Inspired by Vanderbilt University’s motto, Crescere aude, Latin for “dare to grow,” students in the Class of 2025 are actively shaping a better future through bold leadership and innovative collaboration.
Get to know three students who are daring to make a difference in cancer research, teaching, law and music.
JACQUELINE TUBBS, STRIVING FOR A GREATER CAUSE
Jacqueline Tubbs’ success at Vanderbilt Law School is clear: She’s the editor-in-chief of the esteemed Vanderbilt Law Review and has already secured a great job in Washington, D.C. What truly sets her apart, though, is a motivation that goes far deeper than her personal ambitions in law.
For this Alabama native, her accomplishments at Vanderbilt Law and her undergraduate years at Harvard University are, in part, a result of the profound influence of her late father, who died suddenly of a heart attack during her early teenage years.
“There was a kind of shift of motivation, of working for something much bigger. I’m not doing this for myself. I’m doing it for my family. I’m doing it for my dad, who would have loved this. I’m doing it for other people who are growing up without a father or mother. I’m doing it for all of them,” she said.
Tubbs said her mom sat her and her two siblings down after their dad’s death and encouraged them to persevere and excel despite the loss—to constantly work toward being better versions of themselves while supporting each other and improving the world.
CAREER GOALS
Tubbs is following her mom’s heartfelt advice. After Commencement, she will focus on real estate law and affordable housing in Washington, D.C. And she plans to do pro bono work on civil rights–related issues.
“I feel like God has helped me find this perfect balance between helping others through the legal work and helping my family through the financial stability,” she said.
DARING TO GROW
Tubbs credits Matthew Shaw, associate professor of law, for being such a dedicated and impassioned mentor to her.
“He has been such a blessing because he’s not just there to teach us; he connects with us. If he sees you in the hallway, he’s going to stop and talk to you, even if both you and he are really too busy to speak,” she said, laughing. “He definitely inspires me as a young Black lawyer working against whatever other people’s judgments of him might be.”
Shaw also encouraged her to compete in the journal write-on competition, which is how she earned a spot on the Vanderbilt Law Review. Later, Trey Ferguson, JD/MBA’24, inspired Tubbs to throw her hat in the ring for editor-in-chief of the law review, which Tubbs rates as one of the most pivotal moments of her Vanderbilt experience.
“Jac is a once-in-a-lifetime student, a once-in-a-lifetime human being. Jac is peerless at so many things, but I think it’s because she is so well anchored in being a good person. She has a way of asking questions—a kind, unassuming, directness—that invites people into the problem-solving process. I’ve seen her do it in class; I’ve seen her do it for BLSA; I’ve seen her do it in Law Review; I’ve seen her do it in the hallways. That can’t be taught; it’s just who she is,” said Shaw.
“Jac Tubbs will change the world just by being herself.” — Matthew Shaw
“I am the first Black editor-in-chief of the law review,” Tubbs said. “My mom laughs when I say this because I haven’t had kids, but becoming editor-in-chief was what I’d imagine having a child is like, where all of a sudden there’s this one huge responsibility and honor that completely changes your life and takes up so much of your time.” Notwithstanding the hard work, she said she has enjoyed her tenure and is grateful to all who supported her through every stage of the process.
COLLABORATION IS KEY
Tubbs said the law review was a strong proving ground for Vanderbilt’s values of working in collaboration.
“Vanderbilt has been the perfect combination of being excellent and prestigious, while at the same time, people are not all falling into this trap of competition and intensity,” she said. “My Law Review executive board has been especially collaborative. We learn from one another and work well with each other. We help each other out a lot. I’m super thankful for my team.”
FAMILY FIRST
Even though her entire family is deeply rooted in Alabama, Tubbs is still trying to persuade some of them to move with her to D.C. But no matter where she goes, and no matter where they are, her family—along with God—will always be her anchor.
“It has just been imperative that I stay grounded to the people who knew me before Harvard and who knew me before Vanderbilt and all of these other accomplishments,” Tubbs said. “I will stay rooted to them because I’m really doing it for them.”
MAYA MUELLER, “THE ULTIMATE BLEND OF TALENT AND HUMILITY”
If you had told Maya Mueller before she started attending the Vanderbilt Blair School of Music that she would perform confidently at music festivals and competitions around the world, teach children from Tennessee to Tanzania, and even perform in a full banana costume, she probably wouldn’t have believed it.
“I’m a very introverted person, which was difficult for me—especially when I first came here—because I had to put myself out there in front of everyone, and that’s a very scary thing,” the New Mexico native said. “But I am proud to say as of right now, I’ve completely gotten rid of my performance anxiety because of all the performance experiences I’ve had.”
PASSION PLUS CAREER
Mueller has loved the clarinet since she started in middle school. And that love is the foundation of a craft that is both her passion and her future career.
“I’m in this place right now where clarinet playing is almost meditative. If there’s a day that I go without playing, I feel like I’m missing something. It’s my ‘me time,’” she said. “And when I am feeling overwhelmed or stressed by life or my music, I go see a live performance. Every single time it reminds me that this is what it’s about. This is why I love music.”
She first discovered Vanderbilt when highly admired clarinetist Mariam Adam started teaching at Blair. Adam, assistant professor of clarinet, has been Mueller’s mentor over the past four years.
“Not long ago, I saw Professor Adam playing a recital and I just felt like this feeling inside of me that is indescribable. I was almost in tears because of her music. And it reminded me, yeah, this is why I do it. So, I can hopefully have that effect on other people,” Mueller said.
“Maya is the ultimate blend of talent and humility with a striking intelligence and kindness that makes an impression everywhere she goes,” Adam said.
“I have recommended her to music festivals literally around the world, and she has pursued every opportunity with fervor and grace and talent. Most importantly, I believe, is the growth she has shown in her four years at Blair as a musician and clarinetist. I never expected such a metamorphosis. She has left her mark with almost every department at Blair.”
SHARING HER GIFT
Mueller has been sharing her gift of playing beyond the stage by volunteering at the W.O. Smith Music School, where children living in low-income communities can receive lessons.
And with the support of the Nichols Humanitarian Fund, she spent a summer in Tanzania with the Daraja Music Initiative, which bridges music and conservation education. The majority of mpingo trees—the wood used almost exclusively to create clarinets—are grown in Tanzania.
“I’m extremely passionate about music accessibility, because I think music should be seen as something that is necessary,” she said. “Making and hearing music creates magical moments that every kid should be able to experience.”
Read more about Maya and her experience at Vanderbilt in a recent Q&A.
LOGAN NORTHCUTT’S POSITIVE ATTITUDE SHINES IN THE CANCER LAB AND CLASSROOM
The trajectory of Logan Northcutt’s life changed in an amazing way the summer after his freshman year in college. It was 2015, and Northcutt was attending Morehouse College when his biology professor, impressed with his aptitude and attitude in biology class, recommended that Northcutt apply to a summer research intensive that had just launched at Vanderbilt University.
“Dr. Wallace Sharif is a Vanderbilt alum, and he encouraged me to apply for a summer science academy Vanderbilt was starting through the Leadership Alliance Summer Research Early Identification Program. It was difficult because I really had no idea what to expect coming into something like this. I didn’t know if I was supposed to solve cancer by the end of the eight weeks,” Northcutt said, laughing. “But it changed my life.”
SPECIAL COMMUNITY
Northcutt thrived in that program and many other research programs throughout his undergraduate experience. Yet there was something special about Vanderbilt that brought him back for his Ph.D. work.
“I always thought about the community of people that I built at Vandy. I knew one of the things that I really wanted out of a graduate program was a group where we could support each other,” he said.
FIGHTING BREAST CANCER IN THE BONE
Northcutt’s research examines breast cancer and cancers that metastasize, moving from one area of the body into the bones, where tumor cells can lay dormant for years.
“Sometimes patients will go through remission after chemo or other treatments. But then five or even 10 years later, they’ll get fractures of their bone or other issues and then the cancer is found,” he said. “I’m examining the bone matrix and the cancer cells that attach around that environment.”
RESEARCH AND TEACHING
His postdoctoral work is with a research and teaching fellowship through the University of Pennsylvania.
“I always wanted to do science, not just for the sake of science, but to actually utilize that information to help people. I can do this also by teaching science,” he said. “Part of my fellowship includes teaching at partner universities and community colleges around the University of Pennsylvania.”
His research mentors at Vanderbilt are confident in his abilities in the lab and classroom.
“Logan’s enthusiasm and demeanor stand out. He has a positive attitude that elevates his surroundings. His energy and excitement for science are infectious,” said Marjan Rafat, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and of radiation oncology.
COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT
Northcutt said he found great support within his lab community and throughout the university.
“One of my favorite groups was the Organization of Black Graduate and Professional Students. I actually served as president for two years, and it was just a really fun place to meet people from all across the campus and folks from different walks of life,” he said. “It was important to me to build community, especially after 2020 and the COVID time. We needed connection, and I remember how much I needed that during my first year in my program.”
Northcutt said that Vanderbilt provided so many resources to support him, and he wanted to share that with others.
“I wasn’t afraid to ask the questions to get the support I needed, and it paid back dividends. You need to come in with the right mindset and they have the right people and the right resources to be able to make sure you get to the place you want to go. But you can’t be afraid to try,” he said.
Read more about Logan and his experience at Vanderbilt in a recent Q&A.
- Look for more stories in the Class of 2025 storytelling series
- Meet members of the Class of 2025 building community in meaningful ways
- Meet four members of the Class of 2025 who are transforming lives by collaborating in engineering, medicine, mentorship and education
- Watch Class of 2025 students carving bold paths for the future
- Follow all the latest Commencement 2025 news and updates on the Commencement website
- Share your Commencement photos and tag #VU2025
