13 Graduates Return to Campus to Give Students a Taste of Career Opportunities
Alumni Career Day 2022
The Alumni Association was excited to sponsor the Fall Alumni Career Day for all seniors and a select number of junior students on Thursday, October 13, 2022, in partnership with the Advancement Office and School.
Career Day is an official school day meant to provide an equitable opportunity for all students to connect with De La Salle Institute alumni to explore career choices and receive guidance from those who once sat where they are now. It’s a great way for alumni to give back to De La Salle and have an immediate impact on current students—our future alumni.
Thirteen (13) alumni speakers were on campus to share information about their careers ranging from law enforcement to computer programming, real estate to physical therapy, and mechanical engineering to transportation.
“As a student at De La Salle, I often took for granted the high quality faith, academic and athletic preparation that I was afforded,” said Teara Kemp ‘11, director of secondary partnerships at OneGoal. “It is amazing to be back as a graduate and giving advice to the next generation of Meteors who are benefitting from a great Lasallian education at my alma mater.”
Alumni Career Day addressed the ever-changing demands of the professional landscape that students will likely encounter after graduation. Great futures begin here at De La Salle Institute.
Speaker Bios
Nadia Barrera ‘12
Job Title: Physical Therapist
Industry: Healthcare
Company: Athletico (www.athletico.com)
Colleges Attended/Degrees Earned: Western Illinois University B.S. Exercise Science & Governors State University D.P.T.
Job description: Movement expert who improves people’s quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on care, and patient education.
Charlie Johnson ‘92
Job Title: President
Industry: Entrepreneur
Company: Flo Transportation, B+C Logistics, & BWS (www.flotrans.com)
Colleges Attended: Loyola University B.S. Math & Computer Science
Job Description: Oversees multiple executive teams, within specialized logistics and supply chain matters. High level of travel for sales, marketing, and industry conferences.
Lawrence Mestan ‘96
Job Title: Associate V.P./Engineer
Industry: Civil Engineering
Company: TYLin (www.tylin.com)
Colleges Attended: Iowa State University B.S. Civil Engineering
Job Description: Civil engineer and construction management within design and construction of infrastructure projects.
Christopher Razo ‘13
Job Title: Associate Attorney
Industry: Law
Company: Polsinelli (www.polsinelli.com)
Colleges Attended: Furman University B.A. Political Science & Washington University J.D. Business & Corporate Law
Job Description: Business attorney that combines legal skills and business acumen to provide a full range of services to corporate clients.
Caroline Wood ‘19
Job Title: Author
Industry: Fiction Writing & Publishing
Company: Magician Publishing House (www.carolinerosewood.com)
Colleges Attended:Loyola University Chicago B.A. English
Job Description: Drafting and editing of creative works. Pitching formed work to literary agencies and connecting with publishing companies.
Carmen Carrillo ‘17
Job Title: Tax Associate
Industry: Public Accounting
Company: PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) (www.pwc.com)
Colleges Attended: DePaul University B.S.B. Accountancy
Job Description: Auditing client’s taxable income and reporting quarterly/yearly changes within the Consumer Industrial Product Services sector.
Teara Kemp ‘11
Job Title: Director of Secondary Partnerships
Industry: Non-profit/Public Sector
Company: OneGoal (www.onegoalgraduation.org)
Colleges Attended: Pomona College B.S. Science & Dominican University M.A. Early Childhood Education
Job Description: Recruitment of new schools and post-secondary support. Caseload management of current partners.
Olivia Nunez ‘17
Job Title: Programmatic Analyst
Industry: Marketing
Company: PHD Media (www.phdmedia.com)
Colleges Attended: DePaul University B.A. Communication Media
Job Description: Responsible for managing client relationships, monitoring campaign performance, and delivering insights.
Breandan Rook ‘12
Job Title: Executive Producer
Industry: Broadcasting
Company: WGN Radio (www.wgnradio.com)
Colleges Attended: Lewis University B.A. TV/Radio Broadcasting
Job Description: In charge of guest bookings, scheduling, running audio, videography, and co-hosting . Also responsible for post-show audio cutting, online streaming platform operations, and podcast write-ups.
Will Colletti ‘07
Job Title: Sr. Structural Engineer
Industry: Civil/Structural Engineering
Company: TranSystems (www.transystems.com)
Colleges Attended: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign B.S. & M.S. Structural Engineering
Job Description: Team leader for Bridge Group division. Lead design and plan preparation for bridges, retaining walls, culverts, and any other transportation related structures.
Tony Kustwan ‘97
Job Title: Dir. IT Services
Industry: IT Security
Company: Concanon LLC (www.bluevoyant.com)
Colleges Attended: DeVry University Computer Engineering Technology
Job Description: Technical leadership in global information technology environments. Helps solve technical challenges by inspiring powerful minds to create bold solutions.
Michael Passarelli ‘90
Job Title: Executive V.P. & CFO
Industry: Real Estate
Company: NWI Development Group (www.nwidevelopment.com)
Colleges Attended: University of Illinois Chicago B.S. Accounting
Job Description: Responsible for the company’s financial infrastructure and acts as a team leadership member.
Mark Sedevic ‘96
Job Title: Special Agent
Industry: Law Enforcement
Company: CN Railway Police Service (www.cn.ca)
Colleges Attended: St. Mary’s University of Minnesota B.A. Criminal Justice, Lewis University M.S. Criminal Justice, & Olivet Nazarene University Ed.D. Leadership
Job Description: Educates police personnel and engages with the public on rail investigations and safety concerns. Responsible for traffic and trespass enforcement.
