Alex Sejdinaj ’15

Co-Founder of South Bend Code School, Code Works, and GiveGrove

Major: English

Dedicated to democratizing access to technology education and empowering individuals and businesses

Early on, Alex Sejdinaj ’15 recognized the limitations in technology access and taught herself how to code. During her senior year at Notre Dame, she co-founded the South Bend Code School with her husband, Alex. The award-winning tech education company aims to overcome the barriers between people, technology, and jobs. Youth, adults, and educators across diverse demographics in Indiana and Michigan are able to take advantage of accessible and engaging computer science programs.

Sejdinaj also co-founded Code Works, a digital product studio that merges technology with social good. The company additionally offers technology-based assistance grants to small businesses.

But her passion does not end with her two companies. Through Code Works, Alex helped launch GiveGrove, a fundraising platform that specializes in auctions and events for nonprofit and fundraising organizations.

She guides her team to prioritize human-centered approaches in all of their projects. In 2017, she was named a Code.org Champion for Computer Science, and was also honored with a Women of Color STEM Award for Corporate Promotion of Education. Passionate about diversity and her community, Sejdinaj continues to give back to Notre Dame by speaking with graduate and undergraduate classes.

Sejdinaj earned her Notre Dame degree in English and was the recipient of a Notre Dame Young Alumni Award in 2018.

Andrew Petrisin ’16

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multimodal Freight at the U.S. Department of Transportation

Major: Civil Engineering

Striving to make the country’s supply chain more efficient and resilient

Andrew Petrisin ’16, creator of the federal Department of Transportation’s landmark supply chain data-sharing program, was promoted to Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multimodal Freight earlier this summer. He is one of the Biden Administration’s point people addressing the on-going supply chain disruptions, initially caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Petrisin led the development of Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW), a platform to facilitate data exchange between the public and private sectors to avoid freight bottlenecks. He has worked closely with the freight industry to mitigate the supply chain impacts, including following the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse in Baltimore earlier this year. He served on the White House Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force and helped launch the White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience.

Returning for a time to Notre Dame and the Keough School of Global Affairs, Petrisin helped launch the Integration Lab, which trains students how to work in diverse teams focused on challenges including sustainability, business & economics, and governance. He also taught undergraduate classes on human-centered design.

In addition to earning his bachelor’s in civil engineering from Notre Dame in 2016, Petrisin was also honored as an Andrews Scholar by the Center for Social Concerns.

Daniel Passon ’16

Staff Attorney, DC Affordable Law Firm

Major: Political Science

Advocating for access to justice for marginalized communities

An accident on the night of his Notre Dame graduation in 2016 almost derailed Daniel Passon’s dream of becoming a legal aid attorney. He sustained a concussion that activated POTS, a chronic fainting disorder, and uncovered an arrythmia. After undergoing several heart surgeries, he went on to enroll at and graduate from Georgetown University Law Center, where he turned his pursuit of a career in public service into reality.

While at Georgetown, Passon served as a Fair and Just Prosecution Fellow in the Office of the Philadelphia District Attorney and externed at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He also earned the International Academy of Trial Lawyers Award for the best student advocate in the Housing Advocacy and Litigation Clinic, represented disabled veterans before the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and served as Notes Editor for the Georgetown Law Technology Review.

After clerking at both the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and the Supreme Court of Maryland, Passon entered into public service as Legislative Counsel, and later Acting Director of the Committee on Human Services, in the office of District of Columbia Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau.

In 2023, Passon joined the D.C. Affordable Law Firm as an heirs’ property-staff attorney. There, he represents clients in probate and estate planning matters and specializes in clearing title to real property to preserve intergenerational wealth. Passon is one of the first legal aid attorneys in the country to practice in this area full-time and is part of a national network of practitioners establishing best practices and policy for the future of the field.

As an estate planning and estate administration attorney, Passon is recognized as a zealous advocate and a uniquely compassionate and committed companion to people experiencing grief and loss. He has testified before the D.C. Council on probate reform and is an active member of the Council for Court Excellence’s Subcommittee on Estate Administration, the DC Access to Justice Commission’s Justice for All Self-help Working Group, and the Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1A Special Committee on Public Life in Columbia Heights.

Dash Holland ’17, ’21 M.Ed.

Upper Grade Teacher, Holy Family School

Major: Political Science and Economics

Preparing low-income students and families emotionally, spiritually, and socially for the future

William “Dash” Holland ’17, ’21 M.Ed. began his journey toward teaching in India. While training for his first job in consulting, he wondered if his chosen profession could become a career. Holland became curious about finding a more service-oriented path and started volunteering to teach Sunday school at his parish in Bangalore. Six months later, he moved to New Jersey, where he began his consulting job in earnest and realized he would have to make a change. After a year and a half, Holland returned to Notre Dame to pursue a Master of Education degree with the Alliance for Catholic Education. He now teaches at Holy Family School in Redwood City, California.

Holland teaches a community of first- and second-generation immigrants. Through his daily lessons in language arts, literature, vocabulary, social studies, religion, and technology, he strives to help his students understand the world around them, make a place in it, and imagine how they can be part of making it better.

Through his teaching role at Holy Family, Holland is also an integral part of the St. Francis Center. This community-based organization in the heart of the Fair Oaks Neighborhood partners with clients to provide affordable housing, food, clothing, and after school programming to build strong families and a strong neighborhood community.

Holland is a former Rambler of Siegfried Hall and served as a resident assistant during his time at Notre Dame.

Demetrius Murphy ’15

Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology at the University of Southern California

Major: Management Consulting and Africana Studies

Committed to advancing dignity and human flourishing

An ongoing devotion to examining race, ethnicity, culture, mental health, and cities consumes the days of Demetrius Murphy ’15. as a Ph.D. candidate in sociology at the University of Southern California, Murphy is working on his dissertation, Flourishing in LA: Making Place in an Anti-Black Metropolis. The research focuses on where Black people feel good and how they do well in Los Angeles County. As part of the research, he is conducting a multi-year ethnography of Destination Crenshaw, a $100 million reparative development project, open-air museum, and nonprofit in the epicenter of Black culture in Los Angeles.

Murphy also researches Blackness and the responses to anti-Blackness in Brazil as racial demographics shift over the 21st century. His line of research explores placemaking, entrepreneurship, police killings, and racial ideologies in this country.

Murphy’s commitment to Notre Dame continues beyond his academic pursuits and graduation. He is involved with the Notre Dame Club of Los Angeles and previously served on the Black Alumni Board and the Undergraduate Experience Advisory Council. In 2019, he received a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from Vanderbilt University.

Erich Kerekes ’15

Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, Hallow

Major: Computer Science

Providing spiritual support to millions

Erich Kerekes ’15 is the CTO and co-founder of Hallow, a Catholic app offering resources on prayer, meditation, music, the Bible, and sleep. He coded the application and currently leads all of the product, tech, design, and analytics for the company. The app crossed 20 million downloads in 2024 and is the No. 1 Catholic app in the world.

Kerekes admits that his Catholic devotion was lacking before enrolling at Notre Dame, and it was not until his co-founder, 2019 Domer Dozen honoree Alex Jones ’15, approached him about Hallow that his faith journey was transformed as he embraced the contemplative and meditative aspects of Catholicism.

In five years, the Hallow team has raised more than $105 million in venture funding and the company has swelled to 80 employees.

Kerekes graduated summa cum laude from Notre Dame with a degree in computer science in 2015. In 2022, he and his co-founders, Jones and Alessandro DiSanto ’15, were named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, recognizing their impact and innovation in the tech and faith space.

Maj. Jordan Hoover ’14

T-38 Instructor Pilot, 469th Flying Training Squadron, United States Air Force

Major: Aerospace Engineering

Serving the nation in the air and his community on the ground

Major Jordan “BIFF” Hoover ’14 has been serving God, Country, and Notre Dame since he set foot on campus in 2010. He enrolled as an Air Force ROTC cadet, commissioned, and was selected to train at the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT) program.

After completing ENJJPT, Maj. Hoover became an F-15E Strike Eagle pilot and flew 120 combat missions over Iraq and Syria. He also led flights in numerous exercises including the first-ever F-15E deployment to the island on Tinian. He is now back at ENJJPT as an instructor pilot. In his role, he instructs students of 14 NATO countries as they work to become fighter pilots for the alliance.

Maj. Hoover serves his fellow Airmen as a volunteer Sexual Assault Prevention and Response cadre. In this work, he provides advocacy services to sexual assault victims and leads violence prevention training. Away from work, Jordan is active in the local amateur radio community where he uses his engineering skills to communicate with like-minded enthusiasts for learning, fun, and community service. This hobby led him to volunteer with Wichita County (Texas) SKYWARN, supporting the National Weather Service in identifying and reporting hazardous weather. He has also served as a cantor during his time in Alumni Hall and in numerous military chapels.

Maj. Hoover met his wife, Claire ’15, while in ROTC. They married in 2017 in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and navigated years of long-distance marriage while she was also serving active duty for the Air Force. With the birth of his daughter, Maria (1), and another child expected in early 2025, he and Claire have begun a new chapter in their marriage vocation.

Lauren Joseph ’23 EMNA

Junior Program Officer, The Leon Levine Foundation

Advancing programs and organizations that improve the human condition

Lauren Joseph ’23 is a philanthropic nonprofit professional who has dedicated her work and life to the service of others. At The Leon Levine Foundation, a Charlotte-based organization that invests in nonprofits across North Carolina and South Carolina, Joseph stewards a grant portfolio of more than 70 nonprofits. In her role, she conducts extensive due diligence in helping execute the Foundation’s annual disbursement of more than $30 million in awards.

As a student in Notre Dame’s Executive Masters in Nonprofit Administration (EMNA), Joseph partnered with a Notre Dame family to create a foundation in memory of their son and brother. Today, she continues to advise on strategy and serve on the board of the Zac Plantz Foundation. She injects confidence, energy, positivity, and a “can-do” spirit amongst her board colleagues. In three years, the foundation has amassed an endowment of more than $500,000 and funded local scholarships and grants in the Chicagoland area.

Joseph also serves as the vice president of the Notre Dame Club of Charlotte and volunteers with Pat’s Place Child Advocacy Center and the Humane Society. She received her bachelor’s degree in finance and economics in 2017 from Southern Illinois University, where she was captain of the women’s swim team.

Dr. Mark Brahier ’16

Internal Medicine Resident, Duke University Hospital

Major: Biology

Rising above and beyond clinical expertise to provide compassionate healthcare

As an internal medicine resident at Duke University Hospital, Dr. Mark Brahier ’16 is redefining what it means to provide compassionate care, combining his Catholic faith with his medical expertise to enhance the patient experience.

During his time at Notre Dame, Dr. Brahier was awarded the College of Science Dean’s Award, the Paul F. Ware M.D. Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award, and the Mr. and Mrs. Frank McDonald Senior Leader Fellowship, three of the highest honors a student can achieve at the University.

After graduating, Dr. Brahier earned his medical degree and a Master of Business Administration at Georgetown University. There, he re-established the Catholic Medical Association and revitalized the campus ministry by organizing spiritual formation events, Lenten lunches, the first medical student off-site retreat, and the annual Anatomical Donor Mass.

Dr. Brahier is now a third-year internal medicine resident at Duke University and intends to pursue additional training as a clinician-leader in the field of cardiac electrophysiology. Colleagues praise his commitment to excellent medical care and humanism as he expertly guides patients and their families through challenging medical situations, treating every patient with the utmost compassion and providing holistic care that addresses their physical, mental, and spiritual needs.

Mike McGlinchey ’17

Offensive Tackle, Denver Broncos

Major: Film, Television, and Theatre

Celebrating autistic individuals and advocating for their rights and needs

Mike McGlinchey ’17, now entering his seventh NFL season, may be most known for his success on a football field. Off it, he’s a tireless advocate for people with autism and special needs, a passion born when his younger brother Jimmy was diagnosed with autism at age two.

While with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022, McGlinchey served as the co-chair for the Silicon Valley Bocce Bash, an event that brings together Bay Area professional athletes with Special Olympics athletes and members of the community. Featuring bocce ball and cornhole tournaments, food and drinks, and an auction of 49ers memorabilia, the event provided an unforgettable experience for Special Olympians.

McGlinchey also partnered with Levi’s for several years on a holiday Shop with a Player event in San Francisco, spending a day shopping individuals from Autism Speaks and Football Camp for the Stars, which introduces kids with Down Syndrome to football.

The “My Cause, My Cleats” campaign is part of an annual collaboration between the NFL and players, which gives players an opportunity to represent their respective causes with custom-designed cleats in an effort to raise awareness and funding. During his first three seasons with the 49ers, Mike dedicated his shoes to Autism Speaks in honor of his brother.

A two-time captain and first-team All-American at Notre Dame, McGlinchey was drafted by the 49ers in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. An All-Rookie pick by PFWA in 2018, he helped the 49ers reach Super Bowl LIV in 2019 and multiple NFC Championship games. He’s now entering his second season with the Denver Broncos, where he started all 16 games he played in 2023.

McGlinchey and his wife, Brooke, welcomed their first child, Michael Sean “Tripp” McGlinchey III, on August 4, 2024.

Rachel Svetanoff ’15 M.S.

Visiting Associate of Policy and Practice, University of Notre Dame
Founder, Project Energy for Life Cameroon
Co-Founder, Global Futurist Initiative
Global Goals Ambassador Lead, United Nations Association of the USA

Working to end energy poverty and reduce multigenerational poverty in Cameroon

Rachel Svetanoff ’15 M.S. is an activist with a history of supporting efforts to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Her background as a global health professional has immersed her in cross-sector social impact, where she has learned to tackle societal challenges across 37 countries supporting more than 125 non-governmental organizations including known brands such as UNICEF USA, Johnson & Johnson, Sesame Street, and The Global Fund U.S.

In 2021, Svetanoff founded Project Energy for Life Cameroon, a community-centered, cross-sector consortium between Bronco Power Boost (an innovative solar power and technology company) and nonprofit organizations Unite for Health Foundation (providing maternal and child healthcare in rural Cameroon) and InternetBar.Org Institute (advancing access to justice and human rights). Her consortium delivers individual medical aid and solar power to the remote Elak Oku village, an underserved community where the electrical grid has failed for years. The region’s chieftain, HRM Fon Ngum IV, serves as a key leader and advisor on the project.

That same year, she co-founded the Global Futurist Initiative, an effort that has mobilized 72 organizations to prioritize youth issues and future generations in multilateral global agendas having built relationships with numerous UN agencies and affiliated institutions.

She is currently a visiting associate of policy & practice at Notre Dame’s Pulte Institute for Global Development, where she is conducting policy research on localizing the UN SDGs to Indiana. Her other current appointments include:

– UNA-USA Global Goals Ambassadors Lead
– U.S. Global Leadership Coalition Next Generation Leader
– Foreign Policy for America Next Gen Delegate
– International Monetary Fund Youth Fellow

Svetanoff earned her bachelor of science in chemistry and an MBA from Purdue University. She is one of Purdue’s most decorated young alumni, earning more than 10 honors and scholarships throughout her Boilermaker journey including the Young Alumni Impact Award and distinguished alumni Purdue Rising Professionals honor. In 2015, she earned her Master of Science in Global Health from Notre Dame’s Eck Institute for Global Health.

Sarah Beadle ’22 MBA

Senior Project Manager, GE Vernova

Innovating technologies to create a more sustainable future

Sarah Beadle ’22 MBA is helping manage the construction of the nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, overseeing all business operations for GE Vernova’s offshore wind farm being built in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Her work is helping the nation transition to alternate and sustainable sources of energy.

Prior to GE, Beadle served for seven years as one of the first female submarine officers in the U.S. Navy, rising to the rank of lieutenant. Her passion for sustainable energy was fostered as she trained with the Nuclear Power Training Unit and served aboard the USS Georgia, a guided missile Ohio class nuclear submarine. There, she led the Reactor Laboratory Division and went on to serve as the Tactical Systems Officer, Lock-out Chamber Officer, Anti-Terrorism Officer, and Strike Officer, earning a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

In 2020, Beadle arrived at Notre Dame to serve as an Assistant Professor of Naval Science and to complete her Master of Business Administration degree from the Mendoza College of Business. As part of the University’s Naval ROTC program, she mentored more than 200 undergraduate students and earned a second Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. As the Nuclear Propulsion Program Officer, Beadle also prepared students for interviews at Naval Reactors with a pass rate of 100 percent.

Beadle continues to support Notre Dame as a member of the ND Club of Boston. She hails originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and received her undergraduate degree in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Florida in 2015 where she was a member of that university’s Naval ROTC program and a member of Sigma Kappa sorority. She is also currently the president-elect of the New England Gator Club.