September 2, 2021

Dr. Rene Bermea ’12

Clinical Fellow, Harvard Medical School Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, Massachusetts General Hospital / Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Center for Transplantation Sciences, Massachusetts General Hospital MAJORS: BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHILOSOPHY   Since his youth, Dr. Rene Bermea ’12 has understood the profound impact that biomedical research has on people’s lives. He…

September 2, 2021

Matt Conaghan ’15

Head of Marketing, Change Donations MAJOR: MARKETING   In 2019, Matt Conaghan ’15 hopped a one-way flight from Washington, D.C., to Dublin. After leaving his copywriting role with Ogilvy & Mather, his journey to the Emerald Isle led him to the opposite end of the marketing spectrum and into the world of nonprofit fundraising at…

September 2, 2021

Dr. Claire Conley ’12

Assistant Professor of Oncology, Georgetown University MAJOR: PSYCHOLOGY   The journey to clinical psychology was a deeply personal one for Dr. Claire Conley ’12. Having witnessed her mother, aunt, and grandmother undergo breast cancer diagnosis and treatment — all surviving — Conley answered the call to devote her work to supporting other women through their…

September 2, 2021

Kiersten DeHaven ’14

COO Kidame Mart MAJORS: POLITICAL SCIENCE, SPANISH MINOR   Resourcefulness, relentless drive, and service have guided Kiersten DeHaven ’14 throughout her young career. From her service stint in the Peace Corps to her current role as COO of the for-profit social enterprise Kidame Mart, she has exhibited a commitment to supporting less fortunate women and…

September 2, 2021

Dr. Austin Hickman ’16

Co-Founder and CEO, Soctera, Inc. MAJOR: ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING   Austin Hickman ’16 has always had an eye for business, but his predilection for science led him down the path of electrical engineering as a Notre Dame undergraduate. He followed his passion for research to Cornell, where his graduate studies focused on the development of aluminum…

September 2, 2021

Michael Hillmer ’17

Cyber Warfare Officer, U.S. Air Force; Graduate Student, Georgia Tech MAJOR: COMPUTER ENGINEERING   As a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force, Captain Michael Hillmer ’17 has dedicated his life to the defense of his country. But his duty extends far beyond America’s borders. Though his exceptional work ethic has served him well as…

September 2, 2021

Marissa Koscielski ’17, ’18 M.S.

Founder, Enlighten Mobility; Clinical Director, 3Spine MAJORS: MATHEMATICS, ESTEEM   Not walking again was not an option for Marissa Koscielski ’17, ’18 M.S. That was the prognosis she received in 2013 following a procedure to remove a mass from her spine. The surgery had left her paralyzed from the waist down on her left side….

September 2, 2021

Zoe (Rote) Kourajian ’16

Social Studies Teacher, Edgewood Middle School MAJORS: POLITICAL SCIENCE; EDUCATION, SCHOOLING & SOCIETY MINOR   Now entering her fifth year as a middle school social studies teacher, Zoe (Rote) Kourajian ’16 discovered her vocation to public education under the mentorship of Dr. Stuart Greene and Dr. Maria McKenna at Notre Dame. In the years since,…

September 2, 2021

Sarah Mervosh ’12

National Correspondent, The New York Times MAJORS: PSYCHOLOGY AND ARABIC, JED MINOR   For much of the past year and a half, Sarah Mervosh ’12 has worked tirelessly to document coronavirus outbreaks, investigate government failures during the pandemic, and examine the complicated grief of the nation as a national correspondent for The New York Times….

September 2, 2021

Tia B. Paulette ’18 J.D.

Assistant Attorney General MAJOR: LAW   As the Founding President of the Notre Dame Law School’s Exoneration Project, Tia B. Paulette ’18 J.D.’s influence will be a lasting one at the University and in the State of Indiana. By reviving the school’s dormant club — at the time affiliated with the separate Innocence Project —…