Fabiola Hanna says that when she was growing up, "The Lebanese history we learned stopped at World War II." Hanna's thesis project is an innovative tool to bridge that gap. She videotaped interviews of 35 people who experienced that time in Lebanon and assembled their collective stories into a participatory living archive called "We Are History: A People's History of Lebanon." The project, exhibited both at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History and this year's DANM M.F.A. exhibit, is an interactive booth that lets viewers select stories and even upload their own histories. Hanna is also a dedicated teacher. She spent the past few summers teaching technology skills to low-and middle-income high school students at Fab Lab in San Diego—a collaboration with the nationwide MIT-sponsored Fab Labs—and she'll be there again this year.

What made you choose UC Santa Cruz?

I was attracted to UCSC for several reasons, but most importantly the DANM Participatory Culture group. I am interested in using art and technology to address social problems, and that's what the group is all about.

The most exciting thing about your graduate research/project?

My thesis project creates a space for contradicting versions of history to collide and to be placed side by side in order to imagine what a collective history would look like. This is critical in countries where there are no official versions of history because people don't agree about their past, which makes it harder to agree about the present. I'm excited that it is a project that will be used in real-world applications not only for Lebanese history, but also for other places around the world.

Biggest accomplishment or proudest moment?

I have so many! Collecting the oral histories was something I had never done before, so I was very nervous about it. But when I sat in front of interviewees, I loved the conversations that happened and realized how important the work I was doing was. Another was putting the project together, including designing, building, sawing, nailing, painting, and coding. And winning an Alumni Award at this year's UCSC Graduate Research Symposium. And I don't want to miss mentioning that I am very happy about graduating. After two years of hard work, celebrating with friends and faculty at our reception was amazing!

How has your graduate education shaped you professionally?

I came to UCSC having held workshops and taught in high schools, but through working and learning with many amazing professors, I have learned to be a better teacher in the classroom. It excites me so much to teach things I really love.

What are your plans after graduation?

This summer, I am going to teach high school students "Electronics, Hacking, and Wearable Technologies" as part of Fab Lab at UC San Diego Extension. In the fall, I will come back to UCSC to teach a graduate class on electronic art; and the following year I hope to pursue my Ph.D. in UCSC's Film and Digital Media program.

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Jay Arms was primarily a jazz guitarist when he transferred to UCSC as a junior, but he began playing classical guitar and gained acceptance into UCSC's "by audition only" Bachelor of Music program. As he pursued that performance-based degree, Arms also expanded his interest in the academic side of music in ways he never anticipated. "UCSC has enabled me to explore all the possibilities a career in music can offer, including performance, composition, and musicology. I've been able to find a path that incorporates my own musical passions and interest." In addition to the senior recital required for the Bachelor of Music degree, Arms also completed an optional senior thesis (see "Greatest Accomplishment" below). He will return to UCSC in the fall to pursue a Ph.D. in musicology focusing on 20th century American experimentalism.

What surprised you most about UCSC?

I had no idea how extensively my educational direction would change (for the better). I entered as a jazz guitarist with almost no interest in learning classical repertoire and technique. After my first year of study however, I changed my direction and focused on gaining acceptance into the Bachelor of Music program. Then my focus changed again as I developed an even greater interest in the academic study of music.

Favorite class or professor and why?

I've had a lot of fantastic professors at UCSC, but I would have to say that Amy Beal [professor of music and Music Department chair] has been one of the most influential. From my very first week she has helped me get the most out of the program, and I've had the pleasure of working with her in undergraduate classes and ensembles as well as a graduate seminar. I wrote my senior thesis under her guidance, and she has been instrumental in helping me find my personal direction in music.

Greatest accomplishment or proudest moment?

I have two. Last fall I wrote my senior thesis, titled "Improvisational Models of Social-Political Collectivity," which was my first extensive musicological paper. It looks into American and European improvisational groups of the 1960s and '70s and the political connotations of that kind of music. I thought I would write a 20- to 30-page paper, but wound up doubling my page count and writing at a much higher level than I realized I was capable of before starting.

The second accomplishment would have to be my senior recital, which was presented last April. I began preparing the music for this concert two years ago under the guidance of my guitar teacher Mesut Özgen. I had the opportunity to work with living composers and some excellent student performers in the process. To present something that takes so much preparation and coordination was incredibly rewarding.

What are your future plans?

Next year I will be returning to UCSC as a first-year Ph.D. student in musicology. I hope to focus my study on 20th century American experimental music and political manifestations in music. Upon completion of my Ph.D., I hope to become a university professor/researcher and continue playing the guitar — but for now it's one step at a time.

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Ellia Sarah Duhart used her double major to explore the individual's relationship with society from dual perspectives. "My work in both literature and art deals with the figure and the body," says Duhart. "How the body functions as the source of our ability to communicate and interact with one another and with the larger society." Duhart's paintings emphasize the expressive nature of the human figure, and her literary studies (focusing on the Holocaust, World War II, and the Russian avant-garde movement) examine how emotions are portrayed through physical descriptions. As a transfer student from West Valley College, Duhart was awarded UCSC's prestigious Karl S. Pister Leadership Opportunity Awards scholarship. She was also named a 2011 Irwin Scholar, and her work is showcased with that of other top undergraduate artists at UCSC's Sesnon Gallery (through June 11, 2011).

What made you choose UC Santa Cruz?

I knew I wanted to create an individual voice and vision as a writer and artist. I also wanted to pursue work that was personal and came from my heart. At UCSC, I thought I'd be able to create my own path—and it was definitely the right choice.

What surprised you most about UCSC?

How open people are, and how willing they are to help each other. It took a while for me to really understand it, because it was so different than what I was used to. People genuinely care and don't think twice about being warm and generous.

Favorite class or professor and why?

The Black Fantastic: Fantasy and Speculative Fiction in the African Diaspora, taught by Louis Chude-Sokei. He used the readings—which included Kindred by Octavia Butler and Amos Tutuola's My Life in the Bush of Ghosts—to examine how we create our individual, social, and national identities. That course completely tore apart my sense of how society was constructed!

Greatest accomplishment or proudest moment?

I was overwhelmed when Professor Melissa Gwyn [Art Department] nominated me for the Irwin Scholarship. She has been a wonderful mentor for me, and I was honored that someone I respected so much had such confidence in me. And winning the award was icing on the cake.

How has UCSC shaped you?

UCSC has empowered me in so many ways. It has helped me develop the knowledge and personal strength to assert my own points of view and has given me the confidence to build relationships, both artistically and intellectually. At the same time, I have also developed the skills to critically assess social and cultural processes and to apply that understanding both academically and to my own life.

What are your future plans?

I plan to take the summer to study for the GRE—then ideally go to NYU and pursue an M.F.A. and also a graduate degree in forensic anthropology. Forensic anthropology would be a new direction for me, but one I've been interested in for some time.

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Gabriel Muro was originally considering a degree in astrophysics or geology, but when he took his first planetary sciences course, he knew he'd found his true calling. Muro's senior thesis examined the evolution of Mimas, a moon of Saturn, and the results were presented at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston. This summer Muro will explore the formation of clouds on Mars as an intern at NASA Ames. Then he'll head to Tucson for graduate school at the University of Arizona, one of several top grad schools where he was accepted. Muro has high praise for the UCSC faculty, and he is also quick to thank his mom and dad: "They've been incredibly supportive–even though they don't completely understand what it is I do."

What made you choose UC Santa Cruz?

It was the trees, definitely the trees–and the animals were a close second. As silly as it might seem to anyone who doesn't attend UCSC, the natural landscape both on and off campus was too gorgeous to pass up.

What has surprised you the most about UCSC?

I'm really surprised by how much I've enjoyed tutoring my fellow Earth and planetary sciences students. There's so much I've learned by explaining concepts and methods to others compared with just doing homework on my own. Plus, it's been great to see that other students are just as enthusiastic about learning as I was.

How has UCSC shaped you?

During my first quarter after transferring, I was really nervous and honestly thought I wasn't prepared in the least. It was my Evolution of the Earth professor Paul Koch and his TA, Sora Kim, who encouraged me early on. Sora was the first to convince me that I could be a real scientist, and also taught me a lot about how to navigate toward a Ph.D. Paul has been really helpful–writing letters of recommendation, introducing me to my thesis advisor, and lobbying to hire me for my first tutoring job. There are so many other people in the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department who've shown a genuine interest in my academic career, and I know I wouldn't have gotten nearly as far as I have without them.

Favorite class or professor and why?

My favorite class was Planetary Sciences with Misha Kreslavsky. Prior to this class, I only had a superficial idea of what we knew (or didn't know) about the solar system and had no idea about how science was actually performed on other worlds. Misha's lectures were always thought provoking, challenging … and occasionally hilarious! His assignments were rarely straightforward, which forced me to think "outside the box."

Greatest accomplishment or proudest moment?

Completing my senior thesis project. Performing my own scientific research has been a lifelong dream that, for many years, I thought would never come to fruition. My advisor, Professor Francis Nimmo, has been an amazing mentor and I'm really proud of the work I've done under his guidance.

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Although she's very serious about game design, April Grow brought a light-hearted approach to the challenging major. She led one of this year's senior game design teams, which created Pattern, a game that replicates the experience of crochet. The player's hands on the controller mimic the hook and yarn movements of crochet to create small objects on the screen. The concept for the game came from Grow's own experience: "I've always been an artistic person who dabbles a little bit in everything," she says, "and I realized that no one had ever translated crochet into a game format." Grow also got a taste of graduate-level research, working with graduate student Anne Sullivan on ways to make the gaming "quest" experience more interactive and dynamic.

What made you choose UC Santa Cruz?

I have a soft spot for nature, and Santa Cruz has a perfect mix of beach and forest. More importantly, though, I knew I wanted to make video games. UCSC was the best choice, by far, to participate in games research.

Favorite class or professor and why?

CMPS 170, the first course in our game design sequence, taught by Noah Wardrip-Fruin. The class epitomizes the fluid game design process, including rapid prototyping and idea-pitching, and it really gets students' creative juices flowing. We were encouraged to do so much more with our games than what we had seen in commercial markets.

Greatest accomplishment or proudest moment?

Just before graduation, I will be a part of the first annual "Sammy Awards," an event to showcase games made by UCSC students over the past year. This ceremony will demonstrate and celebrate all of the progress I have made as a team leader, game designer, and artist here at UC Santa Cruz.

How has UCSC shaped you?

I came to UCSC as an excellent student well-versed in the game of academia. However, my social skills and self-confidence left a great deal to be desired. The game design major required countless group and solo projects, as well as presentations, which forced me out of my shell. I was also lucky enough to be invited into the world of graduate research and was given ample opportunity to demonstrate my talents outside of a classroom setting.

What are your future plans?

My experience in graduate research had a profound effect on my growth and performance, and I want to continue nurturing that development. I have been accepted into UCSC's computer science Ph.D. program with a focus in computer games, working with Noah Wardrip-Fruin. I will continue my research with Anne Sullivan over the next year to help her receive her own Ph.D., and will also continue developing my own research path.

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Christopher Lam took full advantage of the opportunities UCSC offers in some of engineering's most challenging and innovative fields. That included hands-on nanotechnology experience as an undergraduate researcher in Professor Mark Akeson's biomolecular engineering lab, as well as a minor in bioinformatics. Lam was also part of a student team that designed and built a robotic device to filter plastic debris out of the ocean (see "Favorite class," below). The team sold their device to a local company, which has plans to develop it further. "I'd never met the people on the team when we started," says Lam, "and now we are all good friends. We even went to Las Vegas together on spring break to celebrate."

What made you choose UCSC?

I chose UC Santa Cruz at least in part for its beautiful surroundings. The weather, complemented by the wildlife on campus, gives a very calm and unique setting for an educational institution.

What surprised you most about UCSC?

The thing about UCSC that really took me by surprise was the number of extracurricular activities. Most campuses offer sports like basketball, volleyball, and swimming, but UCSC also has classes in sailing, surfing, and many other very fun, enjoyable outdoor activities.

Favorite class or professor and why?

My senior design project class, led by Professor Stephen Petersen. Our team of five students built a fully functional autonomous robot that collects plastic debris from the ocean. We spent an intense 10 weeks planning, executing, and troubleshooting the device—all with above-and-beyond supervision and assistance from Professor Petersen. I learned more in this class than in any other I took at UCSC—and I enjoyed it the most!

Greatest accomplishment or proudest moment?

My proudest moment was being invited to join Tau Beta Pi, an engineering honor society. Being eligible for admission into this group really validated all the hard work I've done in school and showed how far it has taken me.

How has UCSC shaped you?

UCSC has helped me become the active person I am today. Before I came here, I didn't partake much in outdoor activities or sports, and I was very passive about directing my own education. At UCSC I have become more active and persistent in keeping my career goals in line with my education—while at the same time maintaining a more active outdoor lifestyle.

What are your future plans?

I plan to take a year after graduation to explore the bioengineering industry before going to graduate school. I want to use the knowledge I gained from UCSC's bioengineering curriculum and my experience working in Mark Akeson's nanolab to pave a new path in engineering groundbreaking pharmaceuticals.

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Anika Walke's doctoral dissertation, entitled "The Jewish Struggle for Survival in the German-Occupied USSR: Oral Histories of Resistance, Memories of Youth," explores the war-time experiences of now-aging Russian Holocaust survivors and their subsequent lives in post-war Soviet society. Walke's research incorporates oral histories as well as archival research. Her work has already been published in numerous articles and in a 2007 book based on the lives of eight Jewish women she interviewed in Russia and Belorussia. Walke was a Research Fellow at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2010, and she has been awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship in International and Area Studies at Washington University (St. Louis) starting in August.

What made you choose UC Santa Cruz?

I came to UCSC as a visiting scholar in 2006; I then applied for the history of consciousness Ph.D. program because I was impressed with the collegiality among students and faculty and with the opportunities for scholarly exchange within the humanities. The department facilitated the multi-disciplinary approach required by my doctoral project, and also accommodated my desire to maintain a strong working relationship with University of Oldenburg, Germany, where I had begun my research in 2000. Most importantly, in Professor Barbara Epstein I found a wonderful advisor who supported my critical engagement with oral history material and the difficult history of surviving and living with systematic violence.

The most exciting thing about your graduate research?

I have developed close relationships with women and men who survived the Nazi genocide in the occupied Soviet Union and were willing to share their experiences with me. These people encouraged me to see both the personal and political dimensions of genocidal violence. My work thus addresses the lives of individuals while simultaneously posing larger questions about personal responsibility, politics, and the power of ideological frameworks.

Biggest accomplishment?

My research has led me to work with many people and in different institutions around the world. I am delighted that I was able to develop sustainable relationships with people working at the Center for Independent Social Research in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. This network of scholars was crucial for my doctoral research and promises to be available for my future endeavors.

How has your graduate education shaped you professionally?

A strong humanities education enables both students and teachers to develop skills to analyze and interpret the world, to build their own critical capacity, and to engage others with contrasting views. My work at UCSC has helped me to develop and hone all of these faculties. As a teaching assistant, I have helped introduce students to seemingly distant periods, unfamiliar areas, and challenging theories in order to understand how institutions and individuals shape society. I am eager to continue my engagement as a scholar, teacher, and community member in ways that combine educational work with promoting a more just and friendly society.

What are your plans after graduation?

At Washington University I will work within a project, "Migration, Identity, and the State," which addresses questions that have been a staple of my scholarly career. These questions are also central to developing a world that acknowledges difference, implements ideas of social justice, and defies the use of violence to solve social conflicts and inequalities.

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Hang Tran recalls that she was quite shy when she came to UCSC, but you'd never know that from her accomplishments. She credits the faculty and staff—especially at Cowell College—with helping her gain confidence. "They really supported me and encouraged me to take on leadership roles," Tran says. She has been a mainstay of the Cowell community, working as a Resident Assistant in historic Parrington House, as a peer advisor, and as "student lead" in the Cowell mailroom. She also served as president of the campus's Vietnamese Student Association. Tran was able to gain valuable research experience working with psychology graduate student Nancy Trinh on a project that studied Vietnamese American family dynamics.

What surprised you most about UCSC?

The campus itself surprised me because I hadn't visited UC Santa Cruz before I was accepted. It felt as if I were out in the woods camping, but with buildings, bathrooms, and electricity. I love the flowers, trees, and landscape of the campus—and I especially love the view of the ocean from Cowell College.

Favorite class or professor and why?

My favorite class was America and Americans with Professor Gabriel Brahm [Visiting Professor of American Studies] because I learned the difference between learning and schooling. I was able to truly appreciate the opportunities I was given, and to take better advantage of them. Without that class, it would have taken me a longer time to realize the true meaning of education.

Greatest accomplishment or proudest moment?

My greatest accomplishment was successfully co-coordinating the Vietnamese Student Association's 5th Annual Cultural Charity Show. It was a great learning experience, and I'm grateful to all the VSA members who helped made it a successful show. We raised over $2,000 for the Good Samaritans charity.

How has UCSC shaped you?

I used to be very shy and passive. UCSC has given me opportunities to take leadership roles that were sometimes challenging and intimidating, but always turned out to be great experiences. I've learned over the years to be independent, to take initiative, and to not be afraid to voice my opinions. I'm still learning what positions I take on specific issues, but I think that will be a lifelong process.

What are your future plans?

I plan to take a break, then attend graduate school in psychology. I want to continue research in the area of child development, especially Asian American child development. Ultimately, I will pursue a career as an educator and a researcher—and I also plan to be provost of Cowell College one day!

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Rick Barlow plans a teaching career, and he got plenty of practice as a UCSC undergrad. Barlow's "Empowerment through Education" program introduced young homeless students (2nd to 8th grade) to hands-on science projects. The program was supported by a $10,000 grant from the Donald A. Strauss Foundation, one of just 13 public service grants to college students last year (see "Greatest Accomplishment" below). Barlow also worked for the College Nine/Ten Praxis service learning program through the Chancellor's Undergraduate Internship Program (CUIP) and says: "Service to the community has become an important part of my life that will stick with me long after I graduate."

What made you choose UC Santa Cruz?

I am a community college transfer student from Monterey Peninsula College, so I was already familiar with the campus and some of the professors. This made the transition easy and was one of the biggest factors in my decision to attend UCSC. Also, I am avid camper and hiker, and I couldn't resist going to school in the redwoods.

What surprised you most about UCSC?

There are so many opportunities for meaningful involvement, and students really take advantage of them. Definitely not the stereotypical college campus I was expecting. Students proactively seek out ways to make a positive impact on the UCSC community and on the surrounding Santa Cruz community.

Favorite class or professor and why?

Professor Tony Tromba's History of Math course was absolutely one of my favorite academic experiences at UCSC. His personality is larger than life—he almost seems like a character out of a novel! He is an amazing storyteller (an asset for any math class), and he did an excellent job exposing the stories behind the theorems.

Greatest accomplishment or proudest moment?

Being awarded the Strauss Foundation grant was definitely my proudest moment. I am just wrapping up "Empowerment Through Education," a science enrichment program for homeless children living at the Rebele Family Shelter in Santa Cruz. Once a week a team of volunteers and I did projects with the kids, such as working with microscopes, culturing bacteria, and designing egg-drop containers. Words can't describe how satisfying this experience was and the impact it had on me.

How has UCSC shaped you?

UCSC, and in particular the service learning program at College Ten, has opened my eyes to the importance of community involvement. I also discovered that community service is a reciprocal experience; rather than just "giving" time, one gains knowledge and understanding that can only come from hands-on experience.

What are your future plans?

I will enter UCSC's combined Master's/Teaching Credential Program in July, and then I hope to work in the Santa Cruz area as a high school math teacher. In particular, I want to work with students who are typically underrepresented in colleges and universities. Part of my goal as a teacher will be to expose those students to college pathways and opportunities—that's something I am very passionate about.

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Rosie Spinks is already well on the way to her dream career as an environmental journalist. Spinks was a writer and editor for UCSC's City on a Hill Press and co-founder of UCSC's first environmental magazine, Gaia. This work helped win her a coveted editorial internship at Sierra magazine, the national publication of the Sierra Club. "Nothing could be a better culmination of my UCSC experience," says Spinks. "I was able to put my education to the test in a real-world setting." A story she wrote for Sierra (about the teenage daughter of a Watsonville farm worker family fighting the use of the pesticide methyl iodide) was published on the magazine's website at the end of May. "This is exactly the type of story I want to cover in my future career," adds Spinks."Stories that show how environmental issues affect people's lives."

What made you choose UC Santa Cruz?

When I drove into UCSC for the first time, I remember being in awe of the trees and taking in the way they smelled—it was a sensory experience that made a lasting impression on me. After that visit, all the other campuses I went to seemed quite dull. Also, cross-country running has always been an important part of my life [Spinks was on UCSC's women's NCAA cros- country team], and the campus offers wonderful running trails.

Favorite class or professor and why?

Agroecology, taught by Steve Gliessman. Steve's ability to share his vast knowledge of food systems and sustainable farming methods without intimidating non-farmers like me is a gift.

In addition, my journalism mentor, Susan Watrous, has been a constant source of encouragement, inspiration, and knowledge. Susan is a role model both professionally and personally, and I feel lucky that she has played such a prominent role in my college career.

Greatest accomplishment or proudest moment?

The day that I found out I got an editorial internship with Sierra magazine. The work I've done and produced there in the past five months under the guidance of the excellent editors is also something I'm very proud of. The experience has had a huge impact on my future plans.

How has UCSC shaped you?

Alan Richards of environmental studies once posed this question to his class: "What is something that needs doing; that you know something about; and that won't get done if you don't take responsibility for it?" I feel that my time at UCSC has been largely spent trying to answer that question and has made me see the importance of not just studying something, but actually doing something.

What are your future plans?

My immediate plan is to pursue writing; specifically, long-form journalism that addresses the intersection of environmental and human problems. Travel is also in my plans; I'd especially like to go back to Africa, a part of the world I have visited twice and find captivating. I would also like to work with projects or organizations that promote urban agriculture and female empowerment, both of which I am passionate about. In the longer term, I would love to go to graduate school for journalism, or maybe even to law school one day.

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