Aleen Takvorian (SEBS’21) in her cap and gown. Photo courtesy of Aleen Takvorian.
Alumna Aleen Takvorian graduated with a degree in public health as a part of a joint program between the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) and the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. Aleen was meant to graduate in 2022 but finished the program a year early, receiving her degree in August 2021.
Post-graduation, she spent the remainder of what would have been her final year traveling and seeing what the world had to offer. Aleen traveled to Korea to visit a college friend and intended to teach English abroad. During the holidays, she returned to New Jersey and picked up a few substitute teaching jobs, where she realized her passion for teaching. Aleen returned to school to get her teaching certification and now currently works as a high school chemistry teacher in Elmwood Park, New Jersey.
Aleen Takvorian in front of the periodic table in her classroom. Photo courtesy of Aleen Takvorian.
Aleen says, “I thought I always wanted to work in a hospital, and everything I did was always geared towards that until I stepped foot back into a classroom, and I realized I could share my experience and knowledge with the younger generation.”
During her first year at Rutgers, she was a part of the Commuter Student Association, where she spent much of her time on Cook and Douglass campuses in the student centers. Through this association, she heard that the Rutgers University Programming Association (RUPA) needed an ambassador. She subsequently joined RUPA and remained with the organization for the rest of her college career. She served on three different committees throughout her time and said it was a significant part of her involvement on campus.
“I genuinely believe if I were not in the student center and had not seen the events RUPA held when I was a freshman, I would never have had a sense of belonging at school. I was able to give back to the community and be involved in a for-students-by-students organization that made everything worth it. Also, SEBS has such an intimate setting with a beautiful, walkable campus. I was able to meet people easily, which was so nice.”
Aleen says she loves being a high school chemistry teacher because the job implements the core values she learned as a SEBS student majoring in public health. She always preferred working with people despite also enjoying a more isolated lab environment. Her work as a chemistry teacher has allowed her to have the best of both worlds – she can be in a lab environment with her students while also enjoying the person-to-person interaction she loves.
Aleen advises incoming students to use college as a time to explore! “Take the class that you don’t think you’ll be interested in because it might be your favorite class. I would also say to get involved because some of the best friends I have now are the ones I met in college. Finding people who have common interests in a school as large as Rutgers is really important.”
This article was written by OPOC intern Emily Ranieri.
