After 17 years of service at the Evanston Fire Department, alumnus Brian Scott ’05 was recently appointed as the Evanston Fire Chief. 

After a long and rewarding career as a former Chicago Police Officer, Lawrence “Larry” Casey ’02 ’05 reflects on his 30 years on the streets in his recently published book titled “Stories of a Chicago Police Officer: Serious, Hilarious, Unbelievable, but True.”

Alumni Profile: Keli Knight '03

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, law is one of the least racially diverse professions in the nation. Born and raised in Chicago, Keli Knight ’03 has taken great strides to break down barriers for African American women in the legal industry.

Madilyn Wiley ’10 and Michael Dieter ’08 are both teachers striving to adapt to the ever-changing lifestyle of an educator, in order to leave a standing impact in the communities they serve. They are determined to positively change the lives of their students inside the classroom and beyond.

“For as long as I can remember, I wanted to fly,” says Justin. “It has always been a dream of mine.” On a sunny Saturday afternoon earlier this year, Justin Pietras ’05 asked his girlfriend, Susan, to meet him at the airport (where he works) for a flight lesson.  Little did Susan know, a lot more than learning how to fly was about to happen.

According to Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, “Leadership belongs to those who take it.” Which is exactly what Lewis alumna Stephanie Jimenez ‘09, a talented and devoted individual, has done. She realized her potential early on and has taken every opportunity available to grow into the strong female business leader she is today.

A young mind with a profound passion for writing, Kendra Hadnott ’08 realized what she was destined to do at the early age of seven. Today, she has transformed her lifelong hobby of writing into a full-time career as an author.

In an industry in which the sky is the limit, Chris Painter ’05 ’07 and Elaine Karabatsos ’90 arrived at the same destination – The Coca Cola Company. As the Manager of Technical Operations for The Coca-Cola Company, Chris is responsible for leading a team of eight associates supporting five aircrafts, operating globally for the Company.

Rebecca Deang has always felt inspired to work with young children and their families. A young mother to a beautiful baby girl, Rebecca graduated from Lewis University with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. Shortly after, she began working as a first and second grade teacher at a private school. After having her second child, she began working for Easter Seals based out of Joliet. There, she worked with younger children with disabilities. 

As he roamed the halls of Rich East High School, Lieutenant Michael Johnston ’08 always looked up to the police officers assigned to protect everyone inside. Inspired by the amount of respect they received, he found himself eager to learn more about their field of work. He began as a member of the Illinois National Guard in Charlie Company 2^nd of the 129^th Infantry Division based out of Kankakee- where he realized he was ready to set forth on his journey.

Charles Yessaian ’00 has a profound passion for history and extensive experience on Capitol Hill. A skeptical student, Charles was always encouraged by a particularly influential Lewis professor, Dr. Ewa Bacon of the History Department, to pick a career he particularly enjoyed to become more successful in life. Dr. Bacon always advised him that “to be good at what you do, you have to enjoy what you do.” Her inspirational words continued to guide him throughout his time at Lewis, and even beyond. 

Tom Zalduendo ’08 graduated with a Music Merchandising degree and minor in Music Technology. Today, Tom is an assistant engineer for one of the top recording studios in the country, Chicago Recording Company. For Tom, success comes from being true to himself and his abilities and by setting realistic goals.

While gaining exposure to the various disciplines of business in his diverse sales, marketing and management roles after receiving his undergraduate degree from Illinois State University, Phil Bomrad ‘00 made the decision to join Lewis’ MBA Program. He stayed busy for the next few years, working hard during the day and studying even harder at night. 

An oncology nurse at University of Chicago Medicine for five years, Stefanie now serves as a nursing educator for Chamberlain College of Nursing. She credits her time at Lewis with providing her the experience she needs to provide the best experience for her own students.

Alumni Profile: Brian Bishop 

Brian Bishop (‘02, ’04) was recently named the President of the Lewis University National Alumni Association. Bishop currently serves as a consultant for Bishop, Levin & Wronski, Inc., a legal search firm that specializes in recruiting intellectual property attorneys. 

Alumni Profile: Gibran Carter '03  

Gibran Carter ’03 came to Lewis in 1999, transferring from East Central University in Oklahoma to the Lewis University basketball team. A scholarship recipient, Gibran focused his studies on the arts and communication and graduated with a B.A. in Graphic Design. 

John Castelli (TV/Radio) ’06 is currently a senior editor for original programming for the Big Ten Network in Chicago, Illinois. John’s work can be seen on the Big Ten Network’s "The Journey," a behind-the-scenes look at the Big Ten’s men’s basketball programs and the rigors of a typical season for the student athletes.

Alumni Profile: Brandon Dagans

Brandon Dagans (`09) recently finished up his first professional basketball season in Portugal as the leading scorer for the Portugal League where he made both the Portuguese First Team All League and All-Star Team. Dagans is currently a free agent and exploring options for his 2011 European season.

Alumni Profile: Lydia Kellogg 

Lydia Kellogg currently works in Washington D.C. as Senior Manager, Public Safety and Security for Airports Council International- North America.

Lewis alumnus, Mark Knutson ’01 of Digital One Internet Services in Orland Park, has been developing new and exciting technology that can have you streaming online in less than five minutes. Mark is the Vice President of Internet Technology for ClickStreamTV and has been developing and streamlining this process for the past ten years.

After two years as Chief Technology Officer of BizStrat Technology, Michelle Mikka-Van Der Stuyf ’00 was named the company’s new President and CEO in April 2015. A software development and technology consulting company, BizStrat seeks to deliver a big company result with a small company feel, with diverse projects customized to fit client’s resources, expertise, timeline and budget.

Next time you see one of the more than 30,000 Redbox DVD rental kiosks, know that Lewis alumnus, Adam Salerno `00 (Graduate Business) is working hard at Redbox Corporate Headquarters in Oak Brook, ensuring that the rental experience is a positive one for customers.

Providing an opportunity for tourists to have a more personal and less touristy meal during their travels, Jay Savsani ’07 (Marketing) and his extraordinary team developed mealsharing.org as a means to bring tourists and locals together over home-cooked meals. 

On December 20, 2009 as I walked on stage to receive my college diploma, a feeling of accomplishment and triumph rushed through my body. There was no possible way to hide the smile that covered my face.  

Heather Warthen ('03) was recently named Editor of the Year for non-daily publications by the Illinois Press Association. Warthen currently serves as managing editor for 22nd Century Media, a media publishing group based in Orland Park.