Each year The University Record profiles selected prospective graduates who highlight the range of experiences and people who attend U-M.
Click the headlines to read their full stories.
Oceanography course started woman on environmental journey
When she entered U-M four years ago, Olivia Mathiesen knew she loved science but wasn’t sure what she wanted to do for a living. Today, Mathiesen is poised to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in earth and environmental sciences, the culmination of a college career that included a 4.0 GPA, an internship with the U.S. Geological Survey and important research on an under-studied bacterium found in harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie.
SMTD graduate who started We the PROUD eager for next steps
Alyxandra Ciale Charfauros, known as ciale, was in their junior year studying theater performance in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. While it was rewarding for the San Diego native to take part in classes and productions, ciale sought to connect with the arts on a more personal level. They co-founded We the People Representing Our Unifying Diversity, or We the PROUD, in late 2019.
Pharmacy graduate takes aim at a cure for diabetes
As part of his diabetes advocacy work, David Schapiro has traveled around the country giving speeches, meeting with lawmakers and conducting research. The recent College of Pharmacy graduate hopes to find a cure for the disease and help improve the lives of people who have it. It’s a mission inspired partly by personal experience: Schapiro has diabetes.
Study abroad experience cemented graduate’s career goals
Tiffany Harris’ impressive career at U-M includes serving as a mentor, tutor and the president of two student organizations. But it was a life-changing study abroad experience that helped solidify her career goals. The LSA student, who double majored in political science and African American studies, wants to become a lawyer focusing on using restorative justice to help reduce gender-based violence in South Africa.
