As part of Family Weekend, Parents, families, students, and recent graduates are invited to join Alumni Engagement for a panel featuring alumni who will talk about their experiences at The New School and navigating life after graduation. From Move-in-Day to Commencement and beyond, alumni play an integral role in the student experience as classmates, professors, and mentors.
Learn how graduates have made their way into their industries, and how they are involved in the programs of The New School.
Saturday, October 18, 2025
2:00 P.M.
Wollman Hall
66 West 12th Street (Between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas)
Featured speakers:
Sonia Alcazar Collier, MFA Acting, School of Drama ‘07
Naomi Pena, BBA Strategic Design & Management, Parsons ‘20
Sameera Polavarapu, MS Strategic Design & Management, Parsons ‘22
Seema Shah, MS Urban Policy Analysis & Mgmt Milano School of SPE ‘09
About the Alumni Community
The New School alumni community is a network of creative, progressive thinkers, located all over the United States and in more than 134 countries worldwide. New School alumni, of whom there are nearly 90,000, work in a wide variety of fields: politics, design, education, journalism, the arts, and many more. These diverse pursuits align with the university’s mission of effecting positive change in the world and reflect the distinctive talents of our alumni.
Presented by the Office of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving Programs
New School students seeking accommodations should contact the Student Disability Services office at studentdisability@newschool.edu.
Event guests seeking accommodations may contact the event organizer by clicking the "Contact the Organizer" link at the bottom of this page.
Seema Shah is the Founder and Principal of Urban Strategies & Solutions, LLC, an economic development consultancy that advises nonprofit, academic, government, and startup clients on workforce and partnership development strategies in the age of emerging technological phenomena. Currently, she is advising Axcces, a proptech solution revolutionizing the affordable housing market, on fundraising and customer acquisition.
Seema earned her Executive MBA from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College, her Master’s in Urban Policy and Management from Milano, The New School University and her Bachelor's from Barnard College, Columbia University.
Sonia Alcazar Collier is a creative entrepreneur and media consultant with a background in
live event production, performing arts, and digital media. A proud graduate of the historic
Tuskegee University with a BA in Psychology, Sonia went on to earn her MFA in Acting from
The New School. She is the founder and CEO of The State of Events, a multimedia platform
that helps businesses integrate media into their brand strategy. Formerly with international
entertainment mogul - AEG and a retired performing arts educator, Sonia brings a unique blend
of storytelling, leadership, and cultural insight. A proud minority business owner, she recently
returned to New York with her husband (fellow New School Alum) and her son, who stars as
Little Marlon in the Tony Award-winning MJ the Musical.
Naomi is a 2020 graduate of Parsons School of Design with a BBA in Strategic Design & Management. Beginning her career in fine arts and fashion, she later transitioned into e-commerce and retail technology, blending creativity with strategy to build impactful brand experiences. She currently leads the NY Client Success team at IWD, a SaaS platform for retail space planning and visual merchandising, where she partners with global brands including The Estée Lauder Companies, New Balance, and Nestlé.
Passionate about social justice and corporate social responsibility within fashion and retail, Naomi advocates for more ethical and inclusive industry practices. She is also an active social member of New York Road Runners, Tech Ladies, and City Señoras. Naomi enjoys spending time engaging with the local arts and Latinx community through activism, live music, and fine arts.
Sameera Polavarapu is a writer and strategist who works at the intersection of culture and design. She helps transform insights into strategies, stories and experiences with a career that spans startups like Blank Street and CAVA, global brands like L’Oréal and LEGO, and nonprofits like the World Wildlife Fund. She is also the founder and host of Earth to Society, a studio and podcast connecting climate, culture, and community.
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