Your Advisers: Pre-Grad

Dr. Carol Hagan has advised pre-health students and alumni at the University of Pennsylvania since 2008.  She also advises Quakers pursuing graduate degrees in humanities, social science and business.  She earned a Ph.D. from Penn in art history and has engaged with students as a lecturer and writing instructor.  Prior to settling in Philadelphia, she earned a B.A. in English and art history from Wesleyan University.  Carol enjoys helping students become professionals and hearing about their wide range of intellectual interests and service commitments.

Mia Carpiniello joined the Graduate and Professional School Advising team of Penn Career Services in 2013. She advises students and alumni applying to medical school, dental school and law school. She enjoys learning about her advisees’ individual paths and witnessing their personal development on their journey to graduate school. Mia received her B.A. in History, with a focus on American History, from Columbia University and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. As an attorney, she clerked for a federal judge and subsequently practiced law at the City of Philadelphia Law Department and then at the Juvenile Law Center. Before coming to Penn, Mia also started and ran her own professional organizing business. In her free time, she engages in pro bono legal work for indigent clients and loves to travel.

Caroline Wilky advises Penn undergraduates and undergraduate alumni applying to graduate and professional school, especially health professions schools.  She joined the Career Services team in 2015.  Prior to coming to Penn, she worked at the University of Notre Dame’s Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement, where she advised honors students on undergraduate research, fellowships, and graduate and professional school admissions.  She earned a B.A. in history and philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Ph.D. in history from the University of Notre Dame.

Dr. Ariana Alexander joined Career Services in 2019 as an Associate Director with the Graduate & Professional School Advising Team.  She advises Penn undergraduates and alumni pursuing law school and medical school.  Her professional experiences include program development, student success coaching, and pre-health advising.  Prior to joining the team, she served as a TRIO Student Success Coach advocating for first-generation college students. During her time at New York University, she worked as a pre-professional advisor to students in the area of pre-health. She earned her BA from Dartmouth College, majoring in English and ethnic studies, and a Ph.D. from New York University in history. She enjoys empowering students to navigate the next steps in their graduate and professional careers.  Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, she is an advocate for local libraries and loves traveling abroad to explore new places.

Becky Tamayo is the Administrative Coordinator for the Graduate and Professional School Advising team, assisting students and alumni pursing admission to graduate, medical, and law schools. A Penn alum with her BA in Psychology and Hispanic Studies from the College of Arts and Sciences, Becky is thrilled to return to campus in this new role and looks forward to working with Penn students and fellow alumni!