WHETHER IT’S OPENING A RESTAURANT OR WALKING THE RED CARPET, IF YOU CAN NAME IT, PRINCIPIA ALUMNI HAVE DONE IT.

Their diverse and distinctive career paths demonstrate the very concrete ways that Principia’s whole-person approach prepares students and graduates for success, versatility, self-reliance, and positive impact.

In the following pages, you’ll meet five Principia alumni taking very different paths but sharing one uniting factor: their Principia experiences provided the necessary skills and outlook to pursue their authentic routes to success. You’re invited to join the conversation by adding your own story!

ENTREPRENEUR

Ayesha Davis

C’99

 

Whole-person education. Global perspective. Entrepreneurial spirit. While these terms may read like overused buzzwords to many of us, when it comes to Ayesha Irani Davis (C’99), they are anything but cliché. 

The Mathematics/Sociology-Anthropology double major of Iranian descent was born in India, grew up in the United States, and eventually landed in Central America. Along the way, she has exercised the full range of her broad skillset: first in a role at NASDAQ, then a stint in the Peace Corps, followed by a master’s degree in environmental engineering; the last led to a distinguished career solving vital water and wastewater problems in Central America and, ultimately, to the founding of ISTMO Retreat and Adventure Center.

“Principia College allowed me to explore different parts of myself—my mathematical and logical side, along with my desire to make society better,” Davis says. “It opened my eyes to a range of possibilities.”

Ironically, it was a Principia connection at a very conventional position who set Davis upon an unconventional course. “Principia’s career office helped me get a job at NASDAQ, working for Principia parent Dean Furbush, who was the Chief Economist at the time,” recalls Davis. “He used to tell me to follow my interests and go with the flow. ‘One day, you wake up and you are the Chief Economist!’ he would say.”

Principia College was an amazing experience for me. It opened my eyes to different ways of living and allowed me to explore different parts of myself.

Davis did exactly that, eventually resigning her position with the market and following her desire to join the Peace Corps. “I chose not to go the traditional route,” laughs Davis.

Three years in the Peace Corps sparked two new passions for Davis: environmental engineering and Latin cultures. She pursued the first by getting a master’s at Virginia Tech, and she pursued the second by applying her knowledge to wastewater systems throughout Latin America.

The rest is the stuff of Hollywood rom coms: the cute neighbor who was director of the international school, the romantic courtship, the marriage, then two children, and finally the new adventure. “We had this dream of building a retreat center,” says Davis. Today, ISTMO Retreat and Adventure Center offers educational and adventure travel opportunities to individuals, families, and groups. Packages range from peaceful yoga retreats to vigorous adventure trips.

While starting a business just before a global pandemic has not been easy, the preparation gained at Principia, and some good advice picked up along the way, has been tremendously valuable. “Developing different aspects of myself at Principia was fundamental,” says Davis. “The confidence I have to pivot in life, to go with the flow, comes from a foundation of being exposed to a wide variety of experiences.”

AEROSPACE ENGINEER

Richard Mange

(US’82)

 

In life, there are those who take the scenic route and ones who lock in a destination and chart their course. 

Dr. Richard Mange (US’82) is the latter—laser-focused on his goal of being an aerospace engineer since his teenage years at Principia Upper School. “I always wanted to be an aerospace engineer,” says Mange. “I never changed majors, never dropped a class. I just plowed straight through.”

That commitment to engineering started in Upper School, where faculty members Howard Marston and Bob Neil (C’47) “instilled a love of math and science,” that led him to the University of Illinois. After graduation, Mange went right to work at McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis.

Target acquired? Affirmative. Autopilot? Not a chance. “I got bored quickly,” he says, so he set his sights on a master’s and then a PhD, all while working full time. After the Boeing-McDonnell Douglas merger in 1997, Mange was ready to pivot. That’s when he hit Mach 1.6 with Lockheed Martin’s F-35 team.

Coming out of Principia Upper School, I didn’t need to know everything, because I knew how to learn . . . That set me up for everything I’ve been able to achieve.

There, he steadily increased in altitude from Staff Engineer to Principal Engineer to F-35 Chief Engineer and continued climbing. In October 2024, Mange became Vice President, F-35 Engineering. He is responsible for the execution of all F-35 contracts, overseeing 4,000 engineers. “We’re building 150 airplanes a year,” he says, “and we have a fleet of over 1,000 out there at a time. We’re modernizing the airplane, doing development work, always upgrading computers and sensors—so we know it’s relevant and can do what it needs to do.”

Dr. Mange brings more than technical knowhow to the job. A role that draws attention and scrutiny from the highest levels of government is bound to hit some turbulence. “It does get pretty charged at times—I’m a vice president on the largest defense contract in history,” he says. “I have admirals, generals, congresspeople, and the Pentagon looking over my shoulder. But people tell me they are struck by how calm I’m able to remain in those circumstances.”

To Mange, all that scrutiny (forgive what I’m about to say) is wind beneath his wings. “I don’t feel that pressure. I feel a sense of purpose. I feel energized by it. We’re doing important things, and that makes coming to work every day worth it.”

SINGER

Suzanne Waters

US’96, C’00

 

Even if you haven’t heard the name Suzanne Waters (US’96, C’00), chances are, you’ve heard the voice.

The singer’s voice graces dozens of massive pop culture franchises, from Frozen to Star Wars to League of Legends. From mournful and haunting to soaring and operatic, the range and purity of her vocal expression was tapped by legendary composer Hans Zimmer when he created a new musical instrument to score Dune Part One and Two. While Hollywood icons like Zimmer may feel she was made for this, Waters graduated from Principia College with a skillset that one might call multitimbral.

“I chose Principia College instead of a music school because I loved my experience at the Upper School,” says Waters, “and I knew that I would get a broad education and learn skills that would prepare me for life in general.”

At the College, she reveled in the creative, intellectual, and social opportunities on offer. “I majored in mass communication because the faculty had real life experience in the field. They were award-winning reporters and journalists, and I was eager to learn from their expertise. I also explored my creativity in visual arts, and I landed my first graphic design job thanks to an internship through Principia!”

Ten years into a promising graphic design career, the recession hit, and she was laid off. “At first, I was devastated,” recalls Waters. But a great improviser always lands on the right note. “Then I remembered the reason I moved to Los Angeles in the first place—to sing for film and TV. I realized that this was a golden opportunity to pursue what I really wanted to be doing.”

I would not be the singer I am today if I didn’t have a safe place to take risks, try things and fail, to not be the best at something. Principia allowed me to learn these lessons with people who were loving and supportive through it all.

Waters is accustomed to working with (and competing against) pedigreed talent from big-name music institutions, and she is consistently unfazed. “I’ve realized that my liberal arts degree made me more well-rounded,” she says. “Prin enabled me to focus on music while also learning other things under my mass communication major, like graphic design, photojournalism, and news writing. All those ended up relating to each other in unexpected ways, and I still use them in my singing career.”

In fact, Waters credits her Principia foundation with giving her the necessary skills to navigate the entertainment industry landscape. “Being part of Prin’s small, close-knit community fostered collaboration and the development of essential interpersonal skills,” she says. “In an industry where relationships are key, the ability to connect with others, understand diverse perspectives, and communicate effectively is imperative, and I think largely responsible for my extensive resume. These dynamics have helped me adapt and continue to thrive in a constantly evolving field.” As she reflects on her journey, she concludes, “I am grateful for the lessons learned and the relationships forged at Principia, which have guided me through both the artistic challenges and political nuances of my career.”

ENTREPRENEUR

Agyeman Manu-Dapaah

(C’05)

 

Agyeman Manu-Dapaah (C’05) arrived at Principia College a dreamer; he left as a builder. 

The 2005 computer science major learned to build an app, as well as frame a physical wall, becoming a key part of the theater stage crew, building sets for productions and visiting speakers. In the ensuing years, that builder’s impulse led him to a successful career as an entrepreneur and, most recently, a restaurateur.

“Through all the changes in my life, the experience I had at Principia has made it possible,” says Manu-Dapaah. “At Principia I had everything at my fingertips. The dance theater, the music department, printing facility, computer labs. I even found myself building stages for Danny Glover and Coretta Scott King!”

Manu-Dapaah has glowing memories of being a student at Principia, but getting there wasn’t easy. “It’s a funny story,” begins Agyeman. “My ticket was just to New York from Ghana. Then I was going to take another flight to St. Louis, but I didn’t have enough money for the flight!” So, his introduction to the United States came via Greyhound bus from New York City to Alton. “Mind you, this is my first time in the United States,” he laughs. At that point, “If someone had offered me a ticket home, I would have taken it!”

Principia made a promise. They promised they would prepare students through hands-on learning in five pillars: intellectual, physical, social, moral, and spiritual. When I saw that, I realized I needed to be at this place. That is what led me to it.

Thanks to Principia’s tight-knit international student population and the support of student life staff like Sara Brown, he immediately felt at home at the College. “I’m an African from Ghana. But thanks to Principia, [today] I have friends in Japan, Tunisia, Kenya, South Africa—all because of the connection. We were like family, and I was never homesick.”

After graduation, computer science degree in hand, Manu-Dapaah launched an IT business. His first client: Principia College. Today, he traffics in a different sort of b(i)te, as the owner of Florissant, Missouri’s beloved West African restaurant, House of Jollof.

Says Agyeman, “Principia teaches you about compassion and love, and from my experiences at Principia I developed four pillars for myself: empathy, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and the Golden Rule.” Now that is a foundation anything can be built upon.

BUSINESS BUILDER

Emelie Fredrikson

(US’14, C’18)

 

If you’re looking for an example of the “whole-person” in action, look no further than Emelie Fredrikson (US’14, C’18)—a state finalist in soccer, newspaper writer and editor, Investment Club member, and Moot Court champion.

 “Principia’s academics gave me exposure to different fields that not all students get,” says Fredrikson. “My Upper School economics teacher made it about real-world experience—let’s learn about saving, let’s learn about investing, let’s learn about stocks. He made it very approachable and interesting, and that led to my first job.”

Fredrikson approached that first job the way she approaches everything: full-speed ahead. As an analyst in JP Morgan’s private banking division, she found herself shoulder-to-shoulder with graduates from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford. “It was cool to see that my Principia experience enabled me to hang with those people right away,” she recalls.

In just five years, Fredrikson built up a quarter-billion-dollar portfolio across roughly 20 families. “I had some big clients and some big responsibility—a lot of good conversations and good activity, and tough conversations when markets weren’t doing well.”

While a Principia College internship opened the door to her JP Morgan experience, Fredrikson credits Principia’s preparation with being a difference-maker in her career. “At Principia, the opportunity for us to write and speak publicly was so much more than most students get at other schools,” she says.

I think the concept of the whole person helped shape how
I feel about myself and who I am today.

“If you’re in a lecture hall with 300 other students, you’re not going to be writing 30-page papers or giving multiple presentations. But having that experience has made a big difference for me. It’s been huge for my career.”

After six years as a private banker at JP Morgan, Fredrikson now manages business development for Broadview Group Holdings. It is a sharp career turn that demonstrates her mix of analytical and creative—quantitative and qualitative—skills. Responsible for finding, vetting, and investing in a range of companies, Fredrikson’s ability to identify opportunity and dive under the hood to determine long-term viability is key to her work in spotting needles in the haystack.

“The concept of the whole person helped shape who I am today,” reflects Fredrikson. “Because understanding that there are different components that create this complete person, complete expression, and focusing on each of those intentionally was really important.”