Presidential Ambassadors

Stewart M. Burns attended West Lafayette High School in Indiana.  He is a political science major, economics minor and studied in Istanbul, Turkey for a semester during his junior year.  While at DePauw, Stewart has interned for the Indiana State Senate and at a public affairs firm in Washington, DC.  Most recently he worked at the Indiana Governor's Office, a position which continues part time throughout the fall semester.  Stewart is an active member of Beta Theta Pi Men's Fraternity and serves as the Vice President for Communication.  He is the co-chair for Putnam County Relay For Life, one of the largest fundraisers in the country for a community of this size.  Stewart is the Director of Allocations for the DePauw Student Government and a member of the National College Health Improvement Project: Collaborative on High Risk Drinking, which aims to reduce binge drinking across college campuses.  Throughout his DePauw career, he has been a news anchor and board member for D3TV, a writer for The DePauw, and co-host of WGRE’s radio show, DePauwlitics.  Stewart plans to work for a few years before furthering his education, possibly in law or public policy. 

Nicole Burts graduated from Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis.  She is majoring in anthropology with minors in both women studies and black studies.  Nicole finds being a First-Year Mentor to be very fulfilling.  She is a student volunteer at Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church, a general assembly member of DePauw’s Association of African American Students, a tour guide for the Office of Admission and recently joined DePauw’s Cooking Club.  One of her favorite aspects of DePauw is the Winter Term program, which allowed her to explore the beautiful country of Brazil her junior year and to intern as a sophomore for a not-for-profit breast cancer organization, Pink-4-Ever, coordinating special events and managing public relations.  After graduation, Nicole plans to attend law school.

Taylor Crompton is an economics and English major, with a philosophy minor.  Originally from Columbus, Indiana, Taylor made his way to DePauw via Miami University, where he spent three semesters before transferring to DePauw in the spring of 2010.  During his time at DePauw, Taylor has served as Editor-in-Chief of A Midwestern Review (DePauw’s literary magazine); Director of the Restorative Justice Program; and Director of the Community Center Tutoring Program for local first-graders.  He was the intern for the Compton Center for Peace and Justice, focusing on environmental issues and a Mentor in the First-Year Experience Program.  Taylor has served with the Board of Control of Student Publications; was an English Instructor in Xi’an, China; and is a proud member of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity.  He is also a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon, the International Honor Society in Economics, and won the Judith Shakespeare award recognizing the Outstanding Junior English Literature major.  Taylor interned with Cummins Inc. each of the past three summers, and hopes to work for an  equally ethical company in the future.  He enjoys reading, golfing, fishing, and boating.  After DePauw, Taylor plans to pursue a master’s degree in environmental management and policy.

Henry K. Dambanemuya is from Nyanga, Zimbabwe, and is double majoring in computer science and conflict studies.  He is in the Honor Scholar Program and is a Liberty Mutual Responsible Scholar.  On campus, Henry is a Hillman Intern at the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics and has led initiatives that have resulted in responsible electronics purchasing and recycling in the city of Greencastle.  Henry also possesses an aptitude for software development.  He has completed two summer internships with a software start-up and a Fortune 100 company, testing and developing computer applications for both business and IT.  During his sophomore Winter Term, Henry developed a software prototype for rural hospitals in Zimbabwe while also assessing the impact of the digital divide.  In his spare time, he volunteers on the Sentinel Project team that is building an early warning system for genocide prevention, worldwide.  After graduation, he will spend two years working as an IT analyst in Seattle, before proceeding to graduate school with the intention of pursuing a dual program in software engineering and human development.

Mark A. Fadel is a biochemistry major from Cleveland, where he was his class valedictorian and class president at Mayfield High School.  He is currently the DePauw Student Body Vice President and works as a First-Year Mentor.  Mark is a member of Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society, Order of Omega National Honor Society, and Beta Theta Pi Fraternity.  He was a member of the DePauw Men’s Swim team his first year and has since served as a student coach for the team.  Engaged in bettering the DePauw experience, Mark served as a class senator for three years and the student representative for the Management of Academic Operations committee.  He established a chapter of Up ‘til Dawn, a St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital program, at DePauw that has raised over $23,000 since September 2010.  Pursuing his passion for Italian language and culture, Mark studied abroad in Grado, Italy and served as the Teacher Assistant for the May Term trip to Italy.  Interested also in clinical research, he completed a drug research project at Putnam County Hospital and interned there during a Winter Term.  Mark will be attending the University of Toledo Medical School following graduation.

Allison N. Jones, a senior from Minneapolis, Minnesota, graduated from Mounds View High School.  She is an economics major with minors in business administration and anthropology who is also involved in a variety of activities.  She is currently serving as the president of Kappa Kappa Gamma Women's Fraternity and has enjoyed multiple leadership roles within the chapter.  A Management Fellow, a senior intern in the Office of Admission, and a member of Order of Omega, in her spare time, Allison enjoys participating in the DePauw Trap and Skeet Club and participating in Women in Economics and Business events.  Some of Allison’s favorite experiences during her time at DePauw include her Winter Term courses in China and Italy, as well as the semester she interned for Cummins, Inc. in Pune, India.  She was also incredibly fortunate to intern with a sommelier in Minneapolis for a Winter Term followed by a summer internship with the Target Corporation Headquarters.  Allison hopes to pursue a career in analytics or marketing. 

Jimmy Kirkpatrick, from Overland Park, Kansas, is majoring in Political Science with a minor in Economics.  He is a member of Order of Omega, Mortar Board, and Pi Sigma Alpha honor societies.  Jimmy is captain of the DePauw Debate Team and recently won the 2012 Pi Kappa Delta debate national championship.  He is also a member of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, where he formerly served two terms as president and currently serves as head pledge educator.  Jimmy founded and organizes the annual "Be Great Today 5K" for suicide prevention and is president of the DePauw Suicide Prevention Club.  In addition to working in the DePauw Speaking and Listening Center, he is a Leadership Intern in the DePauw Campus Living and Community Development office.  Upon graduation, Jimmy tentatively plans on attending law school.

Vishal Khandelwal is an art history and economics double major from Kolkata, India who has been involved in The DePauw newspaper, WGRE radio, and has also tutored at The Writing Center.  He is a part of DePauw's ITAP program, a member of the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity and has worked as the editor and publisher of the online Arts Newsletter.  Vishal spent a Winter Term interning at a public relations firm in San Francisco and in the summer of 2011, he served as a DePauw research assistant to Professor Anne Harris developing a course titled, "The Ecology of Medieval Art.”  That fall semester Vishal spent in Rome, studying museum practices and international finance.  Summer 2012 saw him traveling to Kolkata and Rome on an independently designed architectural history-based research project funded by DePauw's Frank W. Howes Summer Grant.  Vishal is studying at New College, Oxford University, during the fall 2012 semester.  Post graduation, he will pursue studies in the history of art.  

Bronx native, Naeem Muhammed, graduated from Bard High School Early College with his Associate’s Degree in the Liberal Arts.  An economics and management major, he highly values community service and contributes as part of the Bonner Scholar Program.  Naeem volunteers at Asbury Towers Retirement Community, assisting the residents in their daily activities.  Naeem loves to play sports, and is a defensive tackle on DePauw's football team.  Naeem also holds several leadership positions: President of the Rho Tau chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Vice President of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, and a member of the Allocations Board for DePauw Student Government.  Over the last three years, Naeem has spent his summers interning at American Express, Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs and after graduation, Naeem is excited to begin his career at Goldman Sachs.

A biochemistry major and philosophy minor, Arezoo Nazari is from Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Throughout her DePauw career, she has been involved with student government serving as Vice President of Student Life and with various faculty/student committees.  Arezoo is a member of Alpha Phi Fraternity and has served as the Vice President of Chapter Operations.  She is also a member of the Honors Scholar Program; is a Peer Mentor for the First-Year Experience Program, a Leadership Intern, a College Mentor for Kids, and a Chapter Assisting Trained Student (CATS), as well.  During her Winter Term experience, she traveled to El Salvador to help build a school and provide medical aid to surrounding villages. Arezoo credits DePauw for her fuller appreciation of the educational rigor and the talented people she has grown to know. After graduation, she plans to work in hospital administration before pursuing medical school.

Ellie Pearson from Madison, Wisconsin attended Madison West High School.  Although her interests are vast, she chose political science as her major and is minoring in women's studies.  Besides her academic life, Ellie is serving as a First Year Experience Mentor for the second time and is a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee. She is one of the captains of the women's varsity basketball team and will play lacrosse in the spring.  Ellie loves to travel, to connect with people, to be outdoors, and any fitness training.  Ellie will spend her last few months at DePauw in building relationships with students, staff, and faculty members, and also continuing to take advantage of all opportunities that DePauw has to offer.  After graduation, Ellie plans to work for a few years, before seeking a graduate degree or attending law school.

Camila Romero is from Cali, Colombia and she is pursuing a major in economics and a minor in psychology.  She has a great passion for building relationships and meeting new people, learning, traveling, playing golf and taking advantage of all the experiences that DePauw has to offer. As a member of the Management Fellows Program, she had the opportunity to intern for the quality department at IPC, an independent SUBWAY® franchisee-owned and operated purchasing cooperative, in Miami, Florida during the past spring and summer.  As a First-Year Mentor for the class of 2016, Camila feels fortunate to help new students adjust to college.  She is also a member of Alpha Phi Fraternity where she served as the Student Government Representative for the organization.  A member of the DePauw Women’s Golf team for four years, she feels privileged to be a part of the second ranked team (Division III) in the nation and has participated with her team in two national championships.  Passionate about the sport, she loves everything that comes with being a varsity athlete, such as developing patience, self-control, determination, leadership skills and most importantly teamwork.  Camila plans to pursue a career in business upon graduation.

Philosophy major Sara K. Scully was a Principal Dancer in the Dallas (Texas) Metropolitan Ballet and graduated as Student Body President from the Parish Episcopal School.  Her plans for her senior year at DePauw include: writing her Honor Scholar thesis, fulfilling her responsibilities as DePauw Student Body President, working as a Peer Mentor in the First-Year Experience Program, and competing as Captain of DePauw’s Ethics Bowl team.  A Girl Scout Gold Award recipient, Sara is a member of both Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society and Order of Omega National Honor Society and serves Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women as the Faculty Relations Chairwoman.  She loves working with kids, and has spent her recent summers as a staff counselor at Camp Longhorn Indian Springs in Burnet, Texas and was voted “Favorite Girls’ Camp Counselor” in 2011.  During her free time, Sara enjoys spending time outdoors with her friends and cheering on the Dallas Cowboys.  After graduation, Sara intends to work abroad.

Mohammad Usman is an urban policy and conflict studies double major, with a minor in religious studies.  The summer of 2012 he studied bioethics and completed a medical research project at Yale University.  This fall, Mohammad will pursue an independent research project studying epidemiological patterns among lower-income women residing in urban communities.  In April 2012, as a member of the Bioethics debate team he won the National Bioethics Bowl competition.  He is a member of the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl debate team, too, which advanced to the semi-finals of the 2012 national competition.  Mohammad studied multiculturalism and globalization in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during 2011 Winter Term.  Mohammad served as a Special Assistant and advocate for access to civil legal justice at the City University of New York School of Law in 2009 and in 2010, he founded The Sycamore, a student newspaper at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.  Mohammad is a member of  Phi Beta Kappa, a trained Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-B) and an avid follower of news, politics, and the New York Yankees.  After graduation, Mohammad plans to attend law school and graduate school for urban policy/public health.

Richmond, Indiana native, who was her class valedictorian, Emily E. Vierk is a biology major and psychology minor.  A member of Kappa Alpha Theta and President of the Panhellenic Council, she is deeply involved in DePauw’s tradition of Greek life.  Emily founded DePauw College Mentors, a program that helps facilitate the college application process for Greencastle High School upperclassmen.  She is an Emergency Medical Technician who volunteers at Putnam County Operation Life (911) and in her free time, enjoys traveling, reading, cooking, hiking, and spending time with her family and friends.  Emily will pursue a career as a physician’s assistant after graduation.

Brad Wethington is a senior from Crawfordsville, Indiana.  He is majoring in computer science and minoring in economics.  He is a Percy L. Julian Scholar and a recipient of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and Phi Beta Kappa Society.  Brad has worked on DePauw’s Campus Living and Community Development Staff as a First-Year Resident Assistant, a Community Resource Assistant, and a Housing Assistant.  He has conducted research at DePauw, interned at The Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, California, and most recently, interned at ExactTarget, Inc. in Indianapolis.  During Winter Term 2012, Brad traveled to London and Italy learning about great historical scientists in Europe.  His favorite aspect of DePauw is the supportive relationships built with faculty through interactions in and outside of the classroom.  Brad plans to pursue a career in technology.

Claire Wilkinson is a vocal performance major with a theater minor.  Her home base is in Winter Garden, Florida.  During her DePauw experience, Claire has pursued many of her passions, which include opera, musical theater, plays and costuming.  For three semesters she worked as a First-Year Resident Assistant and during her sophomore year won the DePauw Concerto competition. Claire’s other performance based accomplishments in DePauw opera and theater productions include: L’Enfant in L’Enfant et les Sortileges, Nancy in Albert Herring, Hope Cladwell in Urinetown the Musical, Bakers Wife in Into The Woods, Thea Elvstead in Hedda Gabler, and Lady Plymdale in Lady Windermere’s Fan.  On the technical side, Claire has designed and constructed costumes for many DePauw productions and spent this past summer on campus designing and constructing costumes for Into The Woods.  In the summer of 2011, Claire worked full-time as a counselor at an overnight camp for people with special needs (Autism and Down Syndrome) teaching music and drama class.  She would like to always work with this population and plans to open a not-for-profit music center for individuals with special needs.  Next year, Claire plans to pursue a Masters of Music degree with the intention of performing professionally in either opera or musical theater, and hopes to eventually earn a Doctorate in Music.