How to contact an alumni mentor
To contact one of our mentors, we recommend that you join the English LinkedIn group and contact mentors through LinkedIn. You may also speak with Celeste or Jennifer in the Undergrad Office to receive the mentor's email address. Remember to use your UMass email address when reaching out!
Not sure what you'd say to a mentor? Consider asking for an informational interview. When reaching out to a mentor, remember the importance of expressing interest in what they do, rather than in helping you find a job.
Read: "Connecting with an Alumni Mentor is Easier Than You Think"
Browse mentors by industry or profession
Many English alums have graciously volunteered to speak with interested majors about their careers and experiences in the work world. They are listed below by industry or profession.
- Non-profit/Social Change
- Writing/Editorial/Media
- Publishing
- Legal Profession
- Travel/Outdoor Recreation
- Healthcare
- Technology/Software
- Marketing/Public Relations/Business
- Higher Education - Advising and Administration
- Higher Education - Teaching
- Secondary Education - Administration and Teaching
- Museums/Historical Societies
- Philanthropy and Media
- Government
- Book Authorship
Non-profit/Social Change
| Alumni | Year | Region | Company | Title | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samaya Abdus-Salaam | 2017 | New York City | PushBlack | Development Manager | Non-profit Media |
| Elizabeth Adewale | 2015 | Lynn, MA | Children's Friends and Family Services | Outpatient Therapist | Marriage and Family Therapy |
| Kelsey Anderson | 2011 | Waltham, MA | Mass General Hospital | Clinical Social Worker | Clinical Social Work |
| Rafi Bocarsly | 2017 | Israel | Sadaka-Reut Arab Jewish Youth Partnership | Resource Development Coordinator | Social change NGOs |
| Peter Breslow | 1977 | Washington DC | NPR - Weekend Edition | Senior Producer | Public Radio |
| Cheryl Crosby | 1998 | Boston / International | NFPA | Director of Creative Services | Non-profit public health |
| Alix Kennedy | 1998 | Western Mass. | Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art | Executive Director - Museums | Public Museums |
| Maura Kolhonen | 2018 | North Shore, MA | Essex County DA's Office | Victim Witness Advocate | Victim Witness Advocacy |
| Amanda Mattingly | 2014 | Framingham | Massachusetts Department of Public Health | Domestic Violence Program Coordinator | Public Health |
| Dana Pungello | 2005 | Thornwood, NY | NAF | senior Director, Marketing and Communications | Education - College Prep |
| Ann-Marie Reddy | Providence, RI | FamilyAid | Director of Development | Housing | |
| Kiersten Rooke | 2010 | Washington DC | Chemonics International | Data Quality and Collaboration Advisor | International humanitarian aid and ventures |
| Josh Stearns | 2004 | Springfield, MA | Democracy Fund | Senior Director of the Public Square Program | Philanthropy and Media/Journalism |
Writing/Editorial/Media
| Alumni | Year | Region | Company | Title | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hannah Auerbach | 2010 | Boston, MA | GBH | Audience Engagement Manager | Media |
| Diba Bijari | 2017 | Providence, RI | Morning Brew | Associate Branded Content Writer | Media |
| Diana Band | 2009 | Denver | Self-employed writer (for Kirkus Media and more) | Contracted Writer | Various |
| Shami Barooshian | 2014 | Boston | Original9 Media | Director, Editorial Strategy | Marketing |
| Peter Breslow | 1977 | Washington DC | NPR - Weekend Edition | Senior Producer | Public Radio |
| Ryan Comeau | 2019 | Hampden, CT | Cornerstone on Demand | Proposal Writing | Sales/Marketing |
| Chanel Dubofsky | 2001 | Brooklyn, NY | Modern Fertility, Lilith Magazine, and Vermont College of Fine Arts | Freelance Contributor, Content Writer, Lead Graduate Assistant | Education/Writing |
| Caroline Fenton | 2007 | Boston, MA | Pearson Education | Manager, Product Management | Education/Publishing |
| Nathan Frontiero | 2017 | Turners Falls, MA | Nathan Frontiero Creative Services and Fidelity Investments | Freelance Writer and UX Content Strategist | Arts/Culture/Literacy |
| Erin Hayes | 2003 | Framingham, MA | MediaBoss Televsion | CEO | Entertainment |
| Danielle Jin | 2020 | Boston, MA | Healio Strategic Solutions | Contracts / Proposals Writer | Medical Communications |
| Erik Kraft | 1993 | Greater Boston | Too Many Chickens!, Gotham Writers' Workshop, and Harvard Business School Online | Writer, narrator, Online Instructor, and Customer and Technical Support Specialist | Writing, Teaching, Tech Support |
| Laura Lovett | 2013 | Boston, MA | Aging Media Network | Editor of Behavioral Health Business | Journalism |
| Chris Lindahl | 2014 | Los Angeles, CA | Self-employed | Freelance copywriter, communications expert, and SEO consultant | Writer |
| Stephanie Myers | 2005 | New York City | Inc. Magazine | Group Director, Digital Growth at Inc. and Fast Co. | Publishing/Media |
| Maria Pedone | 2012 | New York, NY | Well Pleased Consulting and The Upside | Founder + Chief Strategist and Consulting Member | Media |
| Caroline Phinney | 2016 | New York City | The Daily Beast | Newsletter Product Manager | Media |
| Emma Piscia | 2016 | New York City | ABC News | Assoc. Producer | Broadcasting |
| Elizabeth Roman | 2006 | Springfield, MA | The Republican; Masslive.com; El Pueblo Latino | Reporter and Editor (El Pueblo Latino) | Media: News & Events |
| Kate Russillo | 1999 | Bolton, MA | Cengage Group | Content Manager | Marketing |
| Craig Sandler | 1995 | Greater Boston | State House News Service | General Manager, CMO | Media: News & Events |
| Rebecca Tarr Thomas | 2010 | Beverly, MA | Adams Media | Acquisitions Editor | Media: nonfiction publisher |
| Shoki Yashiro | 2013 | Boston, MA | Fidelity Investments | Senior Copywriter | Creative Branding/Advertising |
Publishing
| Alumni | Year | Region | Company | Title | Specialty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beth Codey | 2014 | Hoboken, NJ | Penguin Random House | Senior Manager Business Intelligence and Marketing | Marketing, Market Trends |
| Kate Hale | 2009 | Washington DC | Wonder Lab Group | Founder and Consultant | Publishing, Audio, & Video Content |
| Kathryn Hueber Quinones | 2012 | Arlington, MA | Pearson | Project Manager | Publishing |
| Sarah Jaffe | 2010 | New York, NY | Penguin Random House | Executive Producer | Publishing |
| Mira Kennedy | 2019 | Boston | Charlesbridge Publishing | Senior Production Assistant | Children's Literature |
| Sandra Mangurian | 1964 | Chicago | Self-employed, Marketing Products | Publishing Executive, Curriculum/Content Specilist | Print and online curriculum/ content development |
| Amanda Pritzker | 2004 | New York, NY | HarperCollins Publishers | Senior Marketing Director | Marketing |
| Monica Sweeney | 2010 | Greater Boston | Hollan Publishing, Inc. | Editorial Director | Publishing |
| Rebecca Tarr Thomas | 2010 | South Shore, MA | Adams Media/Simon and Schuster | Acquisition Editor | Media: Nonfiction Publisher |
Legal Profession
| Alumni | Year | Region | Company | Title | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jesse Adams | 2000 | Northampton, MA | Jesse Adams Law Firm LLC | Owner, Lawyer | Legal |
| David Bradley | 1997 | Boston | Suffolk County DA's Office: Homicide Unit | Asst. District Attorney | Criminal justice |
| Timothy Conklin | 2016 | Greater Boston | Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP | Associate | Legal |
| Elizabeth Egan | 2019 | Greater Boston | Fragomen | Associate Attorney | Legal |
| Jill Grucan | 2001 | Miami, FL | Grucan Immigration Law | Founding Attorney | |
| Tess Halpern | 2019 | Waltham, MA | Boston College Law School | Student | |
| Erik Kimball | 1987 | Florida | The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Southern District of Florida | U.S. Bankruptcy Judge | |
| Maura Kolhonen | 2018 | North Shore, MA | Essex County DAs office | Victim Witness Advocate | Victim Witness Advocacy |
| Christopher McHallam | 1991 | Massachusetts | Christopher W. McHallam, Esq. | Attorney | Mediator |
| Samantha Ryan | 2012 | Boston | Ropes & Gray LLP | Corporate Associate | Corporate law |
Healthcare
| Alumni | Year | Region | Company | Title | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelsey Anderson | 2011 | Waltham, MA | Mass General Hospital | Clinical Social Worker | Clinical Social Work |
| Gordon Bedford | 2001 | Suffolk County, MA | Sana Biotechnology, Inc | Documentation Specialist - Records and Archives Manager | Clinical Research |
| Danielle Jin | 2020 | Boston, MA | Healio Strategic Solutions | Contracts / Proposals Writer | Medical Communications |
| Beth Luvisia | 2020 | Houston, TX | Destination Therapy | Psychotherapist | Individual Therapy |
| Joseph Needleman | 2012 | Hershey, PA | Indiana University School of Medicine | Medical Resident | Medicine |
| Nicholas Smith | 2002 | Unterägeri, Zug, Switzerland | International School of Analytical Psychology (ISAP) | Jungian Psychoanalyst-in-Training |
Technology/Software
| Alumni | Year | Region | Company | Title | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anastasia Armstrong | 2017 | New York, NY | Haven Technologies | Technical Writer | Global Information Technology |
| Curtis Bordage | 2018 | Marlborough, MA | TJX | Sr Engineer | IT Security/Identity and Access Management |
| Jesse Buday | 2005 | Cambridge, MA | Pegasystems | Principal Content Platform and Tools Specialist | Software |
| Ellen Forbes | 1990 | Atlanta, GA | Candler School Of Theology | Digital Communications Manager | Software |
| Patrick Hellen | 2001 | Boston, MA | Salesforce | Principal Solution Engineer | Technology |
| Daniel Leonard | 1992 | Lexington, MA | uniQure, Inc. | Senior Director of Global Patient Advocacy | Biotechnology Research |
| John Pinson | 1987 | Novato, CA | Pinson Communications | Content Strategist & Creative Director | Media/Digital |
| Christopher Pitt | 2016 | Burlington | Dimensional Insight | Technical Writer | Software Development |
| Becky Scott | 2007 | Boston | F5, Inc | Scrum Master | Multi-cloud security and application delivery |
| Nicholas Trieber | 2017 | Suffolk County, MA | Cambridge Mobile Telematics | Technical Writing Team Lead | Technical Writing |
| Katie Weagle | 2011 | Worcester, MA | Rapid7 | UX Writing Manager | Cybersecurity Software |
| Chana Zolty | 2016 | Los Angeles, CA | Pragma Platform | Technical Writing Manager | Video Games & Software Technology |
Marketing/Public Relations/Business
| Alumni | Year | Region | Company | Title | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shami Barooshian | 2014 | Boston | Original9 Media | Editor | Public Relations |
| Beth Codey | 2014 | Hoboken, NJ | Penguin Random House | Senior Manager Business Intelligence & Marketing | Publishing (Marketing) |
| Kylie Condosta | 2019 | Pullman, WA | Washington State University | Public Relations & Communications Coordinator | Public Relations & Higher Education |
| Joanna Frank | 2010 | Greater New York Area | Signature B&B Companies | Asst. Account Executive | Insurance |
| Nathan Frontiero | 2017 | Turners Falls, MA | Nathan Frontiero Creative Services and Fidelity Investments | Freelance Writer and UX Content Strategist | Arts/Culture/Literacy |
| Natasha Gural-Maiello | 1991 | New York, NY | Morgan Stanley | VP, Senior Investment Writer | Investment Management |
| Victor Ho | 2019 | Peabody, MA | BookBub | Member Support Specialist | Marketing |
| Kevin Horwitz | 1999 | Framingham, MA | Shield Therapeutics plc | Sales Operations Manager | Marketing |
| Anthony Lerner | 2020 | Sherborn, MA | National Research Group | Senior Research Analyst | Market Research |
| Kristen Mouris | 2015 | Falmouth, MA | Falmouth Marine and Yachting Center Inc. | Bookkeeper & Office Administrator | Business Bookkeeping - Outdoor recreation |
| Jonathan Myerov | 1992 | Greater Boston | Mercury Systems | Director, Bid and Proposal | Robotics |
| Bill O'Leary | 1991 | Washington DC | Heidrick & Struggles | Partner-in-Charge | External Affairs and Corporate Relations |
| Amanda Pritzker | 2004 | New York, NY | HarperCollins Publishers | Senior Marketing Director | Marketing |
| Lauren Proctor | 2008 | New York, NY | NielsenIQ | Director of Digital Strategy and Operations | Digital Trends and Marketing |
| Allie Struzik | 2006 | Seattle, WA | Amazon | Creative Program Manager | Marketing |
| Molly Trowbridge | 2019 | Boston | CTP Boston | Senior Accountant Executive, Public Affairs Division | Marketing/Advertising |
| Eden Univer | 2010 | New York, NY | Three Ships | Director of Content | Marketing |
| James Wagstaff | 2007 | New York, NY | Raptor Maps — Solar Software | Chief Revenue Officer | Energy Industry Financial Services |
| Alexandria Ziomek | 2018 | Boston, MA | Bain Capital | HR Recruiting Coordinator | Financial Services |
Higher Education
| Alumni | Year | Region | Institution | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tara Hancock | 2000 | Greater Boston | Worcester State University | Exetcutive Director of Alumni Relations and Engagement | |
| Jen Nailos | 2007 | Austin, TX | University of Texas at Austin | Director of Assessment and Professional Development | |
| Becky Prior | 1994 | Greater Boston | Berkelee College of Music | Associate Director of Institutional Research | |
| Michael Romero | 2015 | Boston, MA | Boston University School of Medicine | Senior Program Manager | |
| Michael Sirois | 2015 | Greater Boston | Northeastern University | Academic Advisor | |
| Adam Zinkievich | 2008 | Hartford, CT | Bay Path University | Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations |
Higher Education - Teaching
| Alumni | Year | Region | Company | Title | Specialty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genevieve Crane | 2010 | New York | Stonybrook University | Director, Creative Writing and Literature BFA Program | |
| A.C. Kemp | 1987 | Greater Boston | MIT | Lecturer in English Language Studies | |
| Kerry McDonough | 2013 | Boston, MA | Boston College | Adjunct Professor | |
| Rose Mendonca | 1994 | Dunstable, MA | Bay Path University | Adjunct Professor | |
| Kerry O'Grady | 2006 | New York, NY | Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies | Faculty Director and Associate Professor of Practice | |
| Marcy Tanter | 1996 | Stephenville, TX | Tarleton State University | Professor of English | English literature |
Secondary Education - Administration and Teaching
| Alumni | Year | Region | Institution | Title | Specialty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rout Asefa | 2017 | Washington DC | District of Columbia Public Schools | School Leader Recruitment and Selection Manager | Administration |
| Michele Bernhard | 1992; 2003 | Northampton, MA | Northampton High School | Teacher | English and Language Arts |
| Nicolas Blaisdell | 2019 | Peabody, MA | Revere Public Schools | Teacher | Humanities |
| John Bonanni | 2007 | Barnstable County, MA | Nauset Regional Middle School | Teacher | Special Education & English |
| Warren Charleston | 2019 | West Newton, MA | Fessenden School | Teacher | Health and Geography |
| Margaret Clayton | 2012 | Arlington, MA | Public Schools of Brookline | Middle School Teacher | English |
| Melanie Clinton | 2016 | Amesbury, MA | Salem Public Schools | Moderate Disabilities Teacher | English |
| Seth Czarnecki | 2009 | Bolyston, MA | Algonquin Regional High School | Teacher | English |
| Brian Dickey | 1998 | Springfield, MA | Springfield Public Schools | Director of Secondary ELA & Libraries | ELA |
| Nicholas Ellis | 2015 | Keene, NH | Hillsboro-Deering Middle School | Middle School Teacher | Writing |
| Nicole Gordon | 2012 | Keene, NH | Stevens High School | Assistant Principal | Adiminstration |
| Hillary Lynch | 2014 | Greater Boston | MATCH Charter Public School | Interim Instructional Leader | English |
| Dave Mello | 2020 | Williamsburg, VA | Toano Middle School | Middle School Teacher | English |
| Jamie Tighe | 1993 | Franklin, MA | Medfield High School | Program Assistant | Special Education |
| Angela Sweeney | 2010 | Palmer, MA | Palmer Regional Vocational Technical High School | 9th & 10th grade teacher & Department Head | English |
| Luke Useted | 2015 | Holyoke, MA | Northampton Public Schools | English Teacher | English |
| Michelle Wade | 2013 | Pittsburgh, PA | Young Scholars of Western Pennsylvania Charter School | Teacher | Mathematics |
| Michelle B. Wynn | 1993 | California | St. Ignatius College Prep | AP Teacher | Chemistry |
Museums/Historical Societies
| Alumni | Year | Region | Company | Title | Specialty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alix Kennedy | 1988 | Western Mass | Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art | Executive Director-Museums | Public Museums |
Philanthropy and Media
| Alumni | Year | Region | Company | Title | Specialty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Stearns | 2004 | Springfield, MA | Democracy Fund | Senior Director of the Public Square Program | Philanthropy and Media/Journalism |
Government
| Alumni | Year | Region | Company | Title | Specialty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timothy Conklin | 2016 | Greater Boston | Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP | Associate | Legal/Government |
| Rebecca Felcon | 2014 | Boston | Department of Homeland Security | Immigration Services Assistant | Federal Government |
| Patrick Prendergast | 2013 | Boston, MA | Office of State Representative Paul Brodeur | Chief Of Staff | Government |
| Tessa Simonds | 2008 | Washington DC | Blue State | Managing Director | Politics |
Book Authorship
| Alumni | Year | Region | Book Published | Publisher | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alan Berman | 1971 | New Hampshire | Loving Our Inner Kids: Tools for Healing Our Wounded Selves | Manuscripts LLC | Counseling |
| Genevieve Crane | 2010 | New York | Sorority | Gallery/Scout | Fiction |
| Erik Kraft | 1993 | Greater Boston | Too Many Chickens The Lenny and Mel Series | Self-published Simon and Schushter | Humor and YA |
| Jack Massa | 1978 | Sarasota, Florida | Cloak of the Two Winds Ghosts of Bliss Bayou | Triskelion Books self-published | Fantasy YA Fantasy |
