Student Success Stories
What happens after you say yes to SLU Honors? Our students and alumni show how an honors education opens doors. From earning competitive scholarships and fellowships to pursuing advanced degrees and launching meaningful careers, Honors students are putting their education into practice and making an impact on the world. Check out their journeys and imagine your own.
Spring 2026
Emina Sakanovic
Emina is a first-generation college student who participated in the University Honors Program while earning a degree in business. After graduating in 2025, she began working full time and is now pursuing a Master of Business Administration.
Reflecting on her time at SLU, Emina said the Honors Program supported her by “connecting her with like-minded individuals who share similar interests and strive for success and greater achievement.”
Samanvita Kasthuri
During her time at Saint Louis University, Samanvita earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology with a minor in dance, building on several years of experience as a dance coach. After graduating in 2024, she began working as a teaching artist and company dancer while touring her solo work, “Krtghna.” She is now pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in dance at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York.
Reflecting on her experience in the University Honors Program, Samanvita said the program helped build her confidence. She shared, “My capstone was formative in gaining skills such as writing proposals for grants, presenting my work during the symposium and coordinating my first large-scale choreographic project, ‘What Do You Feel?’ in May 2024 at Intersect Arts.”
Allison Marietta
After graduating from Saint Louis University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Spanish, Allison devoted time to creative writing and traveling throughout South America, where she worked on a manuscript and immersed herself in new cultures. She plans to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing.
Reflecting on her experience in the University Honors Program, Allison said the program supported her vocational growth by inspiring her “to take [the] untraditional path [of] not pursuing a graduate degree or office job right out of college.” Through reflection, she explored how her travel experiences could shape her future professional path.
Claire Leingang
Claire graduated from Saint Louis University in 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in public health and minors in biology and health care ethics. She received the Spirit of the Billiken Award in recognition of her campus involvement, student leadership and commitment to service and community. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in optometry at Ohio State University, preparing for a career providing health care to rural communities like the one where she grew up.
Reflecting on her experience in the University Honors Program, Claire said the program “helped inspire me to change my undergraduate major to public health, a path which has drastically shaped my outlook as to how to most compassionately and equitably serve my patients as a future health care provider.”
Valerie Rosqueta
Valerie graduated from Saint Louis University in 2025 with a degree in communications and received the Robert A. Johnson, S.J. Award, which recognizes outstanding communications students. After graduation, she served for one year with Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest. Her experience in the University Honors Program also included support through an Investigative Learning and Experience grant.
Reflecting on the experience, Valerie said, “At the time, I was unsure of my interest in creative community development and media production, but the project helped me realize that I loved building capacity for artistic groups and organizations through providing media production assistance.”
Enrique Riojas
Enrique graduated from Saint Louis University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in political science after completing multiple internships with public infrastructure organizations across St. Louis. As president of SLU On the Move, he led activist initiatives before working in the St. Louis County Planning Office. He is now pursuing a master’s degree in urban and regional planning at the University of Iowa.
Reflecting on his experience in the University Honors Program, Enrique said the program inspired him to pursue graduate studies and helped shape his professional goals.
Ether Dharmesh
Ether graduated from Saint Louis University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering and is now pursuing an M.D./Ph.D. in immunology and bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. She plans to pursue a career as a surgeon.
During her undergraduate years, Ether developed skills for this path through research positions at Saint Louis University and by serving as president of MEDLaunch, a bioengineering startup. Reflecting on her experience in the University Honors Program, Ether said the program encouraged her to pursue “professional development opportunities that helped shape my research and clinical interests.”