Patricia Boone : - Race, Law, and Juvenile Delinquency

Shortly after graduation in May 2013, Patricia packed her car and drove solo heading East with an eagerness to take what she learned at UC Berkeley and explore an expanding world.  Her road trip took a total of ten days, during which Patricia camped under the stars in Utah, danced in cowboy saloons in Wyoming, and witnessed electric skies over Nebraska.  In 2016 Patricia graduated from Northwestern School of Law, and and co-founded CompassBlu, LLC, a synergistic and diverse consulting firm that connects people to their purpose, producing results that inspire global change.

Robert Cancio : - Economic Effects of Immigration

After a May 2013 graduation, Robert moved back to Los Angeles to spend time with his family before embarking on a cross-country trip cutting through the southern United States.  He backpacked in Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite; hiked through the Grand Canyon in Arizona; visited Fort Selden State Monument, a former United States Army post for the Buffalo soldiers in New Mexico; toured the Alamo in Texas; feasted on Cajun shrimp in New Orleans; and visited Disney World in Florida--a trip her is certain American Studies students would appreciate.  Robert is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of Miami, where he hopes to build on his interdisciplinary training in American Studies.

Jen Kim : - Public Policy and the Urban Community

During the summer following a May 2013 graduation, Jen worked as a public housing organizer for a community-based organization in the Lower East Side of New York City.  She is currently working toward a Master's in Urban and Regional Planning at UCLA, with a focus on community economic development and housing.  She is most interested in learning about alternative development models and plans to continue organizing for more equitable communities.

Dani Nameth : - Food and Culture

After finishing her last semester in December of 2012, Dani spent her final academic time abroad in the United Kingdom studying food science at the University of Leeds.  She has recently moved back to Southern California to focus on Clinical and Translational research.  She is currently working as a Public Administrative Analyst for Phase 2 and 3 Clinical trials for novel treatments in both Sarcoma and Lung Cancer.  Dani has also recently been published in the Journal of American Medicine Dermatology for an epidemiological paper looking at the scope of exposure to indoor tanning.  Dani continues to bring food, nutrition, and medicine into conversation working on research that focuses on the role of BMI and overall survival in cancer patients while she applies to medical school.

Jennifer Schaefer : - Education in America

Following graduation in May 2013, Jennifer spent a year working as a math tutor and saving money in order to move to Oahu in pursuit of a slower, balanced lifestyle, the Aloha Spirit, and warmer weather.  In Fall 2014, she will begin to work towards a Ph.D. in Mathematics at the University of Hawaii, hoping either to conduct mathematics research or to become a community college professor.  In either case, Jennifer will offer free math tutoring (and possibly dance lessons) to those who are not able to afford it.  She strives to emphasize education for the sake of learning, and to challenge the commodification of education that strictly purports the acquisition of a financially rewarding job.