Andrew Beiter, Bachelor of Music '22, is pursuing a Master’s in Trumpet Performance & Pedagogy at the University of Colorado, Boulder in the fall!
"I couldn’t be more excited to start at CU. Their music school is extraordinary and their trumpet studio is one of the best in the nation," Andrew says. While in Boulder, he hopes to refine his trumpet playing to a point where he can have success in national and international competitions as well as be competitive for doctoral assistantships and professional auditions.
"Dr. Ryan Gardner has a reputation for producing outstanding trumpet players. In addition to studying performance under him at CU, I am also very excited to study his pedagogical methods and learn how to become an effective teacher," he explains. "Over the last four years, UNC Charlotte has given me countless opportunities to grow as a musician. The push that I’ve received from faculty to apply for competitions and auditions has been incredible. Studying under Dr. Millard has not only tremendously improved my trumpet playing, but also my outlook on life, and I’ll forever be grateful for that," says Andrew.
Sierra Miles, BFA in Art with a concentration in Art Education '22, accepted a full-time teaching job at Glenn Elementary School and will teach art to K-5th graders!
"I am SUPER excited to be back in Durham (where I grew up) because I get to live the dream surrounded by my friends and family!" she says. "I can’t wait to share my love for this city with all of my wonderful students."
Sierra hopes to integrate other subjects such as science, math, literacy, and history into her lessons to help students understand subjects they may be struggling in. "Student teaching (my senior internship) has prepared me the most for this job," she explains. "I had an amazing mentor and lots of help from my professors, not to mention all of the situational training my students provided for me. I love them and appreciate all of the people above for what they have done for me!"
Malia McCarthy, BA in Dance Performance '22, is headed to NYC to study at the Martha Graham School for Contemporary Dance!
"After graduation, I will be traveling to NYC to study at the Martha Graham School to participate in their summer intensive," says Malia. "While there, I will be taking classes in Ballet, Graham technique, Repertory, Contemporary, and Modern classics. This is a 3-week session where I will really focus on my training and be immersed in the history of Graham technique. Additionally, I plan to audition and look for housing to begin my new journey. Thanks to dance professor Kim Jones for igniting my passion for this style of Modern dance!"
"My time here has given me the confidence to believe in myself. I’m ecstatic to take what I’ve learned here and use dance to bring awareness to many social issues in hopes of reforming change," she continues. "While my goal is to perform on Broadway, I also plan to get my Masters in Dance Therapy to bring the arts into mental health facilities and more."
"As a transfer student, I first joined niner nation via zoom in the fall of 2020 from my hometown in Casper, Wyoming. Even over zoom, I was able to make strong connections with faculty and peers as everyone was so inviting and kind. I moved to Charlotte in January of 2021 to attend in person and have fallen in love with the beautiful state and campus. For the first time, I have confidence in myself and my craft like I’ve never had before thanks to the never-ending guidance and support from my professors and peers. I feel the strongest I ever have not only as a dancer due to my training but as a person."
Sheriyth Cain, BA in Architecture '22, received a full-time job as a project manager at Moody Nolan in Chicago!
"The main thing that excites me about working at Moody Nolan is the community engagement that they participate in," Sheriyth says. "I am extremely passionate about the inclusion of black and brown bodies in the field of architectural design because it was through meeting an architect that I became aware of architecture. Architecture is not a very common career path, and I definitely want to be a part of a community that sees the value in sharing this opportunity with young minds."
In her new position, she will be responsible for assisting the Project Architect with the architectural design process from conceptual design through the completion of the project, completing architectural and construction design drawings, and developing presentations to communicate designs to clients and agencies.
"UNC Charlotte has prepared me by showing me that opportunity is always right in front of you. You just have to be willing to diligently seek it," she shares.
Kaleb Scott, BA in Music with a concentration in Voice and Sociology Minor '22, is pursuing a Master's of Education in Student Affairs degree at Clemson University this fall!
Kaleb hopes to pair this degree with a master's in music, and later, a Doctorate in educational leadership with the ultimate goal of becoming a Chancellor in higher education. "This program is one of the best in the country," Kaleb explains, "and with it, I can seek out roles as a music professor or dean of students. I'm excited this program is a cohort style, so I will be around 30 other individuals with similar goals for two years."
He says his experience at Charlotte has prepared him for this journey in many ways. "I've had an awesome advisor, Hannah Harrell, and wonderful teachers and mentors such as my voice professor Dr.Sequina Dubose. I have also done many leadership roles that have also helped create my path to this next endeavor."
McKenzie Waldron, Bachelor of Arts in Architecture '22, is pursuing her Master's in Architecture at the University of Miami in the fall!
"I will be studying architecture at the University of Miami, with their 2-year Master’s degree program," she explains. "This program offers participants the ability to choose a certificate to go along with their studies. For me, I would like to pursue the certificate of historical preservation, as that is what I would like to focus on in my architectural career. I am very excited to use Florida and the Caribbean as learning opportunities in pursuing my interest in historical preservation, as it is a very engaging topic– trying to preserve buildings that are set in a sometimes volatile weather environment."
Reflecting on her time in the SoA, McKenzie shares, "When I was first touring UNC Charlotte as a high school student and stopped by Storrs, I could just feel the sense of community—both in the environment and in how our tour guide (also an architecture student) spoke of his peers and professors. I definitely found that with architecture, because as any architecture student will know, you are in it for the long haul, and the people around you become family. I have also been challenged at UNC Charlotte, both in and out of Storrs, and I am a whole different person than I was four years ago," she says.
"UNC Charlotte has prepared me by providing ways for me to use technology to render ideas, and think beyond just four walls. The last four years have taught me to ask “Why not?”, and I think that this question makes the most innovative and intriguing designs," she says.
Darin Morrow, BA in Dance Education '21, accepted a full-time teaching job at North Brunswick High School!
"I am currently working at North Brunswick High School in Leland, NC," Darin shares. "In my 6 months at NBHS, I have grown the dance program to 90 students and increased the visibility and number in our School Dance Team. I have started a program with our Life Skills Class (OCS) and developed an inclusion program with my Advance Dancers. These dancers with special needs performed in my spring dance concert and were the hit of the show. They really enjoyed the opportunity to perform their dance to a larger audience."
"The most exciting experience about my job is working with students who needed a place to call “home” in their high school journey," he explains. "My students visit me in the morning before school and after school and use my studio space as a safe place to share express and connect with their fellow dancers. This excitement has spread throughout the school and connected many students to my program."
"I appreciate how the faculty at UNC Charlotte accepted me as a person and engaged me in mentorship and personal guidance through my education journey, he reflects. "The faculty accepts me for what I bring into the studio and understands that all students might not all experience the same outcome. They provide open dialog in the classroom and encourage everyone to share, express their views, and talk about our journey. The department grows and adapts to each student as a single person."
Crysta Abel, BA in Dance Education '22, accepted a full-time position as a middle school art teacher at Eastway Middle School!
"I am the art teacher at Eastway Middle School, so I work with sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade classes to teach them all about art history, types of art, how to make art, and how to use these skills outside of the classroom," she explains. "I'm most excited about meeting my new students. I was really sad to leave my student teaching placement and all the wonderful kids there, but now I get to meet a whole new community of young artists!"
"UNC Charlotte did a great job of infusing compassion into teaching and emphasizing that students are people. Though I studied dance education at Charlotte and am now a visual arts teacher, that idea will prepare me for creating a classroom environment that I want to go to every day, and that my students feel safe creating art in," she continues.
Michael Miles, Master's in Architecture '22, accepted a full-time position as a designer at Cline Design Associates here in Charlotte!
"Some of my responsibilities for my new position include grabbing an understanding of all phases of a project and building a CD set, while also tracking my progress on my AXP Hours and establishing a timeline for taking the ARE exams," he explains.
"One thing I am excited about for my new position is gaining more experience and a greater understanding of Architecture, and how I can and will grow throughout my career," he continues. "UNC Charlotte has taught me how to work with and be around a wide variety of people, teaching me how to be collaborative and focused, which I will carry into my professional career."
Kira Wagner, BA in Music '22, will pursue a Master’s in Trumpet Performance at Bowling Green State University in the fall!
"The program has around 500 students, and the music department has 30 ensembles that host around 600 public events every year," Kira explains. "During my Master's, I plan to continue diving into my own playing, along with chamber music and competitions. At BGSU, I am excited to study under Dr. Charles Saenz, along with the vast number of opportunities the University provides for its students," she continues. After she completes her Master's, she plans to earn a Doctorate in Music Performance with the goal of teaching trumpet collegiately.
"Charlotte was a great experience for me that I will cherish, as it has prepared me both as a student, as a performer, and as a person for both graduate school and my professional career," she says. "The faculty, especially my applied instructor Dr. Eric Millard, were really invested in my growth throughout my 4 years and have helped me develop the skills I need to be successful in graduate school. I never would have imagined being in the place I am now in my career and I am thankful that UNC Charlotte was able to get me here."
Ana Risch, BA Dance Performance '22, is heading to grad school to pursue an MA in Kinesiology this fall!
"I’ll be studying Kinesiology with a concentration in Clinical Exercise Physiology," Ana explains, and she is excited to be able to work with experts in the Exercise Science field in lab settings. "With my education, I would like to pursue the ability to be an orthopedic surgeon utilizing my dance training to focus on a better understanding of the body and how it works," she continues. "I feel strongly that my dance degree also makes me better suited to understand how athletes perform and return from sports injuries."
"Overall, my time at Charlotte has prepared me to overcome all obstacles and to pursue all opportunities. It pays to be advantageous and Charlotte has offered me nothing but opportunities to take advantage of in order to succeed," she says.
Ryan Tillotson, Master's in Architecture '22, received a full-time position as an Associate Architect at Intec Group, Inc here in Charlotte!
"My responsibilities will entail designing, developing, and documenting architectural projects," Ryan explains. "Additionally, I will be working alongside clients and consultants and will aid in project management throughout the project's design."
"I am most excited about returning to the workforce with a fresh perspective towards the built environment and the design that goes into it," he continues. "I am also excited about expanding my knowledge beyond residential architecture and construction and have begun to find new outlets for design that can benefit the world around me."
Ryan says the most important experience that Charlotte has prepared hum for is continuing to push. "Push design, push research, and greatest of all push myself," he says. "Throughout my academic career, I have been able to look at several design typologies and programmatic conditions that have helped shape who I am today. One of the many benefits of this is that I have been able to find out what I am passionate about and find creative overlaps between my personal passions and my professional career goals."
Francesca Nanna, BFA in Graphic Design '21, received a full-time job as a graphic artist at Champion Teamwear!
"At Champion Teamwear I am responsible for designing high-quality logos and graphics that are then displayed on athletic gear, sportswear, and accessories," Francesca explains. "When I first received the job, I was most excited to learn from others in the Graphic Design industry. I felt as though there was no better learning experience than to be working alongside peers who have had more of a professional background than I have had so far."
"The professors at UNC Charlotte provided me with the skillset I needed to start my career as a Graphic Designer," she continues. "When I first started my design classes, I was shy and didn’t have any experience. Each professor I had helped me not only discover confidence in myself as a designer but provided each student with constructive criticism and technical background to push us to be the best we could be."