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�Ӱ���Ƶ students come to campus with impressive résumés. While here, they continue to flourish—and share their knowledge, skills and experiences with our university community, leaving a mark on their peers, instructors and the broader campus and Cleveland communities. 

Upon completion of their degree programs, they leave CWRU having achieved remarkable success.

As the Class of 2024 prepares to accept their degrees during commencement ceremonies May 15-19, we’re putting a spotlight on eight outstanding graduates—one from each school—before they move on to the next steps of their professional journeys.

View a full schedule of events online and get to know some of our graduates below.

Anand D. Singh

Case School of Engineering

Before he could even drive a car, Anand D. Singh could fly a plane—by himself. 

At age 14, he flew for the first time. Within two years he was flying planes solo, and by the time he turned 18 he held his pilot’s license. 

“We found my first flight instructor through Groupon,” Singh explained. “We took off from a small airport, then flew to downtown Chicago and back. I was too short to see through the front window over the dashboard and actually had motion sickness for most of it, which was funny. I just battled through.”

Despite these initial hurdles, Singh’s passion for aviation only reached new heights. Growing up in New York City, he attended the United Nations International School, where he was exposed to topics such as public and foreign policy and government affairs at a young age. Combining this foundation with his love for flying, Singh set his sights on joining the U.S. Air Force.

A knack for science and math served him well as he pursued a joint Bachelor of Science/Master of Science program at CWRU, earning his bachelor's in mechanical engineering in 2023 and his master's in aerospace engineering this month. In 2022, he landed an internship at Boeing as a flight test engineer and returned again the following summer, ultimately receiving a full-time offer—something he’d be open to pursuing after serving 10 years as an operational, mission-ready pilot.

Now, Singh is a pilot-select commissioning for the United States Air Force and will head to officer school this summer before pilot training over the following few years. 

His achievements don’t stop there. Early in his time at �Ӱ���Ƶ, he launched the , a group for aviation enthusiasts and pilots. Plus, he worked as a fabrication technician at Sears think[box], was the vice president of Delta Tau Delta and served as a teaching assistant.

“I like to get involved so that I can hold leadership positions,” he said. “Not for the title, but so I can help institute needed changes.”

Now, Singh has the opportunity to lead and make change beyond CWRU by living out the future he’s been dreaming of since his early teenage years. 

“Flying is an escape for me and has been since I was young,” he said. “There’s a phrase pilots say, ‘freedom to fly.’ As cliche as it is … that’s why I love it.”

Danyel Crosby

College of Arts and Sciences

As she prepares to enter medical school, Danyel Crosby is moving closer to a career in science—a longstanding dream of hers. She already knows what she wants to specialize in when she moves a few blocks west down Euclid Avenue after being accepted to �Ӱ���Ƶ School of Medicine.

“I have always been very interested in science,” said Crosby, who will soon graduate with her bachelor’s in nutritional biochemistry and metabolism with minors in Africana studies and chemistry. “I feel that nutrition is a practical science; it's not just things you can't see, like cells and bacteria. Nutrition is valuable to everyday people, and good nutrition can prevent illnesses and diseases.”

Crosby recognizes that talking about preventative care through methods such as healthy eating is just as important as the medicine.

“I love that I can give nutritional information to anybody,” she said. “It’s not such a hard science that everyday people can't understand. You can give real recommendations to people.”

Crosby’s upcoming graduation is just the latest achievement on her trajectory to launching a long career helping others. She was selected as a Joan C. Edwards Scholar while still in high school—a scholarship that recognizes students from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District who have a genuine passion for the medical field and a commitment to academics.

Crosby applied what she learned through the scholarship to start her undergraduate studies as a member of CWRU’s Emerging Scholars Program (ESP), which she credits with nurturing her development.

“ESP was extremely helpful in making me successful and preparing me for this next level,” Crosby said. “The program made me feel comfortable approaching my professors and connecting me with other students and summer internships.”

Being a Cleveland native, Crosby is eager to continue pursuing her goals in her hometown in this upcoming academic chapter. She’s quick to let students who aren’t local know they can look forward to becoming part of the university, the city and a caring community.

“Cleveland is a VERY underrated city,” Crosby said. “We have great professional sports teams and pretty good food here.”

Margaret Terry

Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing

As a standout player and captain for the �Ӱ���Ƶ women’s basketball team, Margaret Terry has a deep understanding of blood flow and lung function. This knowledge has served her not only on the court but in the fast-paced world of Cleveland Clinic's cardiovascular intensive care unit—the place she rotated while pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

“I discovered my passion for critical care nursing during my rotation at the clinic’s cardiovascular department, which is one of the most advanced in the world,” she said. “It was a privilege to learn about, and care for, patients in that setting [who were so ill].”

The Pittsburgh native chose CWRU for the university’s balance of athletics and academics which would allow her to continue playing competitive basketball while pursuing a nursing degree from a highly ranked program at Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. She played point guard for the Spartans all four years, winning 34 games and countless athletic honors along the way.

“For the longest time, I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Terry said. “But after a mission trip to Jamaica, I saw the incredible impact that caregivers had in the community and I developed a desire to have a career where I could care for people who need it most.”

The caregivers from whom she learned in nursing courses also inspired Terry’s goals. Drawing parallels to the values instilled on the basketball court, Terry fondly recalls her favorite memory of Janna Kinney, one such instructor.

“Dr. Kinney helped students understand the ins and outs of nursing, and made an effort to connect with students as individuals, guiding them to becoming the types of nurses we aspire to be,” she said.

After graduation in May, Terry is joining the neonatal intensive care unit at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children’s Hospital, where she previously interned as a student. She’s also exploring the idea of eventually returning to the School of Nursing for a graduate degree—all while pursuing passions such as making pasta from scratch and honing her film photography skills.

Emily Saxon

Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences

If you’ve found yourself on �Ӱ���Ƶ’s campus this year, chances are you’ve noticed posters with pie chart graphics in restrooms that read It's on CWRU to Disrupt the Culture of Violence. It’s thanks to Emily Saxon—who is graduating this week with a Master of Social Work degree—that these posters exist. 

As part of her field education experience at the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women, Saxon realized confronting gender equity and sexual violence at �Ӱ���Ƶ required a cultural change.

“These are issues deeply rooted in our societal norms, which means they take a collective cultural shift to truly make change,” she said. “Each and every one of us has a responsibility to help increase gender equity and reduce sexual violence.” 

Last summer, she learned small things can have a big impact. 

The university had posters about gender-based violence in campus bathrooms but they were several years old and simply stated there were resources available to help students. Saxon collaborated on a redesign of the poster to display a large number of university and community resources so people on campus could easily access the services. 

“Creating the design took a lot of time, but overall it was simple,” she said. “I didn’t think much about the possible impact, other than the fact that it would be a source of pride to see my work across the university.”

The design resonated with both campus community members and visitors. Since she helped lead the initiative to display the posters, Saxon has received many emails and phone calls from people expressing their appreciation or wanting to know how she did it so they could replicate the design for their own work. 

“I never expected such success, but I think it’s representative of how you can have a strong impact when you make something comprehensive but clear and accessible,” she said.

Learn more about disrupting a culture of violence by following on Instagram.

Bram Holladay

School of Dental Medicine

As a child, Bram Holladay dreamed of one day becoming a dentist. Those dreams are now coming true—Holladay will graduate with a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree this week—but his path to the profession was anything but straightforward. 

“I didn’t get in the first time I applied to dental school,” said Holladay. “I retook some courses during a master’s program and improved a lot. It gave me the perspective that even though we make mistakes, there is always a chance to restart.”

Holladay’s perseverance toward his goals taught him that dedication and hard work can lead you to success—and there's always an opportunity to start anew.

“Dentistry is similar because patients will make mistakes and get cavities, but each filling is a way for them to get a fresh start on [oral health],” he explained.

Holladay chose to attend �Ӱ���Ƶ because of the university’s built-in interprofessional networking between medical disciplines. Now, he credits the connections he’s made for creating more opportunities to advance his career, especially when paired with his master’s degree in pathology. 

“[When I reached dental school], it opened up the possibility of combining dentistry with oral pathology and redirected my career path,” he shared.

The academic opportunities at CWRU were just one of Holladay’s favorite aspects of his time here. Outside of class, he fondly recalls events such as the 2023 Intramural Battleship Championship for positively shaping his experiences.

A recreational activity typically played in a swimming pool, Intramural Battleship is a variation of the classic board game, but in this version, participants act as the ships themselves. Each player or team has an inflatable raft or other floating device that represents their "ship,” and players try to sink their opponents by throwing balls or other objects into their opponents' rafts—while trying to avoid being sunk themselves.

“My team—’Jake Rosebrock's Fan Club’—was composed of four dental students,” said Holladay, “and we ended up winning the championship.”

After graduation, Holladay will complete a residency in oral and maxillofacial pathology at The Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City.

Heavenly Aguilar

School of Law

When she first started law school, Heavenly Aguilar encountered the type of imposter syndrome many new students find familiar. But now, as she prepares to graduate with her JD this month, she  has one key piece of advice for incoming law students: 

“You belong here. You are smart enough, creative enough and strong enough. Trust yourself because you can do this.”

In Aguilar’s case, she tapped into this trust by throwing herself into the law school community at �Ӱ���Ƶ. The Brooklyn, New York native quickly became involved in the Student Bar Association, the Black Law Students Association, Latinx Law Students Association and the Women’s Law Association. She also had the opportunity to moderate panels and mentor newer students, which remains one of her favorite law school memories.

“Those organizations introduced me to my greatest friends, taught me how to be more analytical, plan events and handle conflicts between colleagues,” Aguilar said. “They taught me how to become a better leader and gave me a stronger backbone.” 

In addition to her successes on campus, Aguilar was recently a finalist in the 2024 Accelerate: Citizens Make Change Civic Pitch Competition, a social innovation contest held by the Cleveland Leadership Center.

Aguilar and her partner pitched the idea “Real People, Reel Legacies.” The project focuses on gathering unique stories of unheard and overlooked communities, sharing and archiving the stories. They were awarded a $2,000 prize to undertake the project. 

“Without ‘Real People, Reel Legacies’, our stories will continue to die generation after generation,” Aguilar said. 

Family legacy is important to Aguilar, who has two children, Hunter and Zoe-Quinn. 

Aguilar was driven to study law to be a voice for Black and Brown communities and to fight injustices within the criminal justice system. After graduating, she will begin working at the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland—the perfect opportunity to put her passions to action. 

“�Ӱ���Ƶ was the right choice for me for several reasons, including their Jumpstart program, which allows a space for Black and Brown students to ease their way into the law,” Aguilar remarked. “I am also a huge admirer of Professor Ayesha Bell Hardaway—she was another reason I chose CWRU.” 

Maria Claudia Moncaliano

School of Medicine

Throughout her studies, Maria Claudia Moncaliano has developed a passion for assessing how health disparities such as language inequity negatively impact patients. As she prepares to graduate with her Doctor of Medicine degree from �Ӱ���Ƶ, she’s eager to help reshape health trajectories for underserved patient populations.

“Many patients [in the U.S.] who speak languages other than English face barriers to understanding their health and treatment and communicating their needs to their healthcare providers,” said Moncaliano, who was born in Colombia and grew up in Florida. “I want to improve health outcomes for this community by providing care for Spanish-speaking patients in their language and advocating for comprehensive training in the use of interpreter services.”

Moncaliano will take her next steps toward this goal this summer as a resident at Boston Children’s Hospital and Boston Medical Center’s Pediatrics Residency Program’s Leadership in Equity and Advocacy track. There, she plans to expand her focus on health inequities to include severe asthma in low socioeconomic populations, another of her areas of interest.

As Moncaliano explains, many children need better access to medicine and education on how to manage their conditions and prevent hospitalizations. She looks forward to building lifelong relationships with young patients and supporting and advocating for patients, families and communities in need. 

Moncaliano is grateful for her time at �Ӱ���Ƶ and the mentors who not only taught her the science of medicine but also the art of it.

“I appreciate their devotion to teaching communication, empathy and interprofessional teamwork, which will serve me well as I begin residency,” she said. 

Moncaliano also credits her mentors for igniting her passion for medical education and curriculum development. 

“It is because they believed in me and treated me as a junior colleague that I discovered a love for medical education and curriculum development, which I will incorporate into my residency training and career,” she said.

Solomon Goldstein

Weatherhead School of Management

Solomon Goldstein first discovered the world of competitive archery as a 14-year-old in Asheville, North Carolina. Within three years, he’d gained prominence in the international archery community—attaining a rank of No. 3 in the U.S., becoming a two-time member of the national team and competing in Olympic trials.

He set his sights on qualifying for the Olympics, moving to Tucson, Arizona, in 2018 to train full time during his senior year in high school and a pre-college gap year. And then… the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down.

Amid the isolation and uncertainty at the time, Goldstein continued his training and began looking ahead to joining the �Ӱ���Ƶ community in the fall of 2020. 

“CWRU checked many boxes for me—a private research university in the eastern U.S. having an , an active Hillel student center, and a diverse array of academic programs with seemingly limitless possibilities,” he said.

The pandemic may have dashed Goldstein’s goal of reaching the Olympics, but he brought his commitment to excellence with him to �Ӱ���Ƶ. After initially exploring computer science, he pivoted to majoring in business—finding opportunities to apply his determination, extraordinary work ethic and ability to succeed in team settings. His finance courses, engagement in student organizations and internship experiences ignited his interest in consulting—a great fit as he excels in collaborating with others and solving complex problems.

He may have left his competitive archery days behind him when he came to CWRU, but Goldstein never stopped hitting the bullseye. His talents—paired with the education he received—helped him secure a position in Boston with Ducker Carlisle, a global management consulting and M&A firm.

Though he’s leaving campus after graduation, Goldstein will maintain close ties to the university as his sister, Rose, finishes her studies at Weatherhead.