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 Penn Career Services in 2013 as a member of the Graduate and Professional School Advising team. She specifically advises students and alumni applying to medical school, dental school and law school. Mia received her B.A. 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 for several years at the City of Philadelphia Law Department and then at the Juvenile Law Center. Before coming to Penn, Mia started and ran her own professional organizing business, assisting individuals and businesses to organize their space, time and paperwork.

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.

Ariana Alexander is an advisor to Penn undergraduates and alumni pursing law school and medical school. She joined Career Services in 2019. 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 with demonstrated financial need. During her time at New York University, she worked as a pre-professional advisor, graduating 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.