The Media Arts & Sciences Alumni Mentorship Program has proven to be a rewarding experience for both alumni and students. The initiative has connected over 130 students with alumni who provide guidance on navigating the workforce. Through these connections, students gain insight into their field of interest, tools for success in the job search, and support traversing their graduate program. Pairs meet to discuss networking, preparation for academic and industry job interviews, and life as a graduate student. 

Student Highlight: Raechel Walker

Raechel Walker, a PhD student in the Personal Robots group, joined the alumni mentorship program to build community with like-minded alumni who are, “already doing the kind of purpose-driven, justice-centered work I aspire to do.” 

Raechel found this support through her alumni match, Ar Ducao, who graduated from the Information Ecology research group. Ar is a creative technologist and professor at New York University (NYU) who works at the intersection of technology, justice, and design. Not only do they share a deep commitment to social justice, education, and ethical use of technology, but they also both value teaching and mentoring the next generation. 

Raechel notes that the Alumni Mentorship Program has been truly transformative, and has confirmed her desire to pursue a career in higher education.

“Ar helped me reflect on and strengthen my teaching practice, encouraged me to find and embrace my scholarly voice, and offered practical advice on navigating complex institutional spaces like the Media Lab. They also helped me build confidence around entrepreneurship and creative expression.” 

This connection opened many doors for Raechel, including the opportunity for her to guest lecture for Ar’s NYU course on “Diversity and Tech.” 

“This experience affirmed my desire to teach at the collegiate level, and showed me how to integrate social justice into engineering education. Ar later invited me to join a panel on using technology to combat systemic oppression—another great moment that deepened my commitment to justice-center teaching.” 

After lecturing for Ar, Rachael was offered other teaching opportunities. This experience helped Raechel see teaching as a form of activism, and a way to practice community care. 

Student Highlight: Antonis Christou

Similarly, Antonis Christou, a second year master’s student in the Opera of the Future group, was looking to build community at the Media Lab by connecting with the past. 

Antonis was connected with Mike Fabio, an alum from the Opera of the Future group. Although Mike spent many years in the music industry, he now works in the field of cryptocurrency. 

Along with sharing their love for music, Mike helped ease Antonis’s transition as an incoming student, and provided a sense of belonging and purpose at the Media Lab. 

“Mike told me a lot of stories about his time here, which really humanized the Lab…he also gave me some really fantastic advice on how to navigate the variety of professional relationships I would encounter during my time here.” 

Overall, Mike’s mentorship helped Antonis connect with the past, understand the Media Lab a bit better, and ultimately influenced his transition to Opera of the Future. 

Student Highlight: Isabella Pu

Isabella Pu, a first year PhD student in the Personal Robots group, joined the Mentorship Program with the goal to gain support navigating her academic journey at the Media Lab. Through this mentorship experience, Isabella was able to ask her alum match many burning questions such as: how the academic journal publication timeline works, how to tackle big projects like the master’s thesis, how to maintain enthusiasm and motivation during the PhD, how to build meaningful professional relationships, and what experiences were helpful for becoming a faculty member in the US. 

Isabella, who was matched with Anastasia Kouvras Ostrowski—an alum of the Personal Robots group and current Assistant Professor of UX Design at Purdue University—said having this connection helped her complete the master’s program on time. In terms of research, Isballella notes, “my mentor has definitely influenced my direction…I recently presented my first participatory design paper ever at Interaction Design and Children Conference (IDC) in Iceland, and now I’m diving into a new design research study with kids, this time focusing more on robots. Anastasia’s guidance gave me the confidence to pursue this area of work, but also new tools, frameworks, and ways of thinking.”

Student Highlight: Hyeokjun Yoon

Hyeokjun Yoon, a first year PhD student in the Conformable Decoders group, was matched with Neil Gaikwad, an MAS alum who is now an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Through this connection, Hyeokjun gained reassurance from his match during the first year of his PhD. “He told me that I am fortunate to have already found my goal early in my PhD…I didn’t feel confident about preparing for it, but his encouragement motivated me to pursue it more seriously.” 

Additionally, Neil helped Hyeokjun clarify his goals for the PhD, and his desire to pursue a career in academia in the US. “I began setting clear, specific goals aligned with my ultimate objective. Breaking these down into categories has helped me better understand the steps I need to take and the direction I should move toward.”

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Overall, participants are quick to recommend their peers to engage with the Mentorship Program. “This program is a rare and invaluable opportunity to connect with someone who not only understands your journey at the Media Lab, but can also help you envision and move toward what comes next,” Raechel notes.

“It’s a unique opportunity to connect with Media Lab alumni who have walked a similar path and can offer invaluable advice…this program can inspire you, clarify your goals, and help you reflect on your future direction. I deeply appreciate the MAS team for organizing this program. I hope it continues and that more students are encouraged to participate in the future,” said Hyeokjun. 

We are grateful to all of the alumni who have generously volunteered their time to support the success of our program! 

To learn more about the MAS Alumni Mentorship Program and get involved, please visit our website.