Alumni Updates

Anna Petersen

History, 2019, Credential, 2018

Anna Petersen has returned to her native country of Hungary in 2019, along with husband Jared and son Tibby. After working for a bilingual education nonprofit in Budapest, where students learn English in a fully immersive environment with lessons co-taught by native Hungarian and English-speaking instructors, she joined the fintech company Wise in 2022 in an anti-money laundering role.

May Johnson

History, Social Science Teaching Credential 2019, 2018

May Johnson has been accepted to several prestigious law schools including Harvard Law School and will likely be attending Harvard Law School starting in Fall 2022!

Jenny Werthman

Politics, Social Science, Secondary Education, 2017, 2020

After earning her degree in Political Science and credential in Social Science for Secondary Education, Jenny has taught high school history (mostly juniors and seniors) since 2021. She is entering her third year of teaching. She lives in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and teaches in the inner city of San Bernardino for mostly at-risk youth. She loves helping kids and teaching them about the real world. She uses everything she learned in Humboldt in her classroom and is forever grateful! She is now married with two young kids! 

Claire Roth

Environmental Studies, 2017

Claire lives in Eugene, Oregon, and works as a Program Manager with the educational nonprofit Better Eugene-Springfield Transportation (BEST). BEST advocates for better, more convenient, and safer transportation for everyone, no matter their mode of choice or ability, and believes that community partnership and collaboration are the keys to finding sustainable and equitable solutions to transportation challenges and that the voices of the most vulnerable users of the transportation system should be continuously elevated.

Claire also serves on two local nonprofit boards: Shift Community Cycles and the Whiteaker Community Council. She believes that nonprofits fill the gap that governments cannot cover.

Vanessa Vrtiak

Sociology, 2017

Vanessa Vrtiak, Sociology, 2017, recently gave a Ted Talk about her life, and would like to share it with the Humboldt State Family. "Thank you for being there for me and helping me shape the woman I am today. I'm so grateful I was able to go to a University with people that truly believe in their students and champion their success." Watch the Ted Talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/vanessa_vrtiak_how_to_save_a_life?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare&fbclid=IwAR154LL1hsMJPaH4_68QAGF1gUqQveVUG8UBAD5QMamSoeuIn_TpNxws_vM

Ariana Hendren

International Studies, 2017

After completing her degree Ariana Hendren, International Studies, 2017, earned a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Certificate. She caught the travel bug after studying abroad in Spain with the HSU World Languages and Cultures Department. She is now teaching elementary-middle school students at an English Academy in South Korea with her boyfriend whom she met while living in Arcata. They will soon move to a new country to continue their teaching adventure.

Jennifer Werthman

Politics, 2017

Jennifer Werthman, Politics, 2017, was engaged in January 2018 and had a baby boy named Jack on June 30. She began substitute teaching and will obtain a credential soon to become a high school government teacher!

Jacqueline Heinzen

Anthropology, 2017

Jacqueline Heinzen, Anthropology, 2017, received her MA in Applied Anthropology from HSU 2017. She has started work as a User Experience Researcher with Binary Defense, a cybersecurity firm based out of Hudson, Ohio. It's her first full-time job where she was hired specifically to apply her research skills as an anthropologist!

Michael Barnes

Communication, 2017

Michael Barnes ('17, Communication)  claims it's been a whirlwind since he graduated from Humboldt! Since his formative years as an undergrad studying under the great minds of Joshua Frye, Maxwell Schnurer, Armeda Reitzel, Scott Payton, and Leslie Rossman (now at the University of Denver), he continued to earn a master's degree in Communication from San Diego State University. He is now working toward a Ph.D. in Communication at Ohio University, where he is studying Interpersonal and Organizational Communication from various methodological perspectives. He cannot thank the faculty at Humboldt enough for believing in him and pushing him to go beyond! 

Mildred J. Correa

Art, 2017

Mildred J. Correa, 2017 Art, had been offered and accepted an incredible full-time career opportunity at a non-profit in her hometown, Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena, Calif. Correa's prior positions during her time at HSU including at the Academic and Career Advising Center, the Library, the Learning Center, and Student Access Gallery guided her to realize that she value working for organizations that positively impact community through design. Correa is happily employed at the Armory where everyday she is spreading awareness about this education and gallery space.