Philosophy Alumni Today
What happens after CC? Below is a listing of alums by year with, for most, short biographies of their post-CC lives - their studies, work, experience, and so on. We hope that this list will demonstrate the possibilities that a Philosophy major can open up. Also, for alums, this listing may provide a way to keep up with your former classmates!
Alumni by Year
Below are short biographies of alumni by year of graduation. Over time, we expect to add in all years, and then periodically update them. Click on particular years to open the list. The links associated with their names open internet pages supplying information about their experiences. The bracketed dates show the last time we looked them up.
Zach Bailey
Nathan Brand completed an M.D. and M.Sc. in Global Health from Columbia University (2018). Following graduation, he worked for the National Institutes of Health as a Cancer Research Training Award Fellow in the Laboratory for Translation Genomics. He then traveled to Malawi and Uganda where he spent a year volunteering in a rural clinic and working for the University of Minnesota researching pediatric severe malaria. In 2021, he was a Research Fellow and General Surgery Resident at the University of California, San Francisco [12/2021].
Tracy Fields
Julia Hathaway is a Senior Investment Consultant at Sprott, a firm specializing in precious metals investing. Following graduation, she worked as a dogsled guide and expedition member. After a year as a ski sales associate in Aspen, she joined Tocqueville Asset Management, where she worked for seven years. She moved to Sprott in 2020 [12/2021].
John Knight completed a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature at the City University of New York Graduate Center in 2021, defending a dissertation entitled, "Object Expression: Diligent Realism in the Works of Roland Barthes, Elena Ferrante, Karl Ove Knausgaard, Valeria Luiselli, and W.G. Sebald."
Anh Lai (now Anh Lai-O'Connell) completed an M.S.W. from University of Pennsylvania (2012). Following graduation from Colorado College, she worked as an intern and then psychiatric social worker in New Jersey. In 2013, she returned to Colorado first as a psychiatric social worker and then as an oncology social worker, eventually becoming a manager at the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers. After seven years, she joined Meru Health in 2021 as a Therapist and Clinical Trainer [12/2021].
Elizabeth Ludwig
Michael McGeary has been a Winemaker at Rocklands Farm Winery in Maryland since 2019. After CC, he was a post-baccalaureate student at Napa Valley College. He then completed an M.Sc. in Viticulture and Enology from Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale (2018). He worked in winery-related areas in Switzerland, Chile, and Virginia, before moving to Rocklands Farm Winery [12/2021].
Peter Quirsfeld attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston after completing his CC degree. He joined Frontenac Partners, an investment firm, in 2014, as an Associate Analyst [12/2021].
Sherry Safavi received a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2020. After completing her undergraduate studies at Colorado College, she was Nonprofit Associate Intern at the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), working on human rights, non-proliferation, and civic engagement issues. In 2011, she held a Neurological Medical Observership at the Baylor University Medical Center. From 2012-2015, she worked in Boulder for IMM, a digital advertising and marketing agency as an SEO Monitor and Coordinator and then Client Partnership Analyst and Executive. In 2015-16, she was a Client Services Lead at Peel, a computer software firm in Mountain View, California, specializing in devices for live and streamed content. In 2016, she moved to Digilant, a digital advertising firm, as an Account Manager. While in law school, she served as Law Clerk at the Electronic Privacy Information Center and a Research Assistant the Georgetown law school and at The Lawfare Blog. In 2019, she was a Summer Associate Law Clerk at Weil, Gotshal & Manages LLP.
Sarah Schulte completed a J.D. from University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2019. She was Associate Editor of the Denver Law Review (2017-19), Law Clerk for the Native American Rights Fund (2018-19), and Law Clerk for the Jefferson County District of the Colorado Judicial Branch (2019-20). Since 2020, she has been a Federal Interest Specialist at the Community Development Institute.
Victoria Silver
Hannah Wallis attended the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies (2014) and completed a Joint M.A. in Latin American Studies and Multimedia Journalism from New York University in 2017. From 2010 to 2020, she was a Spanish and writing tutor to students from middle school to adult age and, from 2016, a freelance journalist and filmmaker. In 2017-18, she was Senior Communications Consultant at the Shipibo Conibo Center and in 2018-19 Research and Media Strategist at the N.Y.U. Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Since 2020, she has been Video Producer and Strategist at Worldview Films in New York, producing video and publications with an emphasis on climate justice [12/2021].
Ethan M. Baer is an entrepreneur and media executive. In 2011, he founded SubSythesis, LLC, a music publication platform in Boulder. In 2011, he co-founded Artist Intelligence Agency, a Denver company specializing in electronic dance music promotion, and he served as Director of Business Development until 2014. In 2013, he also co-founded in Denver EDM.com, which became the leading publication and media organization for global electronic dance music, and he served as CEO to 2019. In 2014, he moved Artist Intelligence Agency to Queens, New York, and re-founded it as the Indie Music Group, a record label with 15 imprints and a catalogue of over 4,000 recordings; and he served as its Executive Director. He also co-founded Indie Music Publishing, the publishing partner of the Indie Music Group that represents 4,000 songwriters globally. In 2019, he became Senior Vice President, Business Development, and Head of Electronic for the Create Music Group, a leading Los Angeles music and media company. In 2021, he left Create Music to co-found Rebel Creator Services, a digital marketing agency that represents independent artists and creators, and Baer Necessities, a business development and strategy firm. He is also a partner in two clothing and merchandise companies based in Los Angeles, Electric Family and Top Drawer Merch [02/2022].
Bahman Batmanghelidj, following graduation from CC, was an Americorps Founding Member in Denver. In 2012 he became a Business Analyst at a commercial real estate firm in Virginia. He was hired in 2013 by DuPont Fabros Technology, a real estate development trust specializing in leasing data centers, serving as Sales Operations Manager, and then as Sales Manager when the company was acquired by Digital Realty. In 2020, he joined CloudHQ, a global data center provider, as Sales Manager [02/2022].
Marie V. Blanc
Joel L. Bock is a Ph.D. candidate in Philosophy at DePaul University specializing in the philosophy of technology, Ancient Greek philosophy, and 19th and 20th century German philosophy and writing a dissertation on the concepts of work and leisure in the philosophies of Aristotle, Hegel, and Bernard Stiegler. He has received an M.A. in Philosophy from DePaul and an M.A. in German Studies from Middlebury College, and he has participated in exchange programs through Maastricht University, the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, and the École normale supérieure in Paris.
Torrey M. Hata received a J.D. from the University of Colorado (2014) and is an Associate Attorney specializing in corporate law at Nevers, Palazzo, Packard, Wildermuth & Wynner, PC [02/2022].
Madeline S. Mindich received a Masters in Acupuncture and East Asian Medicine from Bastyr University in Washington State (2016) and is an acupuncturist at Somawell, on the north shore of Long Island, New York [02/2022].
Andrew J. Parks
Zachary R. Podmore completed an M.F.A. in Environmental Nonfiction Writing from Southern New Hampshire University (2018) and is a journalist and film producer who has covered rural Utah politics, public lands and conservation issues since 2015. He is the author of Confluence: Navigating the Personal and Political On Rivers of the New West (Torrey House Press, 2019). He is a Report for America Corps Member covering conflict and change in San Juan County, Utah, for the Salt Lake Tribune. In 2019, he revived a local newspaper in southeast Utah, the Canyon Echo, which he edits [02/2022].
Christopher L. Shambaugh is a Ph.D. candidate in Philosophy at University of Oregon. He completed an M.S. in English Literature at the University of Edinburgh (2014) and an M.A. in Philosophy at The New School (2018). Christopher is also a Research Assistant at Monthly Review [02/2022].
Isaac L. Smith
Rebecca O. Spira completed a J.D. at Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology (2019) and since late 2019 has been a staff attorney at Capital Area Immigrants' Rights (CAIR) Coalition, in Washington, D.C. After college, she was a City Year Americorps member in Denver (2011-12), an English instructor in Chile (2012-13), and a Legal Assistant at law firms in Chicago (2013-16). In 2019, she was a Legal Intern at the National Immigration Justice Center in Chicago [02/2022].
Kristen E. Sweeney completed a J.D. at University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law (2014) and an M.S. in Management and Leadership at Western Governor’s University (2021). She worked as a Legal Intern at the Utah Crime Victims Legal Clinic (2012), the Utah Court of Appeals (2012), Intermountain Healthcare (2013-14), and the University of Utah Office of Sponsored Projects (2012-14). Kristen joined Western Governors University as a Contract Specialist in 2014, later becoming a Staff Attorney (2015) and Assistant General Counsel (2019). Since late 2019, she has been Western Governors University Assistant General Counsel and Legal Operations Manager [02/2022].
Max Alpert is a Director at New Western Acquisitions, a national real estate investment company. He began work at New Western as an Acquisitions Manager in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in 2013. In 2017, he became Regional Manager in Denver. He has served as Director in the Denver office since September 2021 [02/2022].
Graham A. Borgman completed an M.A. in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in depth psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute (2017). Following CC, he served as a Community Intern at the Sierra Friends Center in Nevada City, California. In 2013, he became the Center’s Intern Coordinator and Maintenance Apprentice. In 2017, he worked as a volunteer at the Catholic Worker in Lakebay, Washington. Since 2018, he has been a Team Counselor at Windhorse Integrated Mental Health in Portland, Oregon; and he has a private practice in psychotherapy and counseling [02/2022].
Jacob C. Brownell is a J.D. candidate at Georgetown University Law Center. Following graduation from CC, he began working for KRCC-FM, first as an Intern and Associate Producer. Between 2013 and 2017, he served as Producer of several programs, as well as a host and reporter. Since 2020, he has held several law-related appointments, including Research Assistant for the Georgetown Law Journal, Summer Law Clerk in the office of Minnesota Attorney General, and Summer Associate at the firm WilmerHale [02/2022].
Daniel Y. Corman is Director of Engineering at Betterment, an investment and savings software company in New York. Following CC, he studied as a student at Hack Reactor, a coding ad software bootcamp in Austin, then became its Lead Software Engineer. In 2015, he joined SmarterHQ, an internet marketing and advertising company, as a Software Engineer and then Engineering Manager. He also served as Director of Web Development for Hello World, an Austin start-up that offers computer science education for children. In 2017, he moved to JW Player, a New York company focusing on video delivery online. He began as Software Engineer in 2017, eventually becoming Head of Core Engineering in 2021, before moving to Betterment in January 2022. [02/2022].
Maggie Edmunds is an M.B.A. candidate at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. After CC, Maggie worked as a Trip Leader for Overland Summers and as Web & Marketing Coordinator for Telluride.com. In 2014, she joined Backbone Media as a Public Relations Account Manager. From 2016-18, she was Marketing Manager for Stio, an outdoor apparel company in Jackson, Wyoming. She joined the Vermont outdoor company, Orvis, in 2018 as Public Relations Manager and moved up to be Public Relations & Brand Manager in 2020. In 2021, she began her M.B.A. studies at Duke, with a focus on developing environmentally sustainable businesses [02/2022].
Vita Emery is a Ph.D. candidate and teaching fellow in Philosophy at Fordham University in New York City. Her dissertation research focuses on existential ethics, and she aims to develop new feminist critiques of social power [02/2022].
Robert E. Florance completed an M.B.A. at the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles (2017). After graduation from Colorado College, he worked as Software Developer at JP Morgan Chase in New York (2012-2014). Following graduate school, he worked as a Product Manager in the CEO Office of Rakuten, an e-commerce company in Tokyo. In 2018, he joined FIXER, Inc., a cloud computing firm, also in Tokyo. Since 2019, he has been Senior Product Manager in the Tokyo office of Moneytree, an Australian fintech company.
Cara S. Greene completed an M.A. in Critical Theory and the Arts at the School of Visual Arts in New York and is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of New Mexico in Philosophy, with specializations on continental philosophy, critical theory, psychoanalysis, and phenomenology. Her dissertation research addresses modern sacrifice in Hegel and the Frankfurt School [02/2022].
Kieffer Katz is a freelance brand strategist, copywriter, and innovation consultant. After graduation from Colorado College, he worked as a Brand Strategist and Innovation Consultant at Consumer Dynamics, a marketing and advertising firm in New York. In 2016, he joined Red Antler, a Brooklyn brand development company focusing on startups and new ventures. He began his freelance consultancy in late 2016 in Portland, Oregon. Between 2017 and 2019, he also worked in marketing with the Greenbelt Alliance, a San Francisco Bay Area educational and advocacy group focusing on resilience in response to climate change [02/2022].
Elena M. Ketelsen (now Elena Ketelsen González) completed an M.S. in Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education at Hunter College in New York (2015). After graduation from Colorado College, she spent two years as an educator with Teach for America in East Harlem. From 2014 to 2016, she was a Project-Based Bilingual Educator at the Castlebridge School in New York City. In 2016-17, she worked for the Brooklyn Historical Society as a Young Artists/Young Curators Educator. She then joined the Museum of the City of New York as a Per Diem Educator and then Lead Family and Community Programs Educator. She was Assistant to Family Programs at the Whitney Museum of American Art from 2017 to 2019 and Program Manager and Curatorial Assistant at the Gracie Mansion Conservancy from 2019 to 2020. She then joined MoMA PS1, an alternative arts center associated with the Museum of Modern Art, as Senior Fellow of Public Programs and Community Engagement and, more recently, as Assistant Curator. She also founded in 2019 and directs La Salita, curatorial project and gallery dedicated to highlighting the work of Latin American and Latinx artists [02/2022].
Bridger Langfur is Deputy Field Organizer for San Diego City Council Representative Barbara Fry. Following graduation from Colorado College, he taught English for Colorado Idiomas and at the EC English Language Centre in San Diego. In 2015-16, he worked as a Technical Operations Coordinator for Search Optics, a digital marketing firm. In late 2016, he joined the staff of Council Representative Fry. He also worked as a Community Representative for the City of San Diego in 2017-19 [02/2022].
Brendan Mehnert O'Donoghue is a bassist, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer, and a member of the Denver-based Tenia Nelson Trio, a jazz ensemble [02/2022].
Margaret Osgood is pursuing an entrepreneurial career in software as sales (SaaS) in San Diego County. Following graduation from Colorado College, she was a Sales Floor Manager at Teavana, a tea emporium. She studied computer programming at Santa Rosa Junior College, where she worked as Student Success Coach in 2017-18. She then worked in 2019 as Client Support Specialist at OrcaSong Farm, women-led, LGBTQ+ owned, not-for-profit, certified organic farm and climate resiliency education initiative in Washington State [02/2022].
Stuart Pidcock completed a Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) at Cornell University (2015). Following his graduate studies, he worked as an Architectural Designer for designLAB Architects and Payette Associate Architects in Boston. In 2019, he joined his family’s multigenerational firm, The Pidcock Company in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where he is a Land Planner and Architectural Designer. He also serves as Chair of the Architecture, Sustainability, and Technology Sub-Committee for the Lehigh Valley Habitat for Humanity’s Construction & Property Committee [02/2022].
Erik Rieger completed a Master of Environmental Management (MEM) in Ecosystem Science and Conservation and Geospatial Analysis at Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment (2021). Following graduation from Colorado College, he worked for the American Alpine Club, where he served as Assistant Editor & Art Director and then Associate Editor of the American Alpine Journal from 2012 to the present. He also worked in 2015-16 as a baker in Colorado, focusing on traditional artisan methods; and at a Colorado organic farm in 2017. In 2018, he was a WOOFF Intern (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms), studying and working at organic farms in Poland and India. Since 2021, he has been a Soil Carbon Analyst at NativeEnergy, an environmental services firm in Burlington, Vermont [02/2022].
Gretchen L. Stempf is a founder and horse trainer at Tailored Equine Training in Larkspur, Colorado. Prior to founding Tailored Equine, she worked as a horse trainer for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs [02/2022].
Andrew R. Streight completed an M.A. in Global Trade, Finance, and Economic Integration and a Certificate in International Law and Human Rights at University of Denver Josef Korbel School of International Studies (2017). Following graduation from Colorado College, Andrew served as Office Program Coordinator from for President Jill Tiefenthaler at Colorado College from 2012 to 2014. After completing graduate studies, he was Senior Associate-Consulting Focus at Corona Insights, a Denver market research firm, where he specialized in strategic planning for nonprofit, higher education, and government organizations. Since 2021, he has been Program Manager at Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade [02/2022].
Garland M. ("Max") Thorn completed his Master of Library Science at Queens College Graduate School of Library and Information Studies with a Certificate in Archives and the Preservation of Cultural Materials (2021). Following graduation from Colorado College, he received a Publishing Certificate from the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University (2012). He then worked in 2012 to 2014 as Editorial Assistant and Circulation Manager for the magazine, Jacobin. For several years, he was as a freelance fact-checker and media researcher. In 2018 and 2019, he worked at various archives in New York, including ones for the City of New York, Queens College, and the Pace Gallery. In 2019, he joined Queens College Library as an Adjunct Instruction Librarian, and in 2021 he was appointed Substitute Instruction Librarian [02/2022].
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Notes: LinkedIn pages are most often our information sources; viewing those pages typically requires joining LinkedIn.
As this information was found online, we cannot guarantee its veracity. Need to update or correct entries? Send updates and corrections to the Philosophy Department.
Alumni Overview
We are just beginning to collect information on our alumni, though some patterns can be discerned. Here is a rough listing of the career paths of Philosophy majors are pursing and what percentages of alums are in each path.
- Business - 34%
- Corporate business, finance, internet - 29%
- Small business, crafts - 6%
- Non-educational professions - 29%
- Law - 14%
- Medical, health, counseling - 11%
- Architecture - 3%
- Education - 20%
- Philosophy and other academic doctoral studies - 14%
- Other education, library and archival studies - 6%
- Film and journalism - 6%
- Government and politics - 6%
- Environmental - 3%
- Musics, Arts - 3%