Autumn is always a season of change, and this weekend marks a significant transition for more than 100 Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. students at the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts (IAC).
We are proud to celebrate the culmination of their hard work at the Fall 2024 Commencement Ceremony and wish them well on the next step of their journeys.
Check out what the IAC Fall Class of 2024 is getting up to next!
Georgia Tech Engineering Student Named Among Top Army ROTC Cadets Nationally
Civil engineering student and ROTC cadet Mason Ladd will graduate from Georgia Tech this week with more than his diploma and a pair of U.S. Army second lieutenant’s bars. He will also end a stellar career at Georgia Tech with the distinction of being ranked one of the top cadets among the approximately 5,000 new officers joining the branch this year.
After commissioning as a second lieutenant, Ladd will report to Fort Moore in Columbus for the Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course. He hopes to attend the prestigious U.S. Army Ranger School after graduating from that school and before reporting to his first combat unit.
‘History Nerd’ Returns to Georgia Tech for Degree 40 Years After Disastrous First Try
Following a career in the Air Force — then work in information technology, project management, and property management — Arnie Garrett returned to the Institute after he retired in 2022, seeking the coveted Tech degree that had eluded him all those years ago.
The Barrow County resident drove 60 miles to campus three or four days a week for classes, spending as much as three hours in the car each day in addition to classes and homework. Now, the self-professed lifelong “history nerd” will don his cap and gown to receive his Bachelor of Science in History, Technology, and Science.
Tatiana Agbeyibor
M.S. Sustainable Energy and Environmental Management
Agbeyibor entered the MSEEM program to shift her career from environmental compliance to sustainability and management.
“Returning to school after working for eight years was nerve-racking, but being in community with other students and faculty who are driven and intent on improving the state of the world has been invigorating,” she said. “I will keep their stories and passions with me as I reenter the workforce to bring to life change that fuels me.”
Martin Hoi Yin Chau
M.S. Cybersecurity
After graduation, Chau plans to “relax for a bit!”
Manoj Deshpande
Ph.D. in Digital Media
After graduation, Deshpande plans to explore industry roles such as research scientist or user experience researcher.
Ching-Wen Lai
M.S. Economics
Lai is looking for positions in the marketing industry or tech startups. She says her time at Ivan Allen College has been transformative, filled with opportunities to grow academically and personally.
“Through this journey, I discovered my passions and developed the confidence to pursue them, leaving me well-prepared for the next steps in my career,” she said.
Errika Moore
M.S. History and Sociology of Technology and Science (HSTS)
Moore will continue to complete her Ph.D. in the HSTS program.
“This experience has fortified much of my lived experience in the field of philanthropy and STEM education,” Moore said.
Maya Orthous Inchauste
B.S. International Affairs, minors in Spanish and Law, Science, and Technology
Orthous Inchuaste plans to attend law school in fall 2025. She hopes to explore cybersecurity and privacy law.
“What will stick with me most from my time at Georgia Tech is all the amazing research I was involved in, which allowed me to explore complex problems, collaborate with talented peers, and contribute to meaningful solutions that address real-world challenges.”
Nathanael Aaron Smith
M.S. Cybersecurity
Smith will use his cybersecurity degree to advance his career and plans to develop his practicum idea into a business model.
Ainsley Brown
B.S. International Affairs
Brown plans to move to Washington, D.C. to work in national security.
“Ivan Allen College and the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs have made me feel incredibly prepared for the next step by giving me the opportunity to work in internships, participate in research projects, and attend dozens of networking events,” she said.
John Henry Nicholas Clashman
B.S. Applied Languages and Intercultural Studies, B.S. Mechanical Engineering
Clashman accepted a control systems integrator role in Irvine, California. He says his language courses helped him develop communication and problem contextualization skills for his career.
“Ivan Allen is an amazing organization with a supportive and passionate French program staff. At first, I did not think that I would be able to receive such a balanced education at GT, but through this College, I have achieved an education that I truly feel has shaped me as a person, in addition to as an engineer.”
Jamahl Jackson Grant
B.S. Computational Media
Grant accepted a software engineering position at Amazon. He says his IAC experience prepared him for the role by helping him think outside the box and see that there is more than one way to approach each problem.
“It’s been a helluva ride, and if I got to do it all over again, I would choose Georgia Tech again and again and again,” he said.
Audheya Mannepalli
M.S. Cybersecurity
Mannepalli says what will stick with her most from Georgia Tech is “the incredible energy everyone has for learning.”
“In this program, I not only learned critical cybersecurity concepts but understood how to apply them to our everyday lives and day-to-day careers… As a consultant, I found myself directly utilizing the content that I learned in my data privacy and telecommunications policy classes, for example. I look forward to continuing to apply these concepts to my career even after graduation.”
Chloe E. Morris
B.S. Literature, Media, and Communication
“I feel very ready for my first job! IAC has fully and wholly prepared me for whatever may come my way,” Morris said.
Aabid Sheriff Quraishi
B.S. Computational Media
Quraishi plans to pursue a master’s in computer science at Georgia Tech, apply to internships, and release his first commercial game.
He said his favorite memory is “the incredible people I met along the way who have inspired me to pursue my dreams.”
Elise Brinkmann
B.S. International Affairs
Brinkmann says her time at Ivan Allen College taught her how to work hard and focus.
“The ability to do long-term projects and research is a skill that will stick with me throughout my career.”
Thomas Henry Anthony Cosenza
M.S. Cybersecurity
Cosenza plans to use his degree to move into the cybersecurity architecture group at his current workplace. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 1998, “showing you’re never too old to come back,” he says.
Andrew Kessel
M.S. Applied Languages and Intercultural Studies
Kessel plans to continue teaching French while exploring new options.
“It’s been fun getting to know the Tech campus, and being a language student, I’ve been blown away by the diversity of students here and their language abilities,” he said.
Madeline McCurry
B.S. Literature, Media, and Communication
McCurry says her degree prepared her to succeed in marketing with design and creative skills.
“I will miss all of the creative-minded people I have met through the school!”
Flynn Jasmine Nauta
M.S. International Security
Naurta is an intelligence analyst at the Georgia Tech Police Department and will transition into the federal government next year.
She said her IAC education and the opportunities it provided “helped me mature personally and professionally, particularly by incorporating science and technology into a liberal arts degree!"
Austin Reitano
B.S. Public Policy, B.S. Business Administration
Reitano says her IAC education gave her “a solid technology background in an important and impactful liberal arts field.”
Candy Zheng
B.S. International Affairs and Modern Languages
After graduation, Zheng will start a master’s program in education. She says she hopes to inspire the next generation and use education as a tool to address inequity and fight for social justice.
“Knowing that I am not alone and have a community of friends and peers who share the same passions as myself has made my journey at Tech so rewarding,” Zheng said.