Category: Alumni

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Alumni Speakers for Dec. 6

“Engineering Pathways”

Zoom Link

Alumni-Student Mentor Networking

Sunday, December 6, 5-6 pm

Join via the Zoom link.

Please join us for the fourth presentation of our Balfour Alumni-Student Network series featuring our alumni speakers:

Genaro Andazola, ND Class of 2015 (Electrical Engineering), Embedded Software Engineering at GE Healthcare in Milwaukee, WI.

Ihuoma “Oma” Nwaogwugwu, ND Class of 2016 (Dual Degree in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Design), Competency Engineering for 3D Printing at HP in San Diego.

Pat Rick Ntwari, ND Class of 2017 (Dual Degree in Aerospace Engineering and French), Aeromechanics Engineering for the Edison Engineering Development Program at GE Aviation.

Genaro Andazola ’15

Genaro Andazola works as a Senior Software Engineer for the Maternal Infant Care  (MIC) business in GE Healthcare, writing software to help send moms and babies home healthy. He grew up in Juárez, México and crossed the border each day to attend school in El Paso, TX. 

Genaro is a 2015 ND grad with a BS in Electrical Engineering and a 2020 Georgia Tech grad with an MS in Computer Science. He started his career with GE Transportation in the Edison Program, an engineering rotational program. He held rotations in Control Systems, Embedded Software, and Design Research/UX. He then moved to GE Healthcare, when he joined the MIC team as an Embedded Software Engineer. 

From an early age, he learned of the importance of giving back through his Catholic faith and his upbringing. At Notre Dame, he was a student worker at Multicultural Student Programs and Services, a volunteer with the Gender Relations Center, and a table leader for the Latino Freshman Retreat. At work, Genaro runs the Hispanic Intern Mentorship Program, improving hiring outcomes for Hispanic interns at GE Healthcare. He is also a Big Brother for Big Brothers Big Sisters Milwaukee. 

Outside of work, you can find him cooking, biking in the Milwaukee lakefront, or learning to play ukulele

Ihuoma Nwaogwugwu ’16

huoma Nwaogwugwu is a 2011 Balfour-Hesburgh Scholar and graduated in 2016 with degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Design through the Reilly Dual-Degree Program. At Notre Dame, Ihuoma threw the weight & hammer on the Track Team, and was a very active member in the African Students Association and the Voices of Faith Gospel Choir. She also conducted undergraduate research with Professor Stanisic in the College of Engineering.

Ihuoma is currently a 3D Printing Competency Engineer at Hewlett-Packard in San Diego, California, where she works directly with Multi Jet Fusion Technology prototyping and production machines.

Pat Rick Ntwari ’17

Pat Rick Ntwari is based in the Boston area and is working as a test engineer at GE Aviation, where he works with interdisciplinary and collaborative teams to develop and ready aircraft engines for development tests. He recently graduated from the rotational Edison Engineering Development Program (EEDP), an early-career program focused on developing future engineering leaders. 

Pat Rick holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering and a BA in French from the University of Notre Dame as well as a MS in Computer Engineering from Boston University. 

While at Notre Dame, Pat Rick participated in several activities across the spectrum of university life. He was involved in the setup of PrismND, participated in the National Society of Black Engineers, contributed to the University’s efforts to fight sexual assault as a FIRE Starter, led the Systems design on the Notre Dame Rocketry Team, and so on. 

His other interests include literature, outdoor activities & food. He is an avid traveler, and is always eager to discuss the differences between the various regions and cultures of the world.

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Alumni Speaker for Oct. 25

“Careers in Education, Advocacy, and Public Service”

Zoom Link

Alumni-Student Mentor Networking

Sunday, October 25, 5-6 pm

Join via the Zoom link.

Please join us for the third presentation of our Balfour Alumni-Student Network series featuring our alumni speakers:

Dr. Veronica Alonzo, ND Class of 1997 (Pre-Med, Spanish), Associate Superintendent of the Diocese of Dallas; previously middle school math and science teacher through the Alliance for Catholic Education.

Jasmine Brown, ND Class of 2005 (History, Africana Studies), 8th Grade Social Studies Teacher, Navarre Middle School-South Bend; community activist and founder of the Dig In Supper Series.

Jourdan Sorrell, ND Class of 2006 (Anthropology), President of J. Sorrell Consulting, LLC, a global strategic firm that supports inclusive economic development and supplier diversity.

Veronica Alonzo, class of ’97

Dr. Veronica Alonzo has worked for 23 years in numerous Catholic schools in the Diocese of Austin and Dallas. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in pre medicine and Spanish, she began her educational career via the Alliance for Catholic Education as a middle school math and science teacher. She went on to teach in high school, followed by becoming the principal of a private Catholic independent high school. She returned to Dallas in 2016 in her current role. Veronica is a first generation high school and college graduate to immigrant parents who was born and raised in South Bend, IN. She is the oldest of five children, all of whom have gone on to earn a college degree. Her parents instilled the love of learning and the love for Our Lady of Guadalupe; together these passions have propelled her to succeed within Catholic Schools. She works hard for the future of the Catholic Church, to make sure that it offers and delivers the same opportunities as with past generations. She is married to Javier and has a daughter and son and four grandchildren.

Jasmine Brown, class of ’05

Jasmine Brown graduated from Notre Dame in 2005 with a major in history and minor in Africana Studies. She is a home-grown South Bend resident and teaches 8th grade social studies at Navarre Middle School in the Empowerment Zone, one of five South Bend schools in the “transformation zone” under Indiana law. These schools dramatically improve the outcomes for their students within a structure that gives educators significant autonomy and support to create a customized educational experience for students.  Jasmine is a community activist with a deep passion for youth and South Bend’s West Side community. She is also Co-Founder of the Dig In Supper Series, a grassroots project that organizes communal meals to build relationships, promote truth-telling, and take action to foster multiracial democracy. 

Jourdan Sorrell, class of ’06

A true collaborator, Jourdan thrives in helping small businesses, local governments and nonprofits stay focused and connected while executing large scale programs. He is able to challenge those he works with, while bringing out the best in others. Jourdan believes that all things are possible when passion, purpose and community meet. An ardent supporter of inclusive economic development and supplier diversity, Jourdan is the President of J. Sorrell Consulting, LLC, a global strategic firm that he started in 2020. Jourdan is an avid listener of NPR’s How I Built This, reader of Block Club Chicago and enjoys bike riding along Chicago’s lakefront. Jourdan has a BA from the University of Notre Dame. 

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Alumni Speakers for Sep. 20

Zoom Link

“Medical School and Career Journeys”

Alumni-Student Mentor Networking

Sunday, September 20, 5-6 PM

Join via the Zoom link here.

Balfour Scholars, please join us this Sunday afternoon for the second presentation of our Balfour Alumni-Student Network series featuring our alumni speakers:

Dr. Alexis Phillips-Walker, Pediatrician (Houston, TX), Balfour Summer 2002/ND Class of 2006

Charley Jang, 3rd-Year Medical Student, UCLA School of Medicine, Balfour Summer 2003/ND Class of 2017

Ashley Kyalwazi, 2nd-Year Medical Student, Harvard School of Medicine, Balfour Summer 2004/ND Class of 2018

Dr. Phillips-Walker, Charley, and Ashley will share their experiences and wisdom on how to prepare for medical school applications, what to expect in med school, and what the start of a medical career looks like. For their full bios please see below.

Charley Jang

Charley Jang grew up in the Bay Area, California. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2017. He recently finished his third year of medical school at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He is currently taking a year off to pursue a master’s degree at UCLA. After medical school, Charley looks forward to pursuing an internal medicine residency where he hopes to work with underserved populations and help bridge gaps in medicine. His other interests and hobbies include sports, outdoor activities, traveling, and food.

Ashley Kyalwazi

Ashley Kyalwazi is a third-year medical student at Harvard Medical School, originally from Sacramento CA and ND class of 2018 (Neuroscience Major, STV minor). Her academic interests include Internal Medicine, Immunology, health disparities research, and pipeline programming. When she is not being a medical student, she enjoys spending time outdoors- hiking in the Northeast, biking, and playing soccer, tennis, and basketball with friends.

Alexis Phillips-Walker

Alexis Phillips-Walker, D.O., is a pediatrician serving patients ages newborn to 18. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Phillips-Walker completed her residency at Authority Health/Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine where she trained at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit. Prior to residency, she completed a two-year post baccalaureate program, Medical/Dental Education Preparatory Program (MEDPREP) at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. At a young age, Dr. Phillips-Walker was inspired to study medicine after getting to know the nurses and doctors who cared for her great-grandmother in the hospital.

Dr. Phillips-Walker sees patients for a variety of reasons including well-child visits, vaccinations, diabetes, obesity and nutrition. One of her clinical interests is preventive medicine because she wants to see the children she works with be well, and also stay well.

With a warm spirit and outgoing personality, she truly cares about her patients as a whole and their overall well-being. For this, she focuses on continuity of care, creating a team approach with her patient’s parents and getting to know each family, listening well and taking time to hear them.

In her spare time, Dr. Phillips-Walker enjoys travelling, cooking, shopping, and spending time with her husband and family.

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Alumni Speakers for Aug. 30th

“Navigating Notre Dame and Investing in Self”

Alumni-Student Mentor Networking

Sunday, August 30, 5-6 PM

Join via the Zoom link here.

Featuring our alumni speakers:

Jesse Carrillo

Jesse Carrillo currently serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for EMERGE Fellowship in Houston, Texas. Prior to joining EMERGE, Jesse was the Director of Alumni Transition at YES Prep Public Schools where he also served as a teacher and college counselor. He is a first-generation college graduate from El Paso, Texas.

Bright Gyamfi

Bright Gyamfi is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Department of History at Northwestern University. Prior to attending Northwestern, he received his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame where he majored in history (honors) and political science. While at ND, he was a member of the International Scholars Program, Balfour Hesburgh Scholars Program, the Sorin Scholars Program, and the Presidential Circle Scholars. He received several research grants including the Balfour Hesburgh Undergraduate Research Fellowship, the Kellogg Institute for International Studies Experiencing the World Fellowship, and the Nanovic Institute for European Studies Fellowship that enabled him to conduct archival research in Ghana, the United Kingdom, and Trinidad & Tobago. He was a recipient of the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. At the end of his tenure at Notre Dame, he received the Wright, Flint-Hamilton & Mason Award for Best Africana Studies Senior Thesis.

After his undergraduate studies, he was awarded the Thomas J. McMahon IV Endowment for Excellence for the Pursuit of Scholarship at the University of Oxford where he earned an MSc in African Studies. 

While at Northwestern, Gyamfi has also received many grants including the Social Science Research Council Proposal Development Program, Hans E. Panofsky Pre-dissertation Research Award, and Morris Goodman Language Research. In 2019, he was named the winner of the Ghana Studies Association’s Conference Paper Prize for Emerging Scholars at the African Studies Association Conference in Boston.

Earlier this year, Gyamfi received both the Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowship and Fulbright Fellowship to support his research work in Grenada, Suriname, Ghana, Senegal, and England.

His research focuses on West African and African Diaspora intellectual history, nationalism, Pan-Africanism, Black Internationalism, and economic development.

Rachel Wallace

Rachel Wallace is a 2012 Balfour-Hesburgh Scholar and graduated in 2017 with degrees in Environmental Engineering and Philosophy through the Reilly Dual-Degree Program. At Notre Dame, Rachel held leadership roles in Shades of Ebony, Diversity Council, Student Government, the National Society of Black Engineers, the Gender Relations Center, and the College Democrats. She was also a member of Voices of Faith Gospel Choir and the Black Student Association. During her undergraduate studies, Rachel interned with the United States Senate in Washington, D.C., the St. Joseph County Democratic Party and several local political campaigns, and Notre Dame TRiO Programs. She also conducted undergraduate research with three different professors in the College of Engineering and College of Arts and Letters. Finally, Rachel was involved in campus activism throughout her time at Notre Dame and served on a university-wide committee related to campus climate.

Since graduating from Notre Dame, Rachel has received her Master of Public Policy degree from UC Berkeley, where she chaired the Students of Color in Public Policy and founded a civic engagement group called Policy Students for Equitable Democracy. She also interned with the ACLU of California during her graduate studies and authored her Master’s thesis on reimagining the system of restitution in our carceral system. Rachel currently works as a Clinical Teaching Fellow in the Policy Advocacy Clinic at Berkeley Law, where she drafts legislation to eliminate fees and court costs imposed on youth and families in the juvenile legal system in the southern region of the United States.

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Alumni-Student Mentoring Event – Aug 30th

You are invited to the first in this year’s series of Balfour Alumni-Student Mentor Network presentations. Zoom link here.

The topic will be “Navigating Notre Dame and Investing in Self“

Kicking off the series are:

Jesse Carrillo, M.A., Director of Strategic Partnerships, EMERGE Fellowships
Balfour Summer 2004, ND 2008 (Sociology and Computer Applications)

Bright Gyamfi, Ph.D. Candidate in History, Northwestern University
Balfour Summer 2012, ND 2016 (History Honors and Political Science)

Rachel Wallace, M.A., Clinical Teaching Fellow, Policy Advocacy Clinic
University of California-Berkeley; Balfour Summer 2012, ND 2017 (Reilly Dual Degree Program, Environmental Engineering
and Philosophy)

Zoom Meeting ID: 966 8732 8883