What's Next for the Class of 2015?

Though the ink on their diplomas is barely dry, members of the Knox College Class of 2015 already are launching careers, preparing for further education, and pursuing opportunities for community service.

Here's a look at what some of the new graduates are doing after Knox.

Jason Deschamps, a native of Plelo, France, with a self-designed major in international environmental management and policy, will work as an intern at the United Nations Environmental Program in Paris, France. He also will travel to India to do community service work.

His long-term goal is "to join an organization like the U.N. and work with diplomacy, so this is the first step I'm taking. We'll see what the future holds for me, but I feel like I'm already ahead of my game."

Sa'Misty Utley, a psychology major from Houston, Texas, has a summer internship with Wediko Children's Services in New Hampshire. In the fall, she will begin studying for a master's degree in social work at Boston College, and she hopes eventually to work as a counselor.

"I was able to help form (the Knox chapter of) M.E.Ch.A.," which stands for Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlan, she said. "That really amped up my political awareness and activism, and it inspired me to pursue social work."

Bruce Kovanen, a psychology major from Ironwood, Michigan, is on his way to the University of Illinois to pursue a Ph.D. in writing.

"Working in the CTL [Center for Teaching and Learning] with John Haslem as a writing tutor really got me interested in writing and educating," said Kovanen, who wants to be a college professor. "The U. of I. was really excited about my background in research as my major is in psychology. I feel that helped me out a lot."

Hiba Ahmed, an international relations major from Libertyville, Illinois, is moving to Washington, D.C., to attend American University's law school.

"Ideally, I want to do international law, and I see myself at a large nonprofit organization," Ahmed said. She especially values the Knox experiences she had outside the classroom, including serving as Student Senate president and developing relationships with fellow students and Knox administrators.

Lissa Mann, an economics major from Clawson, Michigan, is on her way to Wisconsin, where she will work in project management for Epic Systems, a health care software development company.

"Knox really helped me be a critical thinker and develop my interpersonal and communication skills," she said.

Mia Sol del Valle, an educational studies major from Chicago, Illinois, is joining Teach for America, an organization that works with communities to expand educational opportunity for children facing the challenges of poverty. She'll teach elementary school in the Chicago/Northwest Indiana region.

"The education program (at Knox) is phenomenal, and I had a lot of support from professors," she said. "Every education class I took was very impactful."

Mike Supej, a chemistry major from Oswego, Illinois, is headed to graduate school at Cornell University, where he will pursue a doctorate in chemistry.

"The courses at Knox were intensive and were good for graduate school preparation," he said. While at Knox, Supej has worked on "green chemistry" research under the supervision of Assistant Professor of Chemistry Helen Hoyt '01. He hopes for a career in scientific research.

Bethany Larson, a double major in Asian studies and studio art from Fairfield, Iowa, is heading overseas to teach English in Japan through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program.

"I'm an Asian studies major, and I had a very good study abroad experience in Japan, so it all kind of led up to that," she said.

Nearly 300 Knox students picked up their diplomas at Commencement exercises on June 7, 2015, where journalist Bill Whitaker of 60 Minutes delivered the Commencement address. Learn more about Commencement, including photos and video.