Adulting 101: Randolph professors use senior seminar to teach skills beyond the classroom

Professor Sarah Sojka, center, laughs while cooking alongside students Elizabeth Parsons ’25, right, and Kaytlin Moir ’25. 

Elizabeth Parsons ’25

The aroma of garlic and onions filled professor Sarah Sojka’s kitchen, where she was cooking alongside Elizabeth Parsons ’25 and Kaytlin Moir ’25 this spring.

But this wasn’t just a meal—it was part of their senior seminar in environmental studies and sciences.

“One of the things I love about Randolph is that we prepare students for life, not just jobs,” said Sojka, professor of environmental studies and marine science. “It’s also a really fun way to spend some time with students.” 

The fall, four-credit senior seminar covered everything you’d expect—research papers, final presentations, and qualifying exams. 

In the spring, the focus shifted to a one-credit course covering what many would call “life skills.” 

Students worked on career prep, including resume reviews and networking opportunities. And they also studied what Sojka and professor Karin Warren affectionately refer to as “Adulting 101.”

“We think it’s a really important part of advising,” said Warren, Randolph’s Herzog Family Chair of Environmental Studies and Science. “We want them to feel motivated and confident as they take their next steps.” 

Karin Warren, center, watches while Elizabeth Parsons ’25, right, and Kaytlin Moir ’25, left, cook. 

Gabe Quintero ’23 fondly remembers his own senior seminar, participating in mock job interviews and mastering the job application process, while also learning how to cook budget-friendly, long-lasting meals. 

“They both put a great amount of care into ensuring their students have the tools they need to succeed after graduating,” he said. “They treat their students as academic peers, encouraging and validating their research projects and boosting their confidence as they take steps towards becoming experts in their fields.” 

Sojka and Warren have been teaching the seminar this way for about a decade now and even kept it going virtually during the pandemic. 

“It was actually really sweet,” Sojka said. “We couldn’t have students in the house, but Karin and I could be in my house together and masked. She filmed, I cooked, and the students cooked along with us in the dorm kitchens and at home. I have really fond memories of that.” 

The class size varies each year, as do the topics they cover and the food they cook, all based on student requests. 

On the menu this spring: chicken and veggies, a side of pasta, and four made-from-scratch, easy-to-freeze sauces (tikka masala, arugula pesto, marinara, and a basic cheese sauce). 

During one March afternoon near the end of Session 3, Sojka, Parsons, and Moir went back and forth between the oven, where sauces simmered, and the counter, where they used a food processor to make pesto. 

At one point, Sojka stopped Moir before she threw away a handful of onion peels. They’d make a great base for a vegetable broth, Sojka told her, and put them in the freezer. 

During the class, she and Warren offer up tips on a variety of topics that students who are just starting out on their own may not know: how to turn off a garbage disposal, the importance of a good meat thermometer, and fire safety. 

Parsons, an environmental science major planning to go to grad school, cooks regularly but often keeps her menu simple. 

“This is really nice,” she said. “I don’t usually think of cooking these types of dishes.” 

By the end of their time in the kitchen, before it was time to dig in and enjoy the results, Parsons had only one concern. She’d forgotten to bring any containers for leftovers.

“I’ve got Tupperware,” Sojka said with a laugh. “Don’t worry.”

This story appears in the Spring 2025 issue of the College’s Magazine, “Vita Abundantior.”