Life After GA: Major & Career Exploration

The goal of this unique US program is to connect students to alums who will share their personal stories about how to make the best use of their GA education, not only their academics but their co-curricular experiences. Alumni will speak about how GA prepared them to take advantage of resources in college for internships, study abroad programs, research, and in general, connecting with professors in ways that catalyze their passions and interests, providing pathways for the future of work. Please read the bios of GA alum panelists below.

BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Dan Chauveau '10

National Bank Examiner, The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (Dept. of US Treasury)
Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Finance Major, University of Pittsburgh

Hi All! Proud alum glad to be back. Some quick background for you all on my experiences since GA; Pitt undergrad -> Armstrong World Industries -> Finpro Inc. -> The OCC (my current position). My career has focused on corporate finance and banking to put my college degree to work, and my current position within banking affords me a lot of exposure into various industries, glad to share with all of you about that. Outside of work I love getting out for hikes and skiing. Excited to get a chance to talk with you all!

Emily Denisco '10

Technical Advisor, Volpe Koenig
BA in Biology, Mount Holyoke College
J.D. from Drexel University School of Law

I attended Mount Holyoke as I wanted a Liberal Arts school where I could focus on science but also take a variety of classes. While at Mount Holyoke I decided med school wasn’t what I wanted but I also didn’t want to work in a lab. I learned about Intellectual Property Law and interned at a firm during undergrad and loved it and decided to apply to law school. I attended Drexel Law. I now work in IP Law, mainly focusing on patents and assist some of the largest companies in the world protect their ideas.

Kiernan McCloskey '13

Fixed Income Analyst, Chartwell Investment Partners
Bachelor of Science in Finance, Lehigh University
Master of Science in Finance from Villanova University

Kiernan attended Lehigh University, where she majored in Finance and was a member of the Women's Basketball Team. She completed her education by earning her Masters in Finance from Villanova University. Kiernan began her career as a Real Estate Valuations Analyst with Duff & Phelps before transitioning to her current role as a Fixed Income Analyst with Chartwell Investment Partners. In this role, Kiernan helps with researching and reporting on fixed income securities in order to manage money for institutional clients.

Eliza (Liza) McDevitt '08

Financial Advisor, Raymond James
BBA, Process Management & Consulting with a Marketing Concentration; Minor: Kinesiology, The College of William & Mary
University of Pennsylvania, Masters in Applied Positive Psychology

As a management consultant turned Financial Advisor, Liza loves all aspects of business. But her favorite part of her profession is the people she gets to work with. She works on a family team with clients of all types. She also coaches U Penn Women's Water Polo and works with high school and college athletics teams on cognitive skills.

HEALTHCARE

Erin Fenerty '12
(unable to attend but welcomes outreach from students!)

Registered Nurse, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Psychology, Dickinson College
Thomas Jefferson University - Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Western Governors University - Masters of Science in Nursing Education

After GA, Erin went on to Dickinson College to earn a degree of Psychology. Then continued education at Thomas Jefferson University for a bachelor of science in Nursing. Started my nursing career at CHOP over four years ago in the Cardiac, Pediatric, and Neonatal Intensive Care Units. Now, I permanently work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on the core surgical team. I recently earned my Masters in Nursing Education and have begun teaching nursing students at both Jefferson and Temple University.

Josie Pizzino '15

Second Year Graduate Student, Delaware Valley University (my grad school)
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology; Minor in History, Moravian University
Current Delaware Valley University Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology Candidate

After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Moravian University in 2019, I spent 18 months as a Research Assistant and Clinical Research Coordinator at Abington Neurological Associates. I managed six clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease. Many of my duties included screening patients, data entry, source documentation, processing laboratory specimens, working closely with the Principal Investigator to ensure protocol guidelines are being met and patients are safe as well as acting as a liaison between the site and the sponsor. Following this job experience, I began my journey to becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor. Currently, I am a second-year graduate student at Delaware Valley University pursuing my Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology in the Child and Adolescent track. This semester, I started my internship experience with Lakeside Girls Academy.

Caroline Sloane '16

Psychotherapist (LMSW), Metropolitan Center for Mental Health (where I practice as a psychotherapist)
Also in post-graduate training program- Metropolitan Insititute for Training In Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (MITPP)
BA in Psychology, Bucknell University
NYU Silver School of Social Work - MSW

Hi everyone! My name is Caroline Sloane. I am 25 years old working as a psychotherapist in New York City. I graduated from Bucknell University in 2020 with a major in Psychology. Afterward, I attended and graduated from NYU's Silver School of Social Work, a clinical program. I graduated with my MSW from NYU in May 2022. I am now in my post-graduate clinical training program in Adult Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy while practicing as a psychotherapist at a clinic called Metropolitan Center for Mental Health (MCMH). I am gaining hours and training toward my LCSW license in the hopes to open up my own private practice one day.

Tyler Thurlow '14

Registered Nurse, The Mount Sinai Hospital
Nursing, Boston College

After graduating from Boston College's Connell School of Nursing in 2018, Tyler's first nursing position was as a Registered Nurse at the University of Maryland Medical Center's Cardiac Surgery ICU. Here, he developed and refined his critical thinking and nursing skills as a new graduate nurse. He then took a similar position at the Mount Sinai Hospital on Manhattan's Upper East Side where he not only continued working as a clinical bedside nurse in a Cardiac Surgery ICU, but became more involved with clinical nursing education, leadership development, and advocacy for the improvement of nursing working conditions. An avid runner who has completed 7 marathons (including the Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston Marathons), Tyler also enjoys watching Philadelphia sports and playing frisbee with his dog Maxine.

LIBERAL ARTS

Michael Garbose '12

Head of Market Intelligence, Gopuff
B.A., Political Science, University of Michigan

After GA, I graduated from the University of Michigan where I studied Political Science and played club baseball. After working in consulting for a few years, I joined Gopuff, a Philly-area startup that delivers everything you need in 30 minutes. I currently lead Gopuff's market and competitive intelligence efforts and live in Philadelphia with my wife, Samantha.

Kristen Koepsell '08

Commercial Leadership Development Program Associate, Bristol Myers Squibb
BA, Biology, Mount Holyoke College
MS, Biomedical Sciences - Tufts University School of Medicine
MBA - UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School

Kristen is a Commercial Leadership Development Program Associate at Bristol Myers Squibb. Her current rotation is in Value, Access, and Payment Market Research, and in February, Kristen will begin working with the US Cell Therapy Franchise Marketing Team. Prior to earning her MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler, Kristen worked at a healthcare tech startup and earned her MS in Biomedical Sciences from Tufts University School of Medicine.

Annie Marshall '08

Counsel, Aramark
B.A., Political Science, Dickinson College
Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law (J.D.)

Annie is Counsel at Aramark where she provides legal support across multiple lines of Aramark’s businesses, primarily focusing on the Sports & Entertainment and Corrections divisions of Aramark. Annie advises these business sectors on contract negotiations, risk exposure, corporate policies and regulatory compliance matters. Prior to joining Aramark, Annie was a law firm associate specializing in civil defense litigation.

Morgan Rees '15

Strategy Analyst, FHI 360
BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) with French minor, University of Pennsylvania

At GA, I loved my photography and English classes, being a writing center tutor, and running on the cross country team. I chose UPenn because of its focus on interdisciplinary liberal arts learning, and when I got there, I decided on an integrated major called Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). For my career, the most important part of my college experience was a student club I joined called Penn International Impact Consulting, which works on strategy projects with non-profits. I fell in love with it and decided I wanted a career doing that kind of work. To first gain some experience in the business world, I participated in the business school recruiting cycle and joined a company that provides strategy consulting to Fortune 100 companies. After two grueling years as a consultant, I found my dream job (and significantly more work-life balance) on the strategy team of an international development non-profit in DC.

VISUAL ARTS

Lisa Lotito '08

Art Director, STUDIO 56
BA in History, Minor in Middle East Studies (Arabic), Schreyer Honors College, Penn State
Penninghen (Académie Julian), MA in Art Direction

Lisa Lotito is an art director, designer, and founder of STUDIO 56. She works in brand strategy, visual identity, copywriting, web design, and assets for social. She is also the host of the podcast NFT FOR TWO, a conversation with creatives, and is the crypto artist // AEGEAN. The majority of STUDIO 56's clients are based in NY, SF, Philadelphia, and Paris. They include startups in the health and tech space, international luxury brands, museums, musicians, dancers, and more.
Her website is www.studio56.xyz

Megan McCloskey '14

Marketing Programs Director, SEI Workforce Development, SEI
Major in Public Relations, Minor in Business, Pennsylvania State University

A 2014 graduate of GA and 2018 graduate of Penn State, Megan has been working for almost 5 years at SEI, a financial services company in Oaks, PA. At SEI, she is currently a Marketing Programs Director in the company’s Workforce Development group. In this position, Megan creates and manages the marketing strategy for a workforce-related initiatives, including Recruiting, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Learning & Development. Outside of her work with SEI, Megan started and runs a DIY (do it yourself) business called DIYmonds in the Rough, refurbishing furniture, and creating DIY crafts for special events.

MAKING THE MOST OF GA

Katherine Commale '19

Associate Consultant, Veeva Systems
B.S. Biological Sciences, Minor in Psychology, Saint Joseph's University
Study Abroad: The American University of Rome (Fall 2021) + DIS-Copenhagen (Spring 2022)

I am a senior at Saint Joseph's University pursuing a degree in Biological Sciences with a minor in Psychology. On campus, I'm involved in the McNulty Scholars Program for Leadership in Science and Mathematics, Undergraduate Psychology Research, Club Running, Alpha Phi, and the Center for International Programs.

During my junior year, I completed a year-long study abroad program in Rome, Italy and Copenhagen, Denmark. I absolutely fell in love with travel and was able to build upon my interest in global healthcare.
This summer I am moving to New York City (and living with a fellow GA alum!) and joining Veeva Systems as an Associate Consultant. Veeva Systems is a cloud-computing company focused on pharmaceutical and life sciences industry applications.

Dean Millard '21

Sophomore at Villanova University, studying Political Science

My name is Dean Millard and I am currently a sophomore student at Villanova University majoring in Political Science. I plan to attend Law School after graduating from Villanova and I would run for public office in the future. Additionally, I have interests in broadcasting and journalism. I began my GA journey in 9th grade and was a House Prefect in Osbourn House. I played basketball and baseball at GA, played the saxophone in the Symphonic Band, wrote for the Edition Newspaper, co-founded the Germantown Academy Mentoring Experience (G.A.M.E.), was a Patriot Ambassador, co-founded GA TV, served on the Upper School Senior Leadership Council, and served in the Student Government Association all four years of high school.

Grace Polisano '16

Law student
Business major and Spanish minor, Franklin and Marshall College
JD at Villanova Law School

I was a NCAA Division III student-athlete at Franklin and Marshall College. Following my volleyball career, I continued onto Villanova Law School. I am currently in my third year and will be working for a firm in New York City following the bar exam.

Ken Anderson '13

Assistant Director of Inclusion and Advocacy at Episcopal Community Services (ECS), Philadelphia
B.A. in Leadership Studies and American Studies, University of Richmond
University of Richmond School of Law (J.D.)

After GA, I attended the University of Richmond where I studied Leadership and American Studies and, after a summer interning on Capitol Hill, returned to Richmond to attend the University of Richmond School of Law. After sitting for the bar exam, I worked on the Voter Protection Team for the Biden campaign in 2020 and served on the Policy Team of a Virginia gubernatorial campaign. I moved back to Philadelphia in 2021 to join the ECS team where I oversee parish advocacy efforts, agency policy initiatives and DEI strategies. I love all things history and politics and have written two books – one on the history of GA!

PERFORMING ARTS

Helen Liu Gerhold '14
(unable to attend but welcomes outreach from students!)
Helenliug@verizon.net

Executive Director/Professional Harpist, The Lyra Society/Professional Harp @ self
Bachelor’s in Music, Harp Performance, Curtis Institute of Music
Currently an Executive MBA candidate 2024 @ Villanova School of Business

Helen Liu Gerhold is a seasoned international award-winning recording, orchestral, chamber, and solo harpist. Most recently, her awards include a GRAMMY award and two GRAMMY nominations for a Buffalo Philharmonic world premiere album on which she played Principal Harp. With glowing reviews from the Philadelphia Inquirer and Huffington Post, she performs regularly in The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera in NYC, and will go on Europe tours with each orchestra later this year. She has soloed in Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center and enjoys teaching in masterclasses and at Swarthmore College. In addition to her harpist career, she is in her 4th year as Executive Director of The Lyra Society - a women-run nonprofit that gives harps, harp lessons, and college and financial aid guidance for free to underresourced students in Philly and the Bronx. 100% of Lyra’s students attend college every year and many are first in their families to do so. She is also currently receiving her Executive MBA at the Villanova School of Business.

Emma Hearn '14

Actor / Germantown Academy Performing Arts Associate Teacher and Belfry Assistant
BFA in Musical Theatre, Texas State University

After graduating from GA in 2014, Emma pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre at Texas State University. Thereafter, she moved to New York City and worked as a professional actor both On and Off-Broadway, as well as in touring and regional productions across the country. In March of 2020, Emma was days away from making her Broadway debut in Diana: the Musical, where she understudied Princess Diana. With the on-going disruption from the pandemic in the theatre industry, she welcomed the opportunity last fall to work in the Middle and Upper School Performing Arts Department at GA, where she's been able to explore her passion for teaching.

Sophie Hearn '15

BFA in Acting, Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University

After graduating from GA in 2015, Sophie attended conservatory at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. While at Mason Gross, she also received classical training at Shakespeare's Globe in London. Since graduating from Mason Gross in 2019, she's worked professionally in the theater industry, both regionally and (briefly) on Broadway. She currently lives in NYC, works day jobs, and auditions weekly.

Rachel Roth '21

Sophomore at The Hartt School of Music at University of Hartford
Working towards Bachelor in Fine Arts in Musical Theater

After graduating from GA in 2021, Rachel began pursuing her BFA in Musical Theatre with a minor in Creative Writing at the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford. She has performed in educational, local and professional productions, including originating the role of Tempi in Fever Production’s: Genie’s Secret Bazaar! She’s excited to continue her educational career throughout these next few years of collegiate training!

Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM)

Emily Fouraker '10

Regional Operations Manager, Agilent Technologies
Bachelor of Science - Double Major (Natural Resource Management and Agriculture & Natural Resources) and Double Minor (Resource Economics and Wildlife Conservation), University of Delaware
University of Washington - MBA

Today, I manage a small team focused on Inventory Operations for Agilent Technologies' Americas Region and just recently completed an MBA. Prior to that though, I wanted to be many things - a veterinarian, an animal behaviorist, an economist, an agribusiness consultant, an artist...

What I have learned along the way, is that your journey is just as important as the degrees you receive (if not more so).
With a Bachelor of Science, I have spent a lot of time learning about the intersection of technical/scientific roles and business and would like to share it with all of you!

Maggie (Ebbott) Haviland '10

Program Manager, Comcast
Business Management (International Concentration) Spanish Minor, Clemson University

Maggie runs the Asset Management Program on the Cyber Security Team at Comcast. Aside from her full time job at Comcast, Maggie is a part time yoga teacher. She is a wife and mother of a 2 year old girl as well.

Natalie Negro '08

Corporate Clinical Documentation Integrity Manager, Penn Medicine
BSN, Nursing, The University of Pennsylvania
Drexel University- Executive MPH

Natalie Negro, MPH, BSN, RN, CCDS, graduated from GA in 2008, received her BSN and a minor in Classical Studies from UPenn in 2012, and earned her Executive MPH from Drexel University’s School of Public Health in 2017. Natalie currently serves as the Corporate Manager of Clinical Documentation Integrity at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. In her role at Penn Medicine, Natalie manages a team of 13 clinicians who review medical records to ensure accurate documentation of clinical diagnoses for coding, reimbursement, quality data, and research purposes. She also serves on the ACDIS National Forms and Tools Committee and is an active and published member of the ACDIS Leadership Council. Natalie’s favorite activities include reading for fun, going for long walks with her 2 year old Anna, 4 month old twins Vincent and Violet, and/or her 2 year old golden doodle Blueberry, and escaping rooms with her clever husband Erick.

Zach Ross '13

Guidance, Nav, & Control Engineer Sr, Government Relations, Hypersonic Flight Test, IMU Program Manager, Lockheed Martin
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Bucknell University
Master of Science in Aeorspace Engineering, University of Southern California
Master of Science in Engineering Management, University of Southern California

I currently work as a Guidance, Navigation, and Control Engineer Sr on Strategic Systems, Hypersonics, and Flight Test Campaign Planning and Coordination for Corporate-Wide Integrated Flight Tests.