advocate for myself in both academic and non-academic spaces, and encouraging me to pursue and combine my diverse interests, no matter the challenges.”

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Sydney Owada Welk BA ’19

Hometown: Fresno, California
Major: English
Extracurriculars: Mossy Log Opinions Editor, LC Dance Company President, Dance X and Y Participant/Choreographer
Overseas Study: London, England

Path after L&C: Sydney earned her MA and PhD in English language and literature at the University of Michigan, and is now a graduate researcher at the university.

“Lewis & Clark prepared me for my graduate studies by offering multiple opportunities to conduct research and develop enriching relationships with faculty. Working in the archives at Watzek Library and having leadership roles in student organizations were not only rewarding experiences, but they also helped me gain confidence in my abilities to take initiative and tackle multiple projects at once.”

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David Salkowski BA ’14

Major: Music
Minor: Russian Studies
Extracurriculars: Orchestra, Wind Symphony, Russian Club
Overseas Study: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Path after L&C: After spending a year working at All Classical Portland and teaching music in Portland, David earned his PhD in musicology at Princeton University. In 2018-19, he returned to Saint Petersburg to conduct research on a Fulbright Grant. He is now an assistant professor of musicology at the University of North Florida.

“Lewis & Clark prepared me very well. The hands-on mentorship I had received from faculty, the thoughtful pedagogy, and, of course, my classmates—all this gave me more holistic preparation for graduate school and my career than I even realized at the time.”

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Alex Scioscia BA ’21

Hometown: Alexandria, Virginia
Majors: Political science and German (double)
Overseas Study: Germany

Path after L&C: After graduating, Alex volunteered with local Democrats and worked on a school board campaign. He went on to get an internship with Senator Jeff Merkley in Washington, D.C., and was then hired by the Senate Committee on the Budget, where he is currently the nonpartisan hearing clerk. He was also elected as a member of his hometown’s school board in November.

“The research abilities and intrapersonal skills I learned and honed during my time at L&C helped me to hit the ground running during my internship, which eventually helped to get me my job. The resourcefulness that the school directly and indirectly taught me has been the most important thing I learned.”

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