Spring 2020 Commencement Degree Recipients

Masters Degrees Awarded to:

Rachel Dzugan
   Latin

Rachel received her MA in Classics with a concentration in Latin. She planned to stay at CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ in the fall to begin working on her PhD in Classics. She is interested in Latin poetry and late antiquity.

Larry Gill
  Classical Art & Archaeology

Larry graduated with an MA in Classics with a concentration in Classical Art and Archaeology. He was planning on using his degree to teach and foster a passion for the ancient world in others. Professor Diane Conlin’s Ancient Coin course was a highlight of his time. The ability to interact with ancient coins and learn about them from such a titan of the field was truly fantastic. 

Sam Hahn
  Latin

Sam received his MA in Classics with a concentration in Latin and began pursuing new opportunities in education. Of his many happy memories in this department, Sam remembers most fondly the Virgil seminar with Prof. Carole Newlands. Sam cannot adequately express his gratitude to those faculty members who were unwavering in their support or his colleagues who offered him the gift of their friendship. He was also thankful for the many students over the years who brought their diligence and curiosity to his classroom.

Arielle Hardy
  Classical Art & Archaeology

Arielle received her MA in Classics with a concentration in Classical Art and Archaeology. In the fall, she continued her studies at Penn, pursuing a PhD in the Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World (AAMW). 

Anna Irwin
  Classical Antiquity

Anna received her MA in Classics with a concentration in Classical Antiquity. During her time at CU, Anna enjoyed studying hagiography, working at the desk outside Professor Lauri Reitzammer's office, and having good conversations at the Corner Restaurant with friends. In the fall, she continued her studies at Fordham University in New York City, pursuing a PhD in Theology with a focus on religion in Late Antiquity. 

Jake Sawyer
  Greek

Jake received his MA in Classics with a concentration in Greek. He is pursuing a PhD in Classics at the University of Toronto to continue studying Greek poetry, especially that of the Imperial Period. His favorite moments include a Nonnus reading group with Professor Yvona Trnka-Amrhein and the great community of grad students.

Sierra Schiano
  Classical Antiquity

Sierra is excited to have received her MA in Classics with a concentration in Classical Antiquity. She has begun a curatorial internship with The Getty Villa's Antiquities department.

Emma Sterling
  Teaching of Latin

Emma received an MA in Classics with a concentration in the Teaching of Latin. She came to CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ’s Classics department straight from two years with Teach For America in Arkansas. She knew she loved Latin, but wasn’t quite sure how to teach it in a pre-college classroom. During her two years here, she expanded her knowledge of Latin literature, material culture, and pedagogy, hammering out her ideas about curriculum and Latin’s place in schools. Emma is now teaching Latin at the Bentley School in San Francisco.

Sally Simpson
  Latin

(Summer 2020)

Sally Simpson received an MA in Classics with a concentration in Latin. She has interests in Ovid and Medieval Latin.

Lauren Wood
  Classical Art & Archaeology

Lauren received her MA in Classics with a concentration in Classical Art and Archaeology. Her favorite memories of her time at the University of Colorado include going to dinner and Happy Hour with fellow students on Friday evenings after Professor Trnka-Amrhein's Papyrology seminar.

Featured Undergraduate Majors

Madison Grace Czelusta

Double Major: Classics and Anthropology
Minor: Art History
Graduated With Distinction

I have been studying Classics and Anthropology at the University of Colorado-ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ for three years and I am thrilled to graduate this Spring and commission into the USAF as a 2nd Lieutenant soon thereafter. I love Classical Studies and, after or while in the Air Force, I hope to return to school to pursue my Graduate degree.

J. Connor Fisher

Double Major: Classics and Anthropology

When I chose to study Classics, it was more to me than the study of some dated history that lacks any bearing on being alive today. To me, it was the study of human stories, the greatest stories ever told in fiction or reality. No history is distinct when compared to any fiction: within the stories of history are real people, lives spent in trial and tribulation to create real lessons. Our stories hold close our buried failures and our lofty heights. Whether you were a Roman republican in 100 BC or are a middle class American college student in 2020, life is a series of learning experiences through which we become better able to exist within our world. My mission has therefore been to learn not only about the nature of Rome, but the nature of western society as a whole through the study of its roots.

For the future, I plan on moving to San Francisco, CA where I will become a public school teacher in history.

Jade Zimmerman

Double Major: Classics and Anthropology

My interest in Classics started when I was given an old story book from my grandmother. One of the sections had stories of Atalanta racing against Hippomenes and Midas turning his daughter to gold, and I realized that I had a love for classical mythology when I started reading and couldn't stop.

Cameron Hunter

Major: Classics

Taking the Latin track has been an incredibly unique opportunity for me. Every one of the professors and instructors in Classics has set a bar that I’ve seen reached by no other department here. On top of that, I get to study a language that is worth 2,000 years of literature, from the grand to the obscure, has been an endless source of intrigue and cultural understanding.

Undergraduate Major Degree Recipients

Spring 2020


William Cole Akers
Major: Classics

Amelia Kate Chouinard
Double Major: Classics and History
Minor: Art History
Chancellor's Recognition Award
Graduated Summa Cum Laude in History
Graduated With Distinction

Madison Grace Czelusta
Double Major: Classics and Anthropology
Minor: Art History
Graduated With Distinction

John C. Fisher
Double Major: Classics and Anthropology

Cameron Hunter
Major: Classics

Stephen Ray
Major: Classics

Jade Zimmerman
Double Major: Classics and Anthropology

Fall 2019


Paige Boszhardt
Major: Classics

Alena Straus
Double Major: Classics and Anthropology

Summer 2020


Xena Ava Pierce
Triple Major: Classics, Studio Art, and Art & Art History

Featured Undergraduate Minors

Rachel Mae Cohen

Double Major: Art History and Anthropology
Double Minor: Classics and Humanities
Graduated Magna Cum Laude in Art History
Graduated With Distinction

I have really enjoyed my studies in Classics, and I wish I had been exposed to more Classics courses in my first few years of college. The most amazing part of my Classics studies was visiting Pompeii and the Acropolis in Athens while studying abroad during my junior year.

John Faulhaber

Major: Astrophysics
Minor: Classics
Graduated Summa Cum Laude in Astrophysics
Graduated With Distinction

I love studying the classics because the wealth of knowledge held by these ancient civilizations never fails to inspire; one needs only to look in the right places. Studying the classics at CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ has been a delightful experience due to the excellence of the professorial staff, and breadth of available areas of study. After graduation, I plan on going into the space industry, and starting a couple of my own businesses on the side. Time permitting, I would also love to get involved in some archaeological fieldwork.

Sydney Elizabeth McCain

Major: Art History
Minor: Classics and French

Desiree Deangelo

Major: Integrative Physiology
Minor: Classics

Minoring in Classics has allowed me to read amazing stories and learn about ancient Greek culture. Instead of having a schedule filled with science, I had the opportunity to squeeze in classes that dealt with humanities. It was very fulfilling and I can officially say that The Odyssey is my favorite book!

Jamie Nicole Schultz

Major: Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology
Minor: Classics

Classics taught me that the world is so much bigger than the world of science. I learned to question the norm and to laugh at the ridiculous. I also learned to think for myself and that it is okay to disagree. Those are two things I’ll take with me for the rest of my life.

Maria Fernanda Velasco Linares

Major: Business Marketing
Minor: Classics

My time with Classics has been life-changing! I have made friendships that not only helped me grow as a person but will last a lifetime. I would like to thank professors Reina Callier, Samuel Kindick, Tyler Lansford, Mitchell Pentzer, and Jackie Elliot for providing me with the most entertaining, rich, and engaging learning experiences of my entire college career; you all increased my passion for Ancient Greek and Roman history.

Xiaoxi Zhang

Major: History
Minor: Classics

I love Classics, particularly Greek thought and politics. I am an international student from China, and Classics helps me to learn more about the west. I have plans to do business after I graduate, but I think it does not matter what I am going to do as long as I help the understanding between the west and the east world which is a responsibility for all of us.

Emily Harris

(Summer 2020)
Double Major: Philosophy and Journalism
Minor: Classics

My love for Classics blossomed with my love for ancient philosophy. My interest in Classics began when I first started studying ancient philosophy, not long after I fell in love with the works of Plato. I have always been intrigued in Roman culture and what better way to connect than translating ancient works by myself, lending my own interpretation and translation of the culture I am so deeply fascinated with. I would love to eventually go to law school for human rights and use the knowledge learning Latin has granted me to aid me in my education.

Undergraduate Minor Degree Recipients

Spring 2020


Sarah Elizabeth Beemer
Major: Linguistics
Minor: Classics
Graduated With Distinction

Rachel Mae Cohen
Double Major: Art & Art History and Anthropology
Double Minor: Classics and Humanities
Graduated Magna Cum Laude in Art History
Graduated With Distinction

Desiree Deangelo 
Major: Integrative Physiology
Minor: Classics

John Albert Faulhaber
Major: Astrophysics
Minor: Classics
Graduated Summa Cum Laude
Graduated With Distinction

Matthew Faust
Major: Journalism
Minor: Classics

Harte Serstad Haffner
Major: Anthropology
Minor: Classics

Charles Christian Kaas
Double Major: English and Psychology
Minor: Classics

Rachel Michelle Karasik
Major: Psychology
Minor: Classics
Graduated Cum Laude

Katja Lee Louie
Major: History
Double Minor: Classics and Philosophy

Sydney Elizabeth McCain
Major: Art & Art History
Double Minor: Classics and French

Elizabeth L. Oberg
Double Major: Art & Art History and Humanities
Double Minor: Classics and Anthropology

Virginia Malone Owen
Major: Integrative Physiology
Minor: Classics

Eric Arthur Rodriguez
Major: Economics
Minor: Classics

Jamie Nicole Schultz
Major: Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology
Minor: Classics

Jose Alfredo Valadez
Double Major: Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology and History
Minor: Classics

Maria Fernanda Velasco Linares
Major: Business Marketing
Minor: Classics

Makaylah Waddle
Major: Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology
Minor: Classics

Xiaoxi Zhang
Major: History
Minor: Classics

Fall 2019


Anthony Fahmy
Major: Strategic Communications
Double Minor: Classics and Technology & Media

Eric Paul Gordier
Major: History
Double Minor: Classics and Art & Art History

Sara Ann Sabatello
Major: English
Triple Minor: Classics, Philosophy and Space
Graduated Cum Laude

Summer 2020


Madeline Diaz
Major: Business Management
Minor: Classics

Emily Harris
Major: Philosophy
Minor: Classics

Max Jacoby
Major: Psychology
Minor: Classics