Meet recent alumni who say the professional preparation and supportive community they found at Sage helped to set them up for early career success. 

Jamal Sanders

From survey design to software testing, Jamal Sanders says his Applied Nutrition master’s degree enhances his work in information systems for New York State WIC program.

Mason Horne

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Biology and Physical Therapy graduate Mason Horne was a PT at a hospital in New York City, called upon to help care for patients with COVID because of the overwhelming numbers. That re-sparked his interest in becoming a physician — and even though he’d been out of Sage for a few years, RSC’s pre-med advisor helped guide him through the medical school application process. Today, Horne is a member of Albany Medical College’s Class of 2025.

Kait Bates

As an Interior + Spatial Design major at Russell Sage College, Kait Bates gained hands-on experience and built a strong portfolio of work during her capstone project and two internships. Shortly after earning a BFA in 2022, Kait joined Hyman Hayes Associates in Latham, New York, as an interior designer for healthcare, higher education, and government clients.

Julia Gerringer

Julia Gerringer earned her bachelor’s in Biology from Russell Sage in May 2023 and started Touro College of Dental Medicine in July. “Sage is such a wonderful school to get your Pre-Med education for medical school, dental school, or vet school. I couldn’t have asked for a better school to help me out and encourage me to go do amazing things,” she said.

Dana Fowler

Dana Fowler owns Common Crumb, a local products-focused cafe just a few miles east of Russell Sage’s Troy campus. “Health for the self and health for our community is why I focus on local,” the Nutrition Science  graduate said, emphasizing that Sage definitely helped her refine her thinking about running a socially responsible business.

Karlie Ullman

Karlie said three internships during her business bachelor’s degree helped her develop the confidence to establish her own social media marketing business. Now she creates online content for her own clients in fashion, food and beverage, and other industries.

Hajar Hussaini

Poet and translator Hajar Hussaini  grew up in Kabul, Afghanistan, before attending Sage and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. In this Q&A, she talks about her writing and how her bachelor’s in English, Writing & Culture  prepared her for a prestigious graduate program and her work as a literature professor.

Hayden Crandall

Hayden Crandall was interested in using her dual Sociology degree and Psychology degree in human services or other helping professions. She worked with Russell Sage College’s Career and Self-Discovery Center to find a great starting point for her career, at the Vermont Veterans’ Home.

Kyle Peterson

Kyle Peterson graduated from the CUNY School of Medicine in 2022 and is now a physician assistant in orthopedic surgery at Harlem Hospital. He can list several opportunities he found in Sage’s Biology program and Pre-Med program that helped him build a strong application for his physician assistant graduate program — and to succeed in PA school.

Lindsey Tolman

Biology graduate and Biomedical Science doctoral candidate Lindsey Tolman is a member of a New York State Department of Health laboratory that researches therapeutics to respond to a variety of infectious agents, from the virus that causes COVID-19 to the bacteria that causes whooping cough.

Theresa A. Hotte, Esq.

Theresa A. Hotte, Esq., said Sage’s Sociology program was great preparation for law school, and a law career focused on social justice.  As an attorney at the Public Utility Law Project of New York, Theresa works with low-income individuals and on policy to help make electricity, gas, water and other utilities affordable and accessible.

Madison Scisci

Madison Scisci is a professional videographer in Sage’s Office of Marketing & Communications, and a busy independent filmmaker and fine artist. Her work appears on Sage.edu and Sage’s social media sites, in digital ads and commercials and has aired on local news broadcasts.

Nicole Collazo

Nicole Collazo finished her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, Law and Behavior Science at Russell Sage College in 2021 and now works at the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York. It’s fulfilling to know she’s part of helping clients access needed assistance, Nicole says.

Connie Amedore

Special Education teacher Connie Amedore earned a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees from Sage’s Esteves School of Education. “This is a really great profession,” she said of her work teaching kindergartners and first and second graders with autism. “You get to make a difference in kids’ lives, in their parents’ lives.”

Liz Karam

“I don’t think I could have picked a better major and minor for the work I am doing now,” says Sage Psychology and Women’s Studies graduate Liz Karam, who is the volunteer coordinator and a case manager at St. Peter’s Crime Victim Services.

Andrew Edwards

U.S. Army veteran Andrew Edwards said advice from Sage alumni and professors helped prepare him for medical school. Today, he is a medical student at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Alice Antwi

Public Health graduate Alice Antwi has an impressive resume that includes a Women & Public Policy fellowship; an adjunct teaching role; and work in Albany Medical Center’s pediatric emergency department.

Daniel Bentley

Physical Education grad Daniel was named athletic director at Schodack Central School District in August 2022.

Ashli Fragomeni

Ashli is a Russell Sage College History graduate and the executive director at Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region.

Santino Sementilli

Santino is a Health Sciences grad in medical device sales at Zimmer Biomet.

Nyla Brotherson

Nyla Brotherson is a Criminal Justice, Law & Behavioral Science graduate who recently started her new job as assistant director of Eleanor’s Legacy.

Brooke Perry

Brooke is working in kitchen and bath sales while she is training for a full-time designer role with Curtis Lumber.

Shauna Wheeler

Health Sciences grad Shauna Wheeler is a clinical assistant at Sampson’s Prosthetic and Orthotic Laboratory — and she’s preparing for the exam to become a Certified Prosthetist Assistant.

Tanesha Beebe, MD

Tanesha graduated from Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine. She’s now a chief resident at the University of Vermont Medical Center.

Matthew Hickling , MSN, RN, CPNP-PC

Matt oversees health services for a local school district and is an adjunct Nursing professor.

Aliceon F. Calta, RN

Aliceon is a registered nurse in Florida, on a cardiovascular progressive care unit. She joined the Shared Governance Council at her hospital and will begin her master’s degree in the near future.

Amari Duncan

Amari initially put her Business degree to work in professional sports. She now works in fundraising and events at the United Way of the Greater Capital Region, and she’s opening an event space in Albany.

Nick Martiniano

“My experience in the theatre industry really guided my career choice,” says Nick, a Musical Theatre grad and law student. “Comparing the working conditions in my non-union contracts versus those I experienced as a member of Actors’ Equity Association motivated my decision to advocate for others’ workplace protections.”

Jennifer Nissley

Jennifer’s novel, The Mythic Koda Rose, was published by Simon & Schuster in 2021. “It can be so intimidating sitting in a room full of talented writers waiting to dissect your story or poem,” she said of pursuing an MFA after earning her bachelor’s in English, “but thanks to Sage, I never doubted that I deserved to be among them.”

Tayron Lopez

Tayron is in the University of Buffalo’s Master of Fine Arts program. “Sage definitely helped me prepare for the next level,” he said. 

Carrie Harring, MBA

Carrie accepted her first full-time position the same week she received her Business bachelor’s degree. Five years later, she is a senior legislative associate at a government affairs firm and a rising star on City & State New York’s 40 Under 40 list.

Savanna Gephard, DVM

Admission to veterinary school is notoriously hard — there are only 30 accredited vet schools in the country. Thanks to Sage’s “Let’s see how we can make that happen for you” approach, Savanna got in, and graduated from the University of Illinois-College of Veterinary Medicine in 2021, with a position already lined up.

Lucas Aurelio Phayre-Gonzalez

Theatre graduate Lucas Aurelio Phayre-Gonzalez has worked with the New York Public Theatre and the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble. He’s done children’s theatre, immersive performance and musical theatre. Recently he got a part in a series being produced for Amazon Studios.

Leah Barna

In just a few years, Leah has worked for one of Albany’s major design firms and created her own business with a solid portfolio of work in design, photography and motion graphics.

Alexandra Betancourt-Pérez, RN

Alexandra is an RN in the Albany Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She provides nursing care to newborn babies and support to their families.

Meriam Murray

The Troy architectural firm where Meriam interned, Architecture +, hired her after she graduated in 2020.

Ariannah Logan

Ariannah is a first grade teacher and gives Sage’s Childhood Education bachelor’s program credit for preparing her for this demanding career. “I still remember and use so much of what I learned at Sage.”

Monica Salafia

Monica is a graduate of Sage’s bachelor’s program in Nutrition Science and graduate-level Dietetic Internship program. She owns Mind on Nutrition, a coaching and consulting company in Denver, and is the consulting dietitian for the Denver Nuggets.