Graduates

For Episode 7 of Graduates, Ali talked with Prashant Raghavendran, a 2008 McDermott Scholar and a hematology-oncology fellow at Vanderbilt University. Prashant shares how the care doctors showed for his ailing grandmother motivated his medical pursuits, and he reflects on how his McDermott study abroad experience and McDermott mentors strengthened interpersonal skills which he relies on as a doctor. In discussing his medical training, Prashant reflects on how studying medicine at the UNT Health Science Center informed his holistic perspective on patient health, and he recalls both good and bad aspects of his residency in South Carolina, ultimately looking back at this time with fondness. Ali and Prashant briefly discuss Prashant’s post-fellowship plans before launching into a discussion about a shared passion: music. Prashant talks about how his father introduced him to the guitar, how he explored the performing arts as a McDermott, and how living in Nashville has brought new inspiration to his musical pursuits. Prashant closes with advice for students planning a career in medicine.

(Recorded on November 16, 2022)

For Episode 6 of Graduates, Ali interviews John Chan, a 2015 McDermott Scholar working as an actor in New York City. Ali and John start by discussing John’s first jobs after graduating: working as a software engineer at Amazon and Whole Foods. John shares how his pandemic experiences motivated him to pursue acting and explains why he chose New York City over Los Angeles for starting his acting career. John talks about Asian American representation in the performance arts and how he hopes to contribute to broader representation in the arts. In closing, John shares his advice for others contemplating how to pursue their dreams.

For Episode 5 of Graduates, Ali interviews Melanie Wallace, a 2012 McDermott Scholar working as a product scientist for 23andMe. Melanie discusses how her McDermott experience has shaped her career in biomedical engineering. She recounts how undergraduate research experiences and study abroad led to her spending a year conducting research in Germany on a Fulbright grant. Melanie also reflects on the perspective she gained as a scientist and mentor while completing her PhD at Cornell. Melanie describes the work she does as a product scientist for 23andMe and closes the interview with some advice for navigating career opportunities and finding the right opportunities as a researcher.

(Recorded on April 19, 2022)

For Episode 4 of Graduates, Ali interviews Elyse Mack, a 2014 McDermott Scholar. Elyse is a research assistant at the St. Louis Art Museum and recently served as the executive director of Bread and Roses, a St. Louis art non-profit. Elyse reflects on her academic preparation for a career in the arts and shares the perspective she gained from pursuing a master’s degree immediately after undergrad. Elyse also shares lessons she learned as a non-profit executive and details her plans for the next step in her career. In closing, Elyse provides advice on how to get the most out of professional development opportunities.

(Recorded on February 5, 2022)

For Episode 3 of Graduates, Ali has a conversation with Nancy Fairbank, a 2013 McDermott Scholar. Nancy talks about finding community through experiences as a McDermott Scholar, a Marshall Scholar, and a law student. These experiences inspired Nancy to work with peers to start Dear Future Colleague, a nonprofit connecting academic mentors and mentees in higher education. Nancy shares lessons about mentorship she has learned since starting Dear Future Colleague while detailing future goals for the organization.

For Episode 2 of Graduates, we talk with Kiara Dandridge, a 2015 McDermott Scholar. Kiara shares stories about studying to become a nurse early during the COVID pandemic and working in the ICU later in the pandemic. She reflects on how cohort experiences facilitated her learning at both UT Dallas and Duke and how broader perspective helps cope with the challenges of nursing.

(Recorded on April 8, 2022)

For Episode 1 of Graduates, we hear from Nate Fairbank, a 2011 McDermott Scholar. Nate discusses his career in the United States Army, including deployment to Afghanistan and his current studies in artificial intelligence. Nate recounts how he gained a passion for running and talks about his preparation for the 2022 Boston Marathon.