Welcoming the class of 2020 to HGC ALUMNI
Harvard Glee Club Alumni welcomes the Class of 2020 to its alumni ranks! These graduates join a group of over 1,800 HGC alums around the globe. Below please find a brief bio and photo of the graduates and a letter from the outgoing HGC President. Please join us in congratulating these amazing graduates and wishing them the best in the next phase of their exciting lives!
Westley Cook '20
Westley spent 3.5 years avidly pursuing a joint concentration in Social Studies and East Asian Studies before deciding at the start of senior spring that writing a thesis was not, in fact, a good life decision and instead graduating in East Asian Studies with a secondary in Government. His favorite Glee Club memories are being sung in by a circle of candle-holding weirdos in tailcoats, performing live translations (and cracking jokes and pulling pranks) on stage during the Japan portion of the 2017 Asia tour, discovering the hidden beauty of Winona, MN, and gathering for one last emotional rehearsal and banquet before everyone left campus this March. His favorite pieces were Craig Hella Johnson's "We Are" and Biebl's "Ave Maria." Come fall, he'll be getting married and starting life with his new wife Alyssa in the Boston area.
Michael Horton '20
Michael studied Computer Science where he finished his senior year by writing a thesis on register allocation. After being the Grover Cleveland of HGC Financial Managers, he hopes to not have to look at an excel spreadsheet budget for a very long time. He'll be staying in Massachusetts to work as an Embedded Software Engineer for Blink. His favorite memories of the Glee Club are having a party bus for the concert in Winona and having an incredible spa night with Gleeks in Korea.
Jason Ma, Harvard 20’
Jason studied computer science and math. In the fall, he will be matriculating at the University of Pennsylvania to begin his PhD in computer science, further exploring his interests in machine learning, control, and robotics. He is very excited to (virtually?) explore Philadelphia! Jason's favorite HGC memories include the entirety of the 2017 Winter Asia Tour as well as the 2019 Texas joint tour with RCS; he was particularly fond of the memories of exploring and getting lost in Seoul with his fellow gleeks. His favorite song was We Are by Craig Hella Johnson and was always moved by the song's message.
Allen Liu '20
Allen studied mathematics, writing a thesis on a set of geometric shapes called polytopes in up to four dimensions. Although his plans for the fall are somewhat in flux, he hopes to be working in the field of science communication, and to keep singing wherever he may go. Allen's favorite memories include performing for his grandfather at Taipei's National Concert Hall, conducting Lite in his senior spring, and singing with along with the band at The Game at Fenway. His favorite song to sing was Mogamigawa Futa Una with its high energy rhythms.
Ernie Omondi '20
Ernie Omondi is a proud Currierite who concentrated in Computer Science and will be joining Facebook in Seattle as a Solutions Engineer end of July. He is really excited to move to the Pacific Northwest and is looking forward to continuing to sing outside of work while making new friends along the way. His favorite HGC memories include learning and singing together with the kids of Commusication choir in St. Paul, Minnesota and watching New Year fireworks in Taipei with fellow gleeks. His favorite song was Hana Wasaku which is a beautiful Japanese song written and performed to unite people after the devastating destruction in Fukushima.
Nikolas “Impeach" Paladino ’20
Niko concentrated in economics and pursued an English secondary, writing a thesis on inflation targeting and studying the works of William Shakespeare and Herman Melville. Niko served as Vice President from 2018-19 and President from 2019-20. In the fall, he will be (virtually) matriculating at Harvard Law School and is looking forward to returning to Cambridge, hopefully sooner rather than later. Niko’s favorite HGC memories include banding together at every Harvard-Yale game, playing powerball at every retreat, and hiking treacherous “trails” at every tour stop. Oh, and the music of course—“Demon in My View,” “Idumea,” and every Irish and Russian piece HGC has sung are among his favorites. He looks forward to becoming a resident elder of HGC and singing with the group again soon.
Natti "The Washed-Up Librarian" Robinson '20 (they/them)
Natti studied psychology and music and throughout their time at Harvard enjoyed working with kids, performing, and of course the Glee Club! They will be attending the Harvard Grad School of Education and teaching in Boston if schools still exist by the time fall rolls around. Their favorite memories include the East Asia tour, composing, conducting the football songs, and quitting the librarian position after 2 years.
Jasper Johnston ’20
Jasper studied a Special Concentration in Strategic Social Behavior—the interdisciplinary examination of human efforts to influence others in order to meet personal, community, and global interests—with a secondary in Ethnicity, Migration, Rights. In the fall, he will be pursuing (physically or virtually) a one-year Master of Public Policy at the University of Oxford, before working with McKinsey & Company in Vancouver, Canada. He is looking forward to continuing to learn and to an elusive future time when he can reconnect with the Glee Club community in person. Jasper's favorite HGC memories include singing in the New Year in Taiwan, singing for food at Harvard-Yale tailgates, going on retreats to Cape Cod and Western Massachusetts, and sharing in inside jokes in the wonderful community of the Glee Club during rehearsals in Holden.
Andy Yong, HKS ’20
Andy was on a one-year MPA program at HKS, having previously worked as a constitutional lawyer in Malaysia. He will be moving back this summer to London, where he will be starting work as a litigator at the Open Society Justice Initiative and continuing as a UK naval reservist. He has fond memories of the HGC retreat/induction in the fall, and wishes his brief HGC experience could have been longer. Looking forward to in-person Commencement and the next HGC European tour!
A Letter TO HGC ALUMNI
FROM the Former HGC President Nikolas Paladino ‘20
