Congratulations to our Spring 2015 graduates: Omar Sahi, John Sheehan, Simon Stewart, Fatema Tuz Zhora. It is a happy moment to see a student at the end of their journey and ready to launch, but a little bad sad as well. It is also worth noting that they are part of the biggest graduating class we have had so far since move to the main campus in 2007. We also had 8 graduates in the Fall, so the 12 graduates for the 2014-15 academic year doubles our previous high (6) at the main campus. But on to the matter at hand!
Omar has been very active in and out of the classroom, including spending a semester with me as a Grad Assistant. I recall a somewhat skeptical student in the beginning who has really come into his own as a futurist, beautifully drawing on and blending in his background in the arts. He just won third place at the APF S
tudentRecognition Awards!. John has been with us for several years, somehow balancing an incredibly demanding full-time job with his studies. He started with the week–long certificate, then got the four-course Grad Certificate, and finally moving all the way through the Master’s. And he referred a colleague who is starting with us this fall. I met Simon as an undergrad where I came and gave a little talk on the future and that was the spark that encouraged him to join the program. Simon managed the incredible feat of being a varsity track athlete while going through graduate school, as well as being involving in running the family business back in Columbia. Fatema joined us as a double major. She begin in Project Management, and took a foresight elective, and the, as they say, is history. She kept taking courses and eventually decided to go all the way and do the double major. It is such a compliment to us that she found the courses and fellow students so compelling that she took on this challenge, but we were certainly glad to have her perspective in the program.
We hope and anticipate that each will stay involved with the foresight community as they take their next steps! Andy Hines
