Graduate Division welcomes new Funding Peer Advisor

The Graduate Division is excited to welcome our new ​Funding Peer Advisor, ​Kaitlyn Ugoretz. Kaitlyn will work to help graduate students search for funding opportunities and improve their financial literacy. Read on to find out more about ​​Kaitlyn!

	​HER STORY I am an East Coaster at heart, growing up on the sandy shores of NJ, the green hills of VA and upstate NY, and the city streets of Washington, DC and Philadelphia. As a scholarship student in some form or another since the young age of 12, I've always needed to follow the money to pursue my goals. My funding adventures have taken me around the country and the world and afforded me unexpected opportunities, including working at a Chinese broadcasting company, managing social media for nonprofit organizations, and teaching Japanese and English at an international summer camp.
	HER RESEARCH My research interests focus on the intersection of religion, media, and technology in Japan. As a digital ethnographer, I currently study the globalization of the Japanese religion of Shinto and the development of transnational, online Shinto communities. And yes, I like anime. I am super into tech hacks for grad school, so if you want to know about some really useful apps and software to make your life easier and more organized, just ask!
	FUN FACTS I've always got a hot cup of tea on my desk. I often joke that grad school is my day job until I become the next best-selling author. I am an avid video gamer and comic book fan. In my free time, I like to cook and play competitive Overwatch--unless it's raining, in which case I'm curled up with a book (and more tea).
	HER ​ROLE AS A PEER I have received overwhelming support from my mentors and peers over the years, and I am so honored to have the opportunity to pay it forward in my role as Graduate Funding Peer Advisor. As a first generation graduate student, I've had to learn a lot of the secret ins and outs of the funding game on my own. I'm committed to being real about the obstacles we face as graduate students, pulling back the curtain on the funding process, and working with you to find the resources you need to succeed and make your dreams a reality.

Welcome, ​​​Kaitlyn!