Here are some of the Muse alumni who have continued their careers and graduate study in the arts and in other professions.
ART
Isabelle Fernandez (2020) Assistant Educator for Student and Teacher Programs at The Frick Collection.
Isabelle graduated from Hunter College as a Muse with a BFA in Studio Art and a minor in Art History. As the Assistant Educator for Student and Teacher Programs at The Frick Collection, Isabelle works with the museum’s collection to create engaging art lessons for visitors, students, and teachers.
Colleen Cash (2015) President of Sotheby’s Motorsport and Chief Digital Officer at duPont REGISTRY Group.
Colleen graduated from Hunter with a Special Honors BA via the Thomas Hunter Honors Program. She is now Vice President of Artnet, selling photographs, prints, and other contemporary art to clients around the world.
Currently President of Sotheby’s Motorsport and Chief Digital Officer of duPont REGISTRY Group. Was previously Vice President of Auctions and Senior Vice President of Marketplace at Artnet.
https://www.newswire.com/news/dupont-registry-group-welcomes-colleen-cash-as-president-of-sothebys-22239555
Places Worked: Sotheby’s Motorsport, duPont REGISTERY Group, Artnet, LaGuardia Gateway Partners, Christie’s, New York State Exe, New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA)
Gillian Ochoa (2021) is a Senior Account Executive, Galleries at artnet.
While at Hunter, Gillian completed many impressive internships including The Brant Foundation, Sperone Westwater, and the Appraisers Association of America, among others. Gillian graduated from Hunter with a BFA in Studio Art.
Currently a Senior Account Executive for Galleries & Institutions at Artnet.
Places Worked: Artnet, Appraisers Association of America
Ezra Benus (2016) Program Manager for Disability Artists Fellowship at United States Artists.
Ezra graduated Hunter with a major in Studio Art & Jewish Studies BA. He is an artist, educator, and curator, who addresses a range of themes in his art such as time, care, pain, and illness/health by tapping into his background and experience in Jewish studies, art history, and the embodiment of disability.
Currently Manager within the Disability Futures Fellowship at United States Artists. Previously Art and Accessibility Consultant at Red Bull Arts, Access and Adult Learning Fellow at the Brooklyn Musuem, and Special Project Coordinator at Art Beyond Sight.
Work featured in: Fylkingen (Stockholm), The 8th Floor, Flux Factory, NYU Gallatin Galleries, Dedalus Foundation, Gibney Dance, The Laurie M. Tisch Gallery at the JCC Manhattan, EFA Project Space, Doris McCarthy Gallery at University of Toronto, and Art Windsor Essex Gallery
Pratt Manhattan Gallery, Visual AIDS, Shape Arts UK, ONE Archives, The Shed, Museum für Moderne Kunst (MMK) Frankfurt, and are set to present a large-scale commission at Museion in Bolzano, Italy in the Fall. Their artwork Pareidolia (Vaccinate Now) was featured in curator Susanne Pfeffer’s Artforum’s December 2021 top ten artworks of the year.
Places worked: United States Artists, Red Bull Arts, Brooklyn Museum, Art Beyond Sight, PopUp for Change, Brandeis University, Visual AIDS, Strijd ∞, +
EDUCATION
Livia Horn-Scarpulla (2019) Customer Success Operations Specialist at Justworks
Livia graduated from Hunter with a degree in Media Studies and Art History. Since then, she started working as a Development Assistant at Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, a not-for-profit with the mission to create a fertile and nurturing environment for artists and arts groups. Currently, Livia works as the Development Coordinator at Learning Spring School, a K-8 space for students on the autism spectrum.
Currently Customer Success Operations Specialist at Justworks. Previously Onboarding Success Manager at Zocdoc, Development Coordinator at LearningSpring School, +
Places Worked: Justworks, LearningSpring School, Zocdoc, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, New York Stage and Film, Market Road Films, The Office of Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand
Samantha Elkaim (2015) Teaches at The Urban Assembly Early College High School of Emergency Medicine
Samantha graduated as a Muse Scholar with a BA in English Literature. She teaches 11th and 12th grade English at a public high school in lower Manhattan and was recently highlighted in an article in The Cut called “She Just Wants Her Students to Keep Talking.” Samantha was interviewed about the challenges and triumphs of online learning during the pandemic.
TECHNOLOGY
Gregory Rocco (2016) Head of Portfolio for Ethereal Ventures and Co-Founder and Product Advisor at SpruceID.
Gregory Rocco (2016) Co-founder of SpruceID. Gregory graduated from Hunter with a Special Honors BA and a minor in Environmental Studies. He then completed a Master’s in Digital Humanities from The CUNY Graduate Center. He is currently working on technology that enables users to own and control their own digital identity and data (privacy, protection, etc). Greg is an alumnus of YCombinator, and has been a mentor for multiple startup accelerators and hackathons.
ACCOUNTING
Amanda Saw (2016) Internal Revenue Agent at the IRS
Amanda graduated from Hunter, Magna Cum Laude, with a BA in Accounting. Amanda worked as a Senior Associate at Ernest. & Young, one of the largest global accounting firms in the world. She is now an Agent with the IRS.
MUSIC
Robert Bronchard (2016) Doctor of Musical Arts, Owner of Robert Bronchard Piano Studios
Robert completed both his B.Mus. and M.A. in piano performance at Hunter. He performed with the Hunter College Symphony twice as a concerto competition winner. He has performed at Steinway Hall, Lang Recital Hall, The Kościuszko Foundation, and the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland, and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. Robert is also a certified Suzuki teacher and is passionate about music education.
Presently the owner of Robert Bronchard Piano Studios, has worked as director at the Polish American Folk Dance Company, and has served as faculty at Third Street Music School Settlement.
Currently working as a Summer Associate for Citibank – also MBA Candidate at the Fordham Gabelli School of Business.
Places Worked: Citi, Robert Bronchard Piano Studios, Third Street Music School Settlement, Polish American Folk Dance Company, Frost School of Music UM, American Institute of Polish Culture Inc, DMA Contracting Inc
Emily Hopkins (2015) Harpist.
Emily graduated from the Muse Scholar program with two Bachelor’s degrees in Music Performance and Media Studies. She is a professional electroacoustic harpist, composer, and YouTuber who mixes the harp with emerging music technology including pedal effects, modular synth, and other forms of sound manipulation. Her most recent notable work includes being a featured performer on the soundtrack for the Dreamworks feature film Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023). Emily also composes and records for short films, video games, and art installations from her studio in Long Island, NY.
Emily was a part of The Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of NY, performing in Carnegie Hall in 2009, and is a 2012 member of MTA MUSIC (Music Under New York).
Her most recent notable work includes being a featured performer in the DreamWorks feature film Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023), and the composer for the soundtrack to Heavenly Vessel from The Line animation studio.
Emily works on all projects with her partner Russ, who is a professional audio engineer, and they are currently composing and recording for films, video games, and art installations together from their studio in Long Island, New York.
CREATIVE WRITING
Cierra Martin (2019) Poet.
Cierra graduated from Hunter as a Muse Scholar with a dual bachelors degrees in Media Criticism and English Literature. Martin is a Brooklyn based poet and performer. Her work explores the difficulties of dismantling and growing from generational sadness, ferry boats, and ghosts. She also has been involved with The Poetry Brothel and The Poetry Society of New York projects for over three years.
Currently Senior Manager of Paid Social for Media.Monks. Previously an Optimization & Innovation Manager at Kepler and a Paid Social Specialist at Tinuiti.
Places Worked: Media.Monks, Kepler, Tinuiti, Code3, Equality Equation, Hunter College
Ruby Hutson-Ellenberg (2016) Writer. English Instructor at East-West University
Ruby graduated from CUNY at Hunter College in 2016 with a B.A. in English. Since graduating, Ruby received an MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage from Northwestern University in 2021. Her one-woman show The Ache premiered in June 2022 at The Den Theatre in Chicago, IL. Chosen by a committee consisting of Thomas Bradshaw, David Tolchinsky, Zayd Dohrn, and Erin Courtney, Ruby’s play Kitchen Clinic was workshopped in 2021’s Festival of New Works. Her screenplays have placed in competitions with BlueCat and Finish Line.
Currently an English Instructor at East-West University. Previously an Audience Services Associate at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
Places Worked: East- West University, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Northwestern University, Blue Heron Research Partners, Cartel Pictures
MEDICINE
Krisha Mehta (2017) Medical Student at Stony Brook.
Krisha graduated from Hunter and the Muse Scholar Program with a double major in Studio Art and Biological Science with a concentration in Neuroscience. While she attended Hunter she completed research work at NYU, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and also served as an art curator and volunteer art therapist. She currently attends Stony Brook University School of Medicine. Krisha and her colleagues worked on developing an arts enrichment program at Stony Brook Hospital to use art as source of healing and companionship for patients. She also hosted painting nights for her classmates, and is currently working on designing a mural for the shared spaces in her school.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Sofia Chelpon (2016) PhD Graduate Student Researcher at the Research Foundation of the City University of New York
Sofia graduated from Hunter with a BA in Environmental Studies. After earning two Earth & Atmospheric Science master’s degrees at CUNY’s City College of New York and the Graduate Center, Sofia decided to change course and pursue what has always made me feel at home – sports, fitness, and health. She operates her own private coaching business, Credible Strength & Fitness, and teaches strength & conditioning at Red Hook StrengthWorks, a woman-run & operated training facility. She brings the same care and attention to detail from her science career to her coaching.
MEDIA
Aissatou Bah (2020) Departmental Assistant at Viacom CBS VDS Team.
Aissatou graduated from Hunter with a BA in Communication and Media Studies. She landed many impressive internships while in school at institutions such as New York City Center, Walt Disney Television, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. She is currently doing creative brand work for Viacom CBS VDS Team.
Worked most recently at Meralta Films as a Field Producer and Production Coordinator, a VENICE Arts Fellow, a Creative Production Assistant at Paramount Pictures, and was a member of the Career Accelerator Program at Jigsaw Productions. (+more)
Places Worked: Meralta Films, Venice Arts, Paramount Pictures, Jigsaw Productions, Met Museum, Walt Disney Television, New York City Center, TheBlondeMisfit
Ilana Krugolets (2017) Emmy Nominated Producer at ABC News.
Ilana earned a BA in Media Production from Hunter College and graduated with honors as the Salutatorian of the 2017 class. Immediately following her graduation, she was hired as a Production Associate at ABC. Now Ilana is an Associate Producer at ABC News where she produces and edits promotional on air content for ABC’s shows such as Good Morning America, The View, 2020, Nightline, World News Tonight as well as The Oscars, AMA’s and CMA’s.
Ilana has worked at ABC News for 7 years and is currently a Producer. Emmy nominated for work at ABC.
Places Worked: ABC News, ABC Television, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Hunter College
Hera Andre-Bergmann (2016) 2-Time Emmy Award Winning Segment Producer at MLB Network.
Hera received a BA in Media Studies from Hunter and interned as a Sports Intern for NY1 News. She went on to become a segment producer for both the NHL Network and MLB Network, winning two emmys for her work. She worked in baseball as a Content Product Manager for Topps/Fanatics, and played guitar around the city for one-off shows at 54 Below and also with her band Smooth Brain.
Currently a Digital Marketing Apprentice at Crowd Surf. Previously a Content Product Manager (Fanatics Collectibles – Digital) at The Topps Company and a Segment Producer for MLB Network and NHL Network. 2-time Emmy winner.
Places Worked: Crowd Surf, The Topps Company, MLB Network, NHL Network, NY1 News
SOCIAL WORK
Ashton Santo (2015) Multidisciplinary Addiction Training Fellow at NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Ashton completed his BA in Multi/ interdisciplinary studies at Hunter and went on to complete his MSW at the Silberman School of Social Work. He has worked for the Ali Forney Center focusing on social justice education and is currently researching progressive drug policies at Drug Policy Alliance.
Currently a Multidisciplinary Addiction Training Fellow at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Previously an Independent Policy Research Contractor at Drug Policy Alliance, Associate Therapist at MyWellbeing, Guest Lecturer at Maimonides Medical Center, an Independent Educator at NYU Winthrop Hospital, +
Places Worked: NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Drug Policy Alliance, MyWellbeing, Maimonides Medical Center, NYU Winthrop Hospital, The Ali Forney Center, GMHC, Getting Out and Staying Out
DENTISTRY
Sapna Punj (2018) Dentist and Indian Classical Dancer.
Sapna graduated from Hunter with a BA in Chemistry and a Dance Minor. She graduated from NYU College of dentistry in 2023. Sapna also performs, teaches and produces with her Kathak and Bharatnatyam dance school, For the Love of Dance.
Danielle Rays (2019) Dental Resident at St. Luke’s University Health Network
Danielle graduated from Hunter with a BA in Human Biology. She studied to be a Dentist at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine.
LAW
Nelly Gordpour (2016) Immigration Attorney at the Law Office of Perham Makabi Esq
Nelly graduated from Hunter with a degree in Sociology and a Legal Studies Minor and is now a graduate of Cardozo School of Law. There, she was part of the Human Rights Clinic at Cardozo and had the opportunity to advise the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Brazil on advocacy strategy and issues related to illegal deforestation. She is currently a legal intern at the New York International Arbitration Center.
Samantha Fowler (2017) Litigation Counsel for Wayfair and Associate at Brown Legal PLLC
Samantha graduated from Hunter with a BA in media studies. Samantha continued her education at Suffolk University Law School and received her Juris Doctor in 2022. She currently works at Wayfair as its Litigation Counsel.
COMMUNICATIONS
Leah Drayton (2018) Publicist for the New York Public Library.
Leah graduated from Hunter with a BA in Media Studies and English. Leah was also a Hunter Mellon Arts Fellow and completed an impressive internship at Lincoln Center Theater.
