Alumni

Spanish alumna Eileen Thompson began her journey at MSU with the goal of being a veterinarian while studying a second language to expand her possibilities. She now works as the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, fighting against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “My main role in the response is to act as a liaison or conduit between…

MSU alumnus Josh York first became interested in creating his own clothing when he was in middle school. He started by making T-shirts with his mom and sold them to his classmates. A few years later while attending Schoolcraft College, York, then 19, hand-stitched his last name into a beanie and began selling them at local music shows. That marked…

Alumnus Joel Guzman is providing a source of creativity for his community as the Director of Artist Engagement at Sing for Hope in New York City, which is a nonprofit organization that serves under-resourced schools, healthcare facilities, refugee camps, transit hubs, and public spaces by connecting them with creative outlets.  As Director of Artist Engagement, Guzman is responsible for connecting with…

Alumna Julia Domínguez, who earned her M.A. in Hispanic Studies from MSU in 2000, received this year’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award College/University Level from the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP).  An exemplary scholar-teacher, Domínguez is an Associate Professor of Spanish at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.  “I have dedicated my life to educating…

Kate Snyder, who as a junior at MSU told her academic advisor that she wanted to plan parties at The Met, is now the Owner and Principal Strategist of her own award-winning public relations agency, Piper & Gold. So just how did she transition from a desire to be a party-planner in New York City to owning her own successful mid-Michigan-based…

As an undergraduate student at Michigan State University, Josh Guilford majored in English and completed a certificate in the Film Studies Program. Now an Assistant Professor of English in Film and Media Studies at Amherst College, Guilford teaches courses that are cross-listed between the English Department and the Film and Media Studies Program. The courses Guilford teaches cover a broad…

As a School Psychologist for the Jackson County Intermediate School District, MSU alumna Katy Friend is the person other school psychologists rely on when there is a case involving a Spanish-speaking student because of the Spanish education she received from Michigan State University.   “I typically work in one district but can be pulled to work in another if they…

Michigan State University alumnus Arik Hardin, who graduated in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in English, is the Managing Editorial Assistant for the Children’s Publishing Group at Macmillan. Earlier this year, he returned to campus to talk to students interested in pursuing a career in the publishing industry. “The English degree I received from MSU was excellent,” Hardin said. “One…