ASU opened the world to alumnus Jake Adler

In New York City you will not find any public pay phones, but you will find LinkNYC, a network of thousands of high-tech kiosks that bring ultra-fast free public Wi-Fi to millions of New Yorkers, small businesses, and visitors.

Jake Adler, a who graduated Arizona State University in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing with honors from Barrett, The Honors College, serves as head of public relations and communications for LinkNYC.

In this role, he collaborates with community-based organizations, small business owners, local artists, and elected officials to amplify their messaging and tell their stories on more than 4,000 digital screens across the city.

“Together, we inspire and connect New Yorkers to free health care, housing assistance, mental health services, entrepreneurial resources, employment opportunities, food pantries, and so much more,” said Adler, who is from Phoenix, Ariz.

Adler said training and opportunities he gained as an ASU honors undergraduate helped him get to where he is now.

“I'm so thankful I chose to study at Barrett. I can trace any one of my achievements in the ten years since I graduated to the skills I honed, the people I met, and the community I felt as an undergraduate,” he said.

When he graduated from ASU, Adler received a Fulbright Award to teach American poetry in Kolkata, India for one year.

After that, he began graduate school at The New School in New York City and returned to India for an additional year to study Bengali with support from the Boren Fellowship, which provides funding for graduate students to live abroad and study languages that are critical to U.S. national security.

He completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in poetry, and began working for the New York City Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs, where he was tasked with collecting and sharing the stories of immigrant New Yorkers' cultural, civic, and economic contributions to the city. He also assisted with communications related to the COVID-19 pandemic by using his Bengali language skills to translate public health guidance for members of the local Bangladeshi immigrant community.

“ASU and Barrett taught me how to believe in myself and my potential. When I began my first semester, I could have never imagined my life beyond college: becoming a published poet and researcher, studying Bengali in a classroom in India, and ultimately interviewing the mayor of Dhaka, Bangladesh at the United Nations and helping immigrants in New York City access the social services they needed to thrive in the United States,” Adler said.

“I don't think any of these things would have been possible without the dedicated support of (ASU and Barrett) faculty. Each of my professors encouraged me to identify things I was good at and then become great at them. And each time, I learned something new about myself, something new about the world, and something new about where I wanted to go in it,” he added.

We caught up with Adler to ask about his undergraduate experience and advice for current students. Here’s what he had to say.

How did you decide to attend ASU and join the honors college?

As someone who grew up in Phoenix, I always knew ASU was an enormous campus with a student population to match. But when I visited Barrett while I was still in high school, I was struck by the small-town atmosphere of its dedicated campus. It was clear to me that Barrett had its own academic culture and community with its own specialized resources. And yet, its students could also still benefit from everything a big state university has to offer, from diverse student associations and internship opportunities to state-of-the-art research labs and even an art museum. I knew then that Barrett was special; it offered the small, elite liberal arts higher education experience I was looking for, but in the context of a more expansive and inclusive university setting.

How did being in the honors college enhance your undergraduate experience?

As a student at Barrett, I had the opportunity to work closely with Dr. Patrick Grzanka on exciting research projects as part of his Social Action Research Team. Exclusive to Barrett students, the experience amplified my knowledge of social and critical theory, and made up the foundation of my honors thesis, which was ultimately published in an academic research journal called Sexuality Research & Social Policy. As part of my work with Dr. Grzanka, I took advantage of Barrett's honors thesis and honors project funding to travel and conduct academic research in New York City. And I was even lucky enough to participate in a Barrett summer study abroad program in Paris, France between my sophomore and junior years, where I delved into French literature and poetry and sampled the lifestyle and culture of some of my favorite writers.

What benefits did you derive from being an honors student?

As an honors student, I had access to truly thought-provoking seminars and workshops unavailable to other students at ASU. Courses like The Human Event pushed me to examine our society from a multitude of perspectives. I was exposed to ideas and philosophy that continue to influence me today. The honors classes I participated in equipped me with the knowledge and skills I didn't even know I needed to become a better writer, a more critical thinker, and a more empathetic communicator.

What was your proudest achievement as an undergraduate?

When I graduated, I was awarded the ASU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean's Medal for the Department of English, which is given to the university's top graduates each year. It was a tremendous honor for me. Not only did it make me feel like I'd succeeded in taking full advantage of everything Barrett and ASU had to offer, but also that my peers, professors and mentors recognized me and were proud of me.

What advice would you give to current students?

My advice to current students is to push the envelope — find creative ways to fuse your personal experiences, creative pursuits, and academic passions. In particular, Barrett is a place to think outside of the box and make connections between things no one has connected before. It's a true laboratory of thought where you can experiment with your wildest ideas, free of judgment, and backed by people who sincerely want to see you succeed and achieve your full potential. These spaces become rarer when you move into the 'real world,' and it's all the more reason to keep an open mind and an open heart, and try everything there is to try at ASU and Barrett.