OCAT “Where Are They Now” Students

Office of Cultural & Academic Transitions (OCAT) at Michigan State University is proud to have alumni who are out in the world pursuing their passions and achieving remarkable things. We reached out to some of them asking what they’ve been up to, and how OCAT still plays a major role in their lives since their graduation.

 

Jessica Hernandez

Tell us about yourself and what makes you excited about your current job or activities?

Currently, I serve as a 2nd year college adviser through MSU’s College Advising Corps (MSUCAC). I love my role as I get to help seniors through their college application process, whether it be to a community college, 4 year college, university, trade, vocational, or military. This also includes: FAFSA, Scholarships, SAT, ACT retake. My role is exciting because I get to see my students grow from applying, being accepted, and committing to post-secondary programs. Waverly High School in Lansing is where I serve. It is the 4th most diverse high school in the state of MI. While my focus is seniors, I also have the opportunity to interact with 8th – 11th grade and 2nd – 4th grade discussing college and bringing the dialogue whether in presentation, activities, or college visits / college fairs. Being a college adviser is a rewarding experience, one which offers many opportunities for professional development and growth.

How did you get involved with OCAT during your undergraduate year and what was your position at OCAT?

As a freshmen in the CAMP program, we were introduced to the ICA’s & MRULE – I loved the enthusiasm and the goal for both programs. I kept connected by attending MRULE, volunteering at  Village Summit, and attending events put on by ICA’s. Through all this, I became encouraged to apply 🙂

Could you describe one moment or person during your time in OCAT that has changed the way you think about people and their culture?

Maggie Chen-Hernandez, Juan Flores, and Luis Garcia were huge mentors during my time as an ICA and continue to be even after I have graduated. These individuals were open to discussions and answering questions continuing to encourage an open mindset and acceptance of others. As a freshmen in college attending MSU – there was definitely a culture shock. Having individuals to help navigate that and be open to why the role as an ICA would be a good fit were helpful!

How did your experience with OCAT help your life after graduation, especially in your current job position?

I knew I wanted to partake in service after graduating, whether Teach For America, City Year, or an AmeriCorps program in general – MSUCAC is partnered with AmeriCorps. I’ve always been passionate about education and through the OCAT that grew, specifically in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Serving as a college adviser, I have been able to work with underrepresented individuals, help them learn about opportunities and serve as a mentor / role model, which in a way is similar to being an ICA. After completing my term as a college adviser, I will begin my Masters in Higher Education with a Concentration in Diversity and Social Justice at the University of Michigan – the concentration was definitely influenced by my undergraduate experience with OCAT.

If you came back to OCAT in 10 years, what would you like to see differently and what would you like to see the same?

This is a hard question, change is inevitable, with that being said, I would like to see people who want to continue being the change not just at MSU’s campus but in the communities they go off to after graduating.

What advice would you give to seniors in college who are about to enter “a real world?”

Don’t be afraid, ask questions, meet with your mentors (don’t have one? Identify someone you admire, have coffee with them), update your resume, take advantage of the last events on campus before graduation, and Go Green!


 Sahar Mahmood

Tell us about yourself, and what are you most excited about your current job or current activities?

I am originally from East Lansing and went to Michigan State–after graduation I completed a year of AmeriCorps in San Jose, California. Currently, I work as an Recruitment Coordinator/Admissions Counselor for the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities (RCAH) at MSU. I’m really excited to be working with RCAH because it takes my passion of working with young people and combines it with my passion for humanities and working towards making the world a better place. 

How did you get involved with OCAT during your undergraduate year, and what was your position at OCAT?

I got involved with OCAT through the Intercultural Aide (ICA) program. During my time, the ICA program was separated from MRULE but ICA still attended and participated in MRULE activities. I served as an ICA in Hubbard Hall and during that time I was really able to develop my leadership, communication, and collaborative skill sets.

Could you describe one moment or person during your time in OCAT that has changed the way you think about people and their culture?

I don’t know if there was a specific moment or person that changed the way I think but there were a lot of people that contributed to who I am today. The best thing about my OCAT/ICA year was that we all had different backgrounds and cultures and through those friendships, I was able to learn more about people different than me. I truly cherished those friendships and still am close to many people from my cohort.

How did your experience with OCAT help your life after graduation, especially in your current job position?

OCAT gave me a chance to develop relationships with MSU leadership specifically staff from the OCAT office, and now I feel comfortable reaching out to them to collaborate or bounce ideas around.

If you came back to OCAT in 10 years, what would you like to see differently, and what would you like to see the same?

In 10 years, I would hope Murray is still involved. 🙂 I  cannot imagine OCAT without him. I would definitely like to see OCAT grow. I think the work done by OCAT is extremely valuable and more first generation students would benefit from the services if we were able to grow.

What advice would you give to seniors in college who are about to enter “a real world?”

 

Stay resilient. I think as an undergraduate who is consistently involved and seen as a student leader, things sometimes come easy and when you’re faced with bumps in the road or challenges you may feel like giving up. Don’t be afraid of failure and tough times–there were many months were I was job searching and stressed but keep pushing towards the jobs/positions/other things you want. I knew that I wanted to work for MSU and I kept trying until I was able to get there. Also, being around such supportive friends/faculty/staff in an academia and social setting for four (or more) years can create a bubble and you may or may not find that same group of people post-graduation. I was very lucky to have found a similar group in AmeriCorps team but I know many people who felt differently. I think it can be very difficult to go into a company where not everyone is as “woke” as you and you may feel frustrated in those situations and know that your frustration is valid and there are ways to go about it. Lastly, don’t be afraid to reach out – there are SO MANY people that want to make sure you are successful post-graduation and they have advice and can help you get there. I was very lucky to have Juan as a mentor and friend and felt comfortable getting lunch with him or visiting him to just talk or ask for advice.

Yash Kankaria (Left)

Yash Kankaria

Tell us about yourself, and what are you most excited about your current job or current activities?

Hi, this is Yash Kankaria. I served as an ICA from 2014 to 2016 during my junior and senior year at MSU. I graduated in the Spring 2016 with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. As an ICA, I thoroughly enjoyed my work and took great pride and joy in helping first generation students, international students, LGBTQ community as well as being active and out and about advocating and learning about various social justice.

Currently, I am working on a startup in Los Angeles, CA. The startup is the brainchild of another MSU alumni and we are working together to launch a dietary supplement made from turmeric (curcumin) that shields and protects your liver after a night of drinking. This product is for the demographic that enjoys an evening drink on a regular basis as well as for those that go all out during a night out. My role at the startup is to drive the product strategy. I’m excited about my role because our mission as a startup is driven by a higher purpose and that is to help and give back to the community right from the day we launch. I am currently working on identifying social welfare organizations that will be relevant to our product. We aim to assist the organizations we work with in every manner possible.

How did you get involved with OCAT during your undergraduate year, and what was your position at OCAT?

I served as an ICA from 2014 to 2016 during my junior and senior year at MSU. I was involved facilitating MRULE discussions during my first year and putting up Civic, Social and Cultural Engagements during my second year as an ICA. Apart from that, I was also active amongst different multi-cultural associations while at MSU.

Could you describe one moment or person during your time in OCAT that has changed the way you think about people and their culture?

As an ICA, there were numerous eye-opening moments for me, especially because I was an international student and there was so much to learn from the perspective of receiving a wholesome education. Every day at the job you learned something new, whether it be visiting students, facilitating MRULE discussions, or participating in weekly ICA meetings. One person at OCAT from whom I learned the most was Maggie Chen Hernandez. In every one of my interactions with her, I learned about being persistent, being patient, and to persevere with the task at hand. These qualities helped me immensely in my role as an ICA and helped me work with students to help them make the most of their time at MSU, for them to thrive at MSU, for them to flourish at MSU.

How did your experience with OCAT help your life after graduation, especially in your current job position?

One thing I learned at OCAT and that has helped me the most after graduation is taking the first step to make a connection. It is the first step that is crucial to establishing almost any connection. I applied it with the students in my work as an ICA and that helped me along the way to meet people once I started out after graduation. So go out there, take that first step and I’m sure you’ll learn a lot more than if you were not to initiate that first step.

If you came back to OCAT in 10 years, what would you like to see differently, and what would you like to see the same?

In 10 years, I would like to see a more inclusive and welcoming MSU campus where the students are eager to learn not only what’s in the classes, but also to take a step towards becoming a more educated, actionable and a less ignorant entity about the societal issues that prevail on the campus and around the world. I would hope the levels of empathy improves among the students.

Of what I would like to see the same is the effort program coordinators at OCAT put at work. As an ICA, we worked closely with the program coordinators and it was their enduring persistence and perseverance that used to keep us ICAs going when it got tough. I hope they continue with the same or even more purpose and strength because they are the true mainstays at MSU and if there is a little bit of inclusiveness on this campus, its because of them. I hope they get improved support from the Board of Trustees to engender inclusivity on campus. I also hope they receive more credit for their work because it is hard work.

What advice would you give to seniors in college who are about to enter “the real world”?

My advice would be:
Do not give up on learning. Become a continuous learner in life. It can be easy to give up on learning in life since you are no longer paying to get educated, but the lessons you will learn in life are far more valuable than those that you learned at the university.

Do not be afraid to fail or fall. If you fear failure, you will never try anything new. Be bold, be brave and be prepared to stumble, fall, and fail. You will learn the most important lessons of your life and your skin will toughen up with each bruise and experience. You will only appreciate your successes by the magnitude of your failures.

Be an advocate for life. Just because you get entangled in life, do not let that inner spark inside you die. Continue being an advocate for social justice issues and speak out and act against something you think is wrong. Do not numb your conscious.

Money is not everything. Time will pass by and you will hoard up enough money in life. But what you might not be able to hoard is contentment. You will be embroiled in the rat race for a while before you retire, at least 40 hours a week for the next 45 years. Do not give up on those experiences when you feel alive. Do not give up on people who will be by your side during the tough times. Do not give up on those moments when you did something good and feel great. Do not give up on experiences that will make you discover something new about yourself. You are not a finished article and don’t ever try to be. That is when you will get the most out of your life. The real treasure is the life and experiences you have, not the amount of printed bills in your bank account.


 

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