Alumni

*Photo credit: Fendi Japan

Emi, a jazz pianist and singer-songwriter, works and lives with her husband and children in Tokyo, Japan, and Seattle. Her 2009 debut album "Curious Creature" reached number one on Japan's iTunes Jazz Charts. Her 2019 album "Wings" was recorded in Nashville's Blackbird studio, and her songs have been featured in commercials and on TV shows including MTV's Awkward and TV Land's Younger.

What is it like working and living in two different cultures?

Artistically speaking, different things resonate to different cultures. For example, some songs are more popular than others depending on the country. I love the perspective that working in two cultures gives you - it's a great reminder that something successful in one place doesn't necessarily translate to another place, and therefore you should protect your integrity and believe in what you create no matter what other people's opinions are. There is an audience for it somewhere! 

How did UPrep help form your identity?

I definitely enjoyed Music Day as a way to develop my identity as a musician in front of many people! There were so many different genres performed, and it was moving to see a supportive student audience for all the performers! The day after a performance, teachers and students I wouldn't normally talk to would start a conversation with me about my piano playing, and I remember thinking how music can shrink the distance between strangers. I also vividly remember my trip to Mexico with my Spanish class. It was very eye opening to travel abroad without my parents and experience new sights and tastes on my own.

Kalen is a clinical social worker with a public health background. She works with hematology oncology patients, predominantly bone marrow transplant patients, and creates programs for patients and families experiencing critical illness. She also conducts research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, working to understand how to best support patients and families experiencing cancer, particularly at the end of life. Kalen lives with her husband, Elias, and their pitbull, Lily, in Boston.

Why did you decide to work with patients and their families?

My grandfather passed away from Multiple Myeloma while I was in college. During this horribly stressful, sad time, I noticed the poor communication between the medical providers and my family. I thought there had to be ways to make these times less challenging for patients and families and to help folks navigate these situations.

What has helped you adjust to your changing work role during the pandemic?

A lot of the patients I work with are incredibly resilient—they have taught me a lot. They had to self-isolate long before the pandemic. They are teaching their friends and family to make a routine and talk with friends and families who are not within their household. I tell my patients when you are feeling out of control, find the things in your day that you can control, like when you wake up, how much news you watch, and utilizing technology to create meaningful connections with people.

How did your UPrep education help prepare you for the global pandemic?

UPrep prepared me to think creatively. My career isn’t necessarily one with a linear trajectory. I kind of had to create it myself, and my UPrep education really provided the foundation for thinking that way. The coursework I thought I wouldn’t do well in helped build my confidence, like Biology class and understanding Shakespeare. There are days when I am presented with a task and I think, “I’ve never done this before.” But my experiences at UPrep gave me confidence and the knowledge that I can use my creative thinking to complete the task.

Photo credit: Raul Barron Photography

A graduate of Macalester College, Andy Pham '15 is a Youth Engagement Coordinator at Seattle's Neighborhood House. He works with 30 to 35 students each week, designing curriculum while tutoring and building relationships with them. Andy is glad to be working with an organization that partners with diverse individuals and families to build community and achieve their goals for health, education, and self-sufficiency.

Why are you passionate about working in community engagement?

A college study abroad program in Thailand was a pivotal time for me. The work we did there was a collaborative grassroots approach that had us living with people in various villages to learn about their needs. It changed the way I think about global politics. At the Neighborhood House, I work in the tutoring center with children who have experienced trauma. I love working with these kids, not to save them but to help offer them the best academic life possible. They're why I fight against the larger forces of poverty and racial injustice. 

Why do you think building community is an integral part of your work?

With the rise of technology and our fast-paced economy, we are losing the art of knowing and trusting one another. I think community is a place where we can come face to face with each other, to be raw and real, and to be a network of support for each other. Social justice work requires radical collaboration - without knowing your neighbors and their needs, wants, and fears, this work can't be done. 

What UPrep experiences helped form your identity?

Being part of the ultimate frisbee team made me a more confident person. My coach's leadership inspired me. He expected so much out of us - he pushed us, while helping shape us by recognizing our talents and weaknesses. My advisor  was also always checking in on me and was so supportive; she made me feel like a good human every day.

A graduate of Stanford University, Priyanka is the co-founder and CEO of Evvy, a company working to discover and leverage biomarkers in the female body. She was named on the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 list!

How did UPrep help you form your identity?

The small classroom dynamic and discussion-based classes were critical in exposing me to different ways of thinking and multiple perspectives. Through class discussions, it was clear that there isn’t just one way to approach the world, and issues don’t have only one solution.

In journalism and Mock Trial Club, I began developing my communication skills–one of the most important skills for my job as CEO. Through journalism, I learned how to communicate concisely; through Mock Trial, I learned the importance of making crisp arguments and thinking on my feet.

A graduate of Barnard College and the Mills College MFA program, Teresa K. Miller won the 2020 National Poetry Series with her poetry collection Borderline Fortune, which was published by Penguin on October 5, 2021. She lives with her partner and cat just south of Portland, Oregon, where she tends a mini orchard.

How do you think poetry can address the issues we face as a species?

Poetry is my metaphysical response, my bearing witness. A poem isn’t going to lower CO₂ parts per million in the atmosphere, but there are ways that poetry reaches people emotionally when we can’t speak about politics directly. Poetry isn’t superfluous—it has the capacity to inspire action and emotional change. It’s a way of being in conversation with each other, to feel validated and like we are not alone.

How did UPrep help you form your identity?

I developed confidence in my academic abilities through teachers who were mentors. My math teacher John Jewitt had a quiet respectfulness that showed me I could handle rigorous content. When my father was killed, he came to the funeral, and he later attended the release of my first book. Paul Fleming created an oasis through hosting the GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) in his classroom. I’m still in touch with my English teacher Stephen Thomas, who was one of the first published poets I saw in the flesh! My English teacher Vicki O’Keefe had an amazing overflowing love of her subject, and her confidence in me was such a gift. UPrep prepared me for university, which was the launch point for my career.

A graduate of Claremont McKenna College, Nick is the speechwriter for U.S. Congressman Steny Hoyer.

What UPrep experiences helped form your identity?

I discovered my love of history at UPrep. The entire History Department was fantastic. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was laying the building blocks of my speech writing skills set through my classes and activities at UPrep. That includes writing and delivering my first speeches: one for a Veterans Day Assembly and another one for the commencement ceremony.