Meet our Graduates!
This year’s graduates are an eclectic group—highlighting the many fields that philosophers pursue. From researchers, academics, therapists, and teachers to musicians, poets, tradesmen, and travelers, our 2025 grads are well-equipped to create the future of their dreams.
Rachael Green is graduating with a major in Philosophy, plus minors in both Environmental Studies in the Liberal Arts and Global Environmental Sustainability as well as a certificate in Ethics and Society.
Rachael chose philosophy because of her deep commitment to ethics and the incredibly supportive community she has found within the field. She’s appreciative of the expansiveness of the discipline: “I love how there is a seemingly endless number of topics to explore. Every time I think I have a grasp of philosophy, I discover that I am nowhere near the end of my academic journey.”
Beyond philosophy, Rachael has dedicated herself to teaching and non-profit work. She’s served as the lead biology tutor at TILT and as a TA for our ethics and computer science course. Her specializations are in zoology and ethics, both of which have been developed through non-profit work with several animal welfare organizations. She’s also actively involved in initiatives related to mental health awareness, environmental sustainability, and creating inclusive spaces for people of all identities.
We are excited to share that Rachael is continuing her studies in the Philosophy MA program here at CSU! Rachael plans to pursue a career in academia and hopes to bridge her “passions for philosophy and teaching to invite others into the field with care and curiosity.”
Her advice to future philosophy students: “Build community! Philosophy is designed to be an interactive experience that allows you to explore the world amongst a community of curious people. Challenge yourselves and each other to be kind, open-minded, and to critically engage with the material.”
Josif Nedeljkovic graduated in Fall 2024 with a major in Philosophy and a concentration in Philosophy, Science, and Technology. Josif originally started out as a psychology major, but switched majors because he wanted to “find a space where I could think deeply about questions that were important to my personal life and also learn how to read and write more critically. My philosophy classes gave me the opportunity to spend time with matters that were important to me, to read and write about them, and eventually find some answers that helped me piece my experiences together.”
During his studies, Josif did research with the RaGE (Race, Gender, and Ethnic Studies) Collective for two years on the study, “Being Trans in Public.” Josif shares, “The Collective helped me learn so much about qualitative research and, of course, it made me learn so much about myself.” Josif also enjoys running, working on saddles, reading lots of books, travelling to Serbia to see his family, and going to cafés to talk to his friends for hours.”
Josif is currently applying to graduate programs in Philosophy. In the future, he would love to find ways to produce more knowledge by doing research in areas he’s interested in, and hopefully collaborate more with his communities. Josif’s advice to future philosophy students: “Let yourself become immersed in the questions and topics that are most important to you! There is no area of philosophy that is too unimportant or specific to focus on. And don’t procrastinate on writing your philosophy essays.”
Max Brabson is graduating with a Philosophy major and Sociology minor. Max’s path was set in high school when he encountered Hume’s problem of induction and arguments regarding hard determinism around the same time. Max shares, these had “a very profound impact on me then. They led me to develop a curiosity in philosophy and seek out more philosophy.”
Max loves philosophy because it provides a number of lenses to interpret and assess arguments and experiences. Max explains, “Studying the ways thinkers throughout history have viewed the world and argued about their views helps contextualize and navigate the crazy world we live in.” Max also appreciates how philosophy has helped him sharpen his reasoning and comprehension skills.
After graduation, Max plans to earn a Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certificate and then teach English in Korea– his childhood home. Max’s advice for future philosophy students: “I think philosophy’s a great field that’s needed more than ever in our rapidly evolving world (in my totally unbiased opinion). It can be difficult and mind boggling at times, but it’s a field where you get out what you put in, and worth the hard work. Also, talk to your classmates and professors, and don’t be afraid to ask ‘dumb’ questions! It will help!”
Gail Chaim-Weismann is graduating as a double major in Philosophy and Communication Studies with a certificate in Ethics and Society. Gail chose these two majors because she believes they both influence every aspect of life, not just academics and career. Gail describes Philosophy as “a process of constantly recontextualizing and assessing, something that should be weaved into all of my goals.”
Gail is also graduating with both wilderness first aid and CPR certification as well as a year of public facilitation training with CSU’s Center for Public Facilitation. She is the president of Bassic A Cappella, “a brilliant group on campus where I lead, sing, and arrange pieces!” Gail is also completing a year-long internship with the College of Business where she works as a social media and engagement intern.
Gail adores “soaking up any odd and new adventures.” Her love of adventure has taken her everywhere from tending tarantulas at the CSU Bug Zoo to performing in the shadow cast of the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Aggie. After graduation, Gail will work as a paid philanthropy intern at the YMCA of the Rockies in Granby for the summer. “I am excited to get out of my comfort zone and up into the mountains!”
Gail’s advice to future philosophy students: “The niche classes are often the most fun. Take the weird ones. Also, find your fellow philosophy majors and make friends. It’s wonderful to work and play with like-minded folks.”
Sam Pausback is graduating with a double major in Psychology and Philosophy, concentrating in Philosophy, Science, and Technology. During his studies, Sam worked on a research team that focuses on adolescent suicide, lead by Dr. Silvia Canetto (Psychology), and presented their findings at the Suicide Researcher Symposium. Sam shares that he’s been accepted to Durham University’s Developmental Psychopathology master’s program where he will focus on social scripts of suicide among adolescents with autism.
Outside of class, Sam enjoys camping, hiking, and design work. Currently, he’s making a Furby Alexa and planning to complete the last 50 miles of the Colorado trail this summer! Sam’s advice to future philosophy majors: “Have friends in hard sciences and try to get at least a minor in another subject besides philosophy; it’ll give you good direction.”
Jordyn Johnson is graduating with a major in Philosophy and a minor in Human Development & Family Studies. Jordyn’s favorite part of philosophy is viewing topics with an open-mind and being open to multiple perspectives and interpretations of a given topic. “Critical engagement with texts and a variety of perspectives are invaluable skills, and philosophy strengthens these skills immensely, which I love!”
Jordyn is a writer at heart and is currently in the process of getting ready to self-publish her first poetry book. She loves reading and writing poetry. Jordyn shares, “I love how the words within poetry can be received in a variety of ways, depending on the perspective of the reader (much like philosophy).” Jordyn also enjoys sharing some of her writings on social media and creating video content. She loves spending a lot of time outside and on walks.
Jordyn’s biggest piece of advice for future philosophy majors: “Take your time with reading; don’t try to rush through them (something I would do a lot:). And, allow yourself to think outside of the box of what you think the “right answer” is, because there are always multiple ways to perceive or understand things in philosophy, so don’t be intimidated to question certain answers or claims. Your insights are so valuable and important!”
Christian Rosales is graduating with a major in Philosophy, concentrating in Philosophy, Science, and Technology, and a minor in History. Christian chose to pursue a degree in philosophy because, “I believe it helps people not only develop valuable and applicable skills but it helps you see the world in many different lenses… Philosophy has given me more confidence in venturing out in the world, to not only ask questions (no matter how mundane) but also a better understanding of what I want from life, and the kind of man I want to be.”
Christian explains how this relates to his favorite story about the philosopher Thales, “that philosophy and the consistency in wanting to learn will aid you in some fashion down the line, which is why I love philosophy, because it made me more well-rounded to pursue the world, and its marvels.” Christian views philosophy not only as a foundation, but also “as a stepping stone in one of my goals as a military officer. I know philosophy will help me in leadership, and ethical judgments, as well as the technological and strategical awareness from my concentration. In all, I know that whatever more pursuits I have in life, I will achieve them as a philosopher.” In addition to philosophy, Christian has a passion for drawing, oil painting, and art as a whole. He also loves reading poetry and learning new languages.
Christian’s wisdom for future philosophy students: “I can say with confidence that your professors are your allies. Philosophy is not a something you achieve alone; it is an active pursuit of conversations, and debates with those around you.”
Makenna (Mak) Mitchell is graduating as a double major in both Philosophy and Psychology. Mak chose philosophy because it was the first class that taught her “how to think for the first time in my life. It rewired my brain and became the catalyst for my own personal healing.” Mak sees a lot of overlap between philosophy and cognitive therapy. Her goal is to become a therapist, using what she’s learned in philosophy and psychology “to help others who are also struggling to tame their minds.”
One of Mak’s biggest passions in life is flow arts. She picked up a hula hoop during quarantine, and it has been her go-to outlet and coping skill throughout her entire college career. Mak shares, “The lessons that I’ve learned and the community that’s behind this hobby have truly shaped me into who I am today. Being one with the ebb & flow is one of my favorite personal philosophies.”
Mak’s advice to future philosophy students: “Make sure to allocate time to your own personal interests in philosophy. Take control of your learning!”
Ben Swanson is graduating with a general concentration major in Philosophy. Ben chose philosophy because he finds it to be the perfect intersection of science and liberal arts. “Philosophy is perfect complement to science, both use reasoning and logic to say something about the world and why it’s true. Philosophy is beneficial because it gives you the reasoning tools to say something about what the results of your empirical study mean in the bigger picture and whether the methods used to get that data are sound.”
Ben also relates philosophy to leading “a fulfilling and virtuous life outside of the classroom.” Ben is enthusiastic about metal music, the outdoors, gardening, and working on historical cars and agricultural equipment. He especially loves reading, including ancient Greek drama, the transcendentalists, and new western history. After graduation, Ben plans to continue working in the trades and agriculture and then join the Merchant Marines.
Ben’s advice to future philosophy majors: “Don’t be afraid to take on the weird aspects of philosophy head-on. Read philosophers like Zhuangzi, Heraclitus, and Kierkegaard, who inevitably will write something that seemingly makes no sense and try to make some sense of it. You might find something cool.”
Isabella Sink is graduating with a double major in Philosophy and English, with a concentration in Writing, Rhetoric, & Literacy. Isabella chose philosophy due to the “profound impact” it had on her: “I am extremely fascinated by all the questions that are genuinely unanswerable, and by why they are unanswerable. I would not be the person that I am today without philosophy, and I love it for that reason.”
Isabella considers herself a more thoughtful and curious person because of philosophy. She shares, “Practically, I think that it’s taught me the important skill of critical thinking, which I will keep with me in all future careers.” Isabella enjoyed ethics specifically in her studies. She especially appreciates how Dr. Beth Tropman “pushed me to my limits, and I’ve loved every (however torturous) minute of it.” She advices philosophy students to “take the hard classes. They’re hard because they’re rewarding.”
Isabella has served as an associate editor and copy editor at the Journal of Undergraduate Research for the past two years. She loves reading, writing, and editing. She’s also a snowboarder and loves all-things music. She is currently considering law school.
Marco Bren is graduating as a double major in Philosophy and Political Science. Marco chose philosophy because “I wanted to learn about and improve certain skills that philosophy helps develop, such as logic, reasoning, extracting simplified arguments and claims from long abstract texts, improving argumentative and writing skills on more abstract topics.” Marco has enjoyed the workload that comes with philosophy because it focuses more on essays and readings than memorization and quizzes. He also likes how studying philosophy has helped him be more charitable with views with which he disagrees.
Marco loves cooking, riding motorcycles, being outside, playing chess, exercising, and staying active. After graduation, Marco plans to live with relatives in Europe while working and then returning to the US to go to law school.
Ryan Blosch is graduating with a major in Philosophy with a Global Philosophies and Religions concentration. Ryan chose philosophy because it’s “useful in any and all domains.” Ryan is a USAF vet and considers himself a novitiate pianist and an amateur mostly-vegan baker. He is currently exploring charcoal portraiture. Ryan’s post-graduation plan is to “abide the Dao.”
Ryan’s words of wisdom for future philosophy students: “It’s easy to find enjoyment in nearly anything if you put forth a genuine effort.”
Joe Wing is graduating with a degree in Philosophy after an ethics course drew his interest away from a major in political science. Joe plans to continue work as a musician. Currently, he plays guitar in his band “Choam Nomsky” and is learning how to record and produce. He started taking music seriously because of Dr. Paul DiRado’s existentialism course and he “can’t thank him enough.” Joe’s advice for philosophy students, “Take Phenomenology and Existentialism!”
Congratulations to all our graduates— undergraduate majors and minors and MA students!
