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Name: Johanna Chavez Barsotti ’02 
Location: Chicago, IL
Occupation: Marketing Professional
People of Influence: Tonia Triggiano, Robbi Byrdsong-Wright, and Sister Melissa Waters

Favorite DU Memory: My favorite college memory is from one quiet afternoon as I walked through the beautiful, empty dining hall at Dominican. It hit me that my journey wasn't just about earning a degree (as the first in my family to do so) but about becoming the person I wanted to be. I had met incredible people who shaped my path, including my husband. Dominican's stunning campus and its Caritas et Veritas motto helped me embrace the values of love and truth, deepening my connection to my family roots while teaching me to appreciate the beauty of other cultures. It was a journey of learning, appreciating, and never giving up.

Name: Lauryn D. Bergert ’21&�Բ�����;
Location: Chicago, IL
Occupation: Clinical Psychology Doctoral Candidate & Adjunct Faculty Member
People of Influence: Tina Taylor-Ritzler & Mark Carbonara

Favorite DU Memory: During my time at Dominican University, I discovered my voice and passion for social justice, advocacy work, and policy change. One of my favorite memories while I was at DU was being a part of the student leaders who advocated and established the Center for Cultural Liberation (CCL). This space continues to serve as a safe space for all students, especially those with marginalized identities to be uniquely and authenticity themselves.

Name: Romney J. Cirillo ’08 
Location: Riverside, IL
Occupation: Entrepreneur
People of Influence: Assortment of business professors
Favorite DU Memory: The excitement and unknown through creating my business in my last semester at Dominican.

Name: Rich Bodee ’17&�Բ�����;
Location: Chicago, IL
Occupation: Writer/Producer for NewsNation
People of Influence: Dr. John Jenks
Favorite DU Memory: The last basketball game I played. I hit a 3 pointer to tie the game with 2.8 seconds left.

Name: Dan De La Cruz ’02 
Location: Chicago, IL
Occupation: Insurance Agent
People of Influence: Dan Beach and Marci Hermisdorf
Favorite DU Memory: Study abroad and working in the technology center in the lower level of Lewis Hall.

Name: Erika Corona-Owens ’08 
Location: Chicago, IL
Occupation: Marketing Leader
People of Influence: MaDonna Thelen was an incredible trailblazer for our University in the realm of service learning. At her core, she believed in the power of civic engagement and emphasized the importance of students recognizing how they could make a difference early in their academic careers. MaDonna taught me the significance of humility and the value of community partnerships.
Favorite DU Memory: Studying late at night in the Noonan Reading Room (Old Library) with friends.

Name: David DeMarco ’18 
Location: Palos Heights
Occupation: Mechanical Engineer/Project Manager
People of Influence: Mark Carbanara and Doug Burchett
Favorite DU Memory: Being a part of the 2018 Men's Volleyball Final Four team

Name: Nick Diasio ’06, MBA ’10&�Բ�����;
Location: Phoenix, Az
Occupation: VP, Senior Relationship Manager
People of Influence: Professor Calabrese and Professor Condon
Favorite DU Memory: I always enjoyed being on campus and in class learning from my peers, but graduation is my favorite memory.

Name: Lisette Rodriguez-Cabezas ’06 
Location: Chicago, IL
Occupation: Physician
People of Influence: Drs. Margaret Jonah, Robert Faltynek, Gerald Gulley, Brent Friesen, David Craig, Nkuzi Nnam, Christopher Cuomo
Favorite DU Memory: I have so many it's difficult to choose. I'll never forget my intro to philosophy class with Dr. Nkuzi Nnam, spending most of my time in the old science building with my favorite biology/chemistry/physics professors, and just how at home I always felt on campus. Dominican University always embraced everyone, no matter their background, and they celebrated what makes each person unique. That universal love is truly what makes the Dominican a special institution.

Name: Meg Hoppe ’08 
Location: Bay Area, California
Occupation: External Communications at LinkedIn
People of Influence: The Campus Activities and Residence Life staff. I met my best friends through clubs and being a Resident Assistant.
Favorite DU Memory: Being an RA. I realize that's not just one thing, but it captures so many of my favorite parts about DU. Memories like the frenzied last-minute door dec sprints, where you'd get like 10 RAs in the Campus Activities Center furiously making decorations at midnight the night before they were due. Or the chaotic and wonderful residents who would earnestly ask things like, "hypothetically, would a hamster break the 'no pets' policy?" I spent two years answering pointed questions about pizza nights and using more rubber cement and glitter than I have in the 17 years since, and they were the best memories from college.

Name: Patrick D. Hughes ’10&�Բ�����;
Location: Chicago, IL
Occupation: Physician specialized in Neonatology
People of Influence: Alyssa Braun, Robert Faltynek, Clodagh Weldon, Mickey Sweeney and Erick Baumann
Favorite DU Memory: Meeting my future wife who was in my freshman class at Dominican is my favorite memory. A close second was my DU-sponsored internship at Rush-Oak Park Hospital with Dr. Nash, a general surgeon, and being allowed to scrub in for his cases while he actively taught me throughout various surgeries. This opportunity further inspired my pursuit towards medical school.

Name: Marilyn Freehill Jancewicz ’68&�Բ�����;
Location: Forest Park, IL
Occupation: Retired English teacher and DU Staff/Faculty member in the School of Education
People of Influence: Sister Joan O'Shea and Sister Colleen McNicholas
Favorite DU Memory: The Rosary College Glee Club's 1966 trip to New York City to perform at the World's Fair.  We sang at the Vatican Exhibit. The Pieta was nearby our singing venue and it took my breath away.

Name: Linda Gentile Korbel ’71&�Բ�����;
Location: Palatine, IL
Occupation: Retired Dean of Liberal Arts, Oakton College
People of Influence: Sister George Lennon and Sister Jean Murray
Favorite DU Memory: As a “commuter,” spending time between classes with friends in The Grill and outdoors on the beautiful campus! I also very much enjoyed the beautiful ceremonies associated with commencement.

Name: Mia Sara Mendez ’21&�Բ�����;
Location: Chicago
Occupation: Program Manager
People of Influence: I feel so grateful to Mark Carbonara for always being there for me and continually uplifting and empowering me. I would also like to shout out the following professors that have had a profound impact on me: Jose Blanco, Melissa Carr, Mike Kiyosaki, Gema Ortega, and Alfred Rosenbloom,. They were all so supportive and motivating during my time at DU. I feel incredibly grateful to have had such wonderful professors.
Favorite DU Memory: Some of my fondest memories were at DU, so it's hard to pick just one! I would say being a SOAR leader the summer of my Sophomore year and the Fashion Show every year.

Name: Sarah Odeh ’19, MSA ’22 
Location: Bolingbrook, IL
Occupation: Public Accountant & Adjunct Professor at Dominican
People of Influence: Dr. Bob and Dr. CJ had the greatest influence on me during my time at Dominican. They always supported my decisions, encouraged me to be a curious thinker, and guided me into the person I am today. Even after I graduated, I had the opportunity to return and show Dominican to high school students, sharing with them the same things that initially sparked my passion.
Favorite DU Memory: My favorite memory was attending the Emerging Leaders Retreat. My team, Shields, worked so well together, and it was the best way to spend a weekend during my freshman year. I got to know so many people on a deeper level, and although there were vulnerable moments, those memories shaped me into the leader I am today and helped me build lasting connections with my Dominican peers.

Name: Jean Rasmussen ’70&�Բ�����;
Location: Lemont, IL
Occupation: Retired Secondary Language Arts teacher; Professional Development instructor
People of Influence: Sister Cyrille Gill, Sister Candida Lund, Sister Jeremy Finnegan, Sister Joan O'Shea, Sister Gregory Duffy, Dr. Leota Hirsch. These are just a few who challenged and mentored me and all their students.
Favorite DU Memory: So many to choose from four happy years, but these stand out: the fun on first floor Coughlin freshman year and those friendships that endure; late nights with popcorn in the "hyphens”; conversations at the table long past dinner; Halloween (in costumes) and Christmas parties in the Social Hall; our Sophomore Class show; surviving and enjoying the January 1967 blizzard; participating as the only first year (terrified) student in a small seminar with Hannah Arendt; running across the upper cloister walk or through the tunnels to get to class on time; filling dining hall bowls with ice cream and storing them on outside window ledges; late nights in the swimming pool; white tablecloth dinners on Wednesdays and Sundays; visits to the Grill near midnight; guitar Masses in the Chapel, Coughlin Lounge, and the hyphens; caroling with candles at dawn in graduation gowns on St. Nicholas Day; scraping up the spilled St. Nicholas candle wax on every dorm floor; difficult discussions about Vietnam; waiting for the old library stacks to open when Sister Albertus Magnus entered and announced Dr. King had been assassinated; the cancellation of "Chicago Seven" attorney William Kunstler's speech and Sister Candida's patient commitment to multiple listening sessions following student complaints; Dr. Hirsch standing on the classroom desk proclaiming, "I come not to praise Nixon, but to bury him" after the Kent State student deaths; the peace, friendship, and promise felt at our Candle and Rose ceremony on a beautiful May night; all my smart, joyful 1970 classmates, those fondly remembered, and those who still gather to laugh and reminisce.

Name: Melissa Rohman ’17&�Բ�����;
Location: Chicago, IL
Occupation: Communications Specialist and Freelance Journalist
People of Influence: John Jenks, Sister Melissa, Sister Marci, Douglas Keberlein Gutierrez, Krista Hansen, Dianne Costanzo
Favorite DU Memory: Spending Saturday's at production day for the Dominican Star newspaper, making lifelong friends in the residence halls, getting omelettes for breakfast in the dining hall, being a student worker in the office of alumnae/i relations, performing in DUPAC productions, and many more.