Success Stories

Ever wonder how your fellow Temple Owls landed that perfect internship or job? Check out these student and alumni success stories and gain valuable advice about finding an internship, networking with professionals, landing a job and more. These Temple Owls found great opportunities and so can you!

Have a success story you’d like to share?
Email careercenter@temple.edu with your story, graduation year and major.

Sara Fischer

Elementary & Special Education major

"I will be graduating in May with a Bachelor's of Science in Elementary and Special Education and a certification area in Spanish. I received a Fulbright grant funded by the U.S. Department of State Foreign Scholarship Board and will be teaching English to students in elementary school in Spain upon graduation. I will be living there from September 2011 until June 2012. I will be in the classroom for approximately 20 hours a week and will do field work in developing collaborations between mainstreamed classroom students and special education students for the rest of the time. As a Fulbright recipient, it is also my responsibility to bridge a cultural gap between the United States and Spain and promote awareness and diversity in both countries. I am soooooooooo excited and really looking forward to this adventure!!

Upon returning home, I plan to get a job in an urban public school system and explore Master's programs in either Bilingual School Psychology or Bilingual Special Education."

Farhiya Tifow

Political Science major

"My name is Farhiya Tifow and I am a Kenyan-Somali. I will be graduating with a BA in Political Science, a minor in Sociology and Political Economy Certificate.

I remember my orientation at Temple being one of the scariest moments because of my shyness. Thanks to the support of my Professors, Peers, Academic advisors and the Student Leadership Office at Temple University, I leave a transformed person with a legacy of rising above that fear and becoming the President of The Society of Emerging African Leaders (SEAL) and an organizer of TEDxTempleU.

After graduation, I intend on following through with my passion for development and helping economically disadvantaged communities in whatever way I can. I will be in rural Kenya as a volunteer for one year before coming back to pursue my Masters in International Development hopefully at George Washington or American University in DC!

Nashukuru Temple! (I am grateful for Temple!)"

Noelle Kiluva

Economics major

"My name is Noelle Kiluva. I recently completed my undergraduate course requirements a semester early at the Temple University's college of liberal arts, and graduate this coming May. I am an international student with a focus in Economics and a minor Political science. Coming from Kenya, Temple, offered me a platform from which I could interact with a diverse group of students, learn from them, and also learn about myself. Being a student consultant at the TECH Center exposed me to these interactions as well as being a founding member of SEAL, (Society of Emerging African Leaders), an organization focused on revisualizing leadership in Africa. I've learned a vast amount of skills in my roles as a student, a leader of an organization, and a consultant at the TECH Center; that I believe have already been instrumental in shaping my career.

In the wake of the recession, I have been blessed to get a job as a Global Data Analyst at Bloomberg LP. I deeply appreciate all the experiences that have enabled me to get to this point in my life. My experience at Temple has been nothing short of amazing."

Jennifer VanDerBas

Communications major

"I had a late start in getting my college education because I developed severe migraine headaches while I was in high school and I spent most of my time seeing doctors to try and eliminate the pain. I also was gaining weight a lot of weight because I couldn't do any physical activities. I managed to take control of my headaches by changing my diet and becoming more physically active. I lost a total of 90 pounds, became a certified pilates instructor, and enrolled in Bucks County Community College as a communications/performance major. When I was sick and practically bed stricken, all I would think about was finding a way to cure myself so I could help people with the same issues that I had. I found and believe that I manifested the headaches which caused me to continually gain weight because I was in a state of mind at the time that was very negative. When I received my associate's degree at the community college, I knew I needed more information on how to communicate effectively in order to get my point across and help others, so I continued my education in Communications and also added a minor in dance at Temple University. I am currently finishing up my last semester and recently came across an opportunity to share my story and teach people how to exercise and eat healthy through an organization called "Fit Kids for Life" and the series will air on Philly Cam which is a local broadcasting station. The information about the project was given to me through Temple University's networking sources and I am so thankful to have this opportunity. Everything that I have learned in my college career I am now applying and I hope that by being involved with this program I can reach out to people in need of this type of direction. I also anticipate that the exposure will lead me to bigger projects so I can target a broader audience."

Darryn Lee

International Business & Finance major

"Being able to graduate in four years and start off on Wall Street [as a Portfolio Analytics Analyst at BlackRock] is truly a blessing and a dream come true. I have worked very hard during my Temple tenure, and have reaped plenty of benefits from my involvement in Fox School student professional organizations, and from networking with dedicated faculty members. The most exciting part of this journey is that it will be tough, and I have a long road to fulfilling my professional ambitions. As I bid farewell to Temple University, I thank a select few individuals for enhancing my personal growth, and assisting me in my quest to become a valued asset of the financial services community."

Rachel Wolkiewicz

Tourism and Hospitality Management major

"I'm graduating from the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, and I recently accepted a job with the York County Convention and Visitors Bureau as a Tourism Sales Representative. I am really looking forward to beginning this new phase of my life because I will get to travel around the country to various trade shows as a representative of both York County and Central Pennsylvania tourism!"

Victoria Cianciulli

Marketing major

"After graduation, I will be starting to work at Enterprise Holdings in their Management Training Program. I am graduating from the Fox School of Business with a major in Marketing. I am so excited about this next step in my life because it allows me explore the professional world of business and do so in a company that has great people and an even better culture."

Ivy Staten

African American Studies major

"Truly I am excited about my future goals and plans. I am looking forward to my May 12th graduation and also a May 17th VICTORY for this upcoming primary election here in Philadelphia. My name is Ivy Staten and I am a candidate for City Commissioner. I am positioned #3 on the ballot and awaiting my Ballot number. The City Commissioners conduct elections and implement voter registration. They are in charge of overseeing and facilitating our electoral process.

I just rallied with TSG and other student organization yesterday for our education. I am taking my concerns to the next level by running for this city wide office to make a bigger impact for the students, citizens, and future generations of Philadelphia.

I have been endorsed by a number of groups and individuals one being the AFL-CIO which is the largest federation of unions. I look forward to a victory this May and being the next City Commissioner following graduation."

Alexis James

Speech Pathology major

"For the past two years I have been torn between educating the youth and implementing therapy. During my college career I've tutored and mentor kids of all ages around the local area and I found great enjoyment in doing just that. With a masters in speech pathology, I can only create innovative and productive therapy sessions for my client but I didn't think that was enough for me. In result, I followed my instincts and researched teaching fellowships where I am able to teach special education for a year or two without having any background in education. I applied to numerous fellowships all over and was offered to teach special education to high need students from three fellowships. I get to explore the realms of teaching while gaining practical experience for the population I will be working with in the future. My plan is to be certified as a teacher and as a speech therapist in the next 4 years."

Rachel Broder

English major

"After graduation I will be spending the year as a City Year corps member in Philadelphia."

Colleen Bianco

Chemistry major

"I am attending graduate school; The University of Delaware, College of Earth, Ocean and Environment. I will study oceanography and marine bioscience. I am working towards a MS, possibly a Ph D."

Marcda E. Hilaire

Biology major

"Pursue my MPH (Master's in Public Health) with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health and then medical school."

Alexander Barclay

Biochemistry major

"I will be starting an M.S. program at the University of Delaware, College of Earth, Ocean and the Environment to become a Marine Biologist."

Justin Wusinich

Tourism and Hospitality Management major

"I am currently completing Hyatt Hotels & Resorts Corporate Management Training program with the Sales department at the Hyatt Regency Miami in Downtown Miami, Florida. It is a 7 month training program I started in January 2011, and will end in July 2011, in which I will be placed into a management position. The training consists of a 10 week rotation through every department of the hotel and then a 19 week concentration in sales."

Kathryn Gronsbell

Film and Media Arts major

"I will be attending a Master's program at New York University starting in the Fall. I am currently a Film & Media Arts major, French Minor and work in the Temple University Libraries Urban Archives with the audiovisual collections. The graduate program is in NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and is called Moving Image Archiving and Preservation. In light of the recent proposed budget cuts, it is especially important for Temple students to appreciate and utilize their time here in the most constructive way possible.

I am incredibly excited for this opportunity to study at NYU (and was glad to be able to turn down admission offers from UCLA and the University of Amsterdam) as a result of my time studying and working at Temple."

Olawonuola Abiona

Biology major

"I will be attending West Chester University in the fall. I will be pursuing my Masters of Public Health Degree, focusing on Community Health. This is a two year program. I look forward to working with the community in the future."

Stephanie Lax

Legal Studies major

"After being admitted to the law schools at Harvard, Columbia, NYU, Penn, Cornell, Duke, and Virginia, I've decided to attend UVA on a full tuition scholarship! The school was the best fit for me combined with the best price. What could be better?"

Teresa Rothaar

Math & CS major

"My husband and I are launching a boutique marketing and writing services business, Rothaar Communications."

Taslim Akhand