Oxford, Ohio is only home to the majority of students for four short years, yet the Miami experience lasts a lifetime.
For the last five years, the Miami Alumni Association has recognized 18 outstanding alumni who have graduated in the past 9 years. These young alumni excel in a wide variety of fields, ranging from politics to technology development.
The 2017 honorees include:
- Sean McVay '08, Head Coach of the Los Angeles Rams
- Anna Middelton '11, B.S. in Health and Sports Studies at Wake Forest School of Medicine
- Sami Schalk '08, Assistant Professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Cristina Rue '11, Senior Associate at SKDKnickerboxer
- Alec Martinez '09, Defenseman for the Los Angeles Kings
- Corrylee Drozda '12, Attorney Advisor, Department of Justice, Executive Office of Immigration Review
- Ryan Perhala '09, Captain in the United States Air Force
- Brice Hamill '03, Vice President at Fairmount Properties
- Kevin Samy '09, founder of Samy Strategies
- Kimberly Forster '13, Legal Research Fellow at Lawyers Without Borders
- Marisa Schnaith '09, Honors Attorney at the Department of Labor
- James Earl Cox III '14, Founder and Creative Director of Seemingly Pointless
- Bethany Bowyer Khan '10, Director of Real Estate and Planning in the Downtown Brooklyn Fellowship
- Austin Mace '15, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SubVRsive
- Preethi Srinivas '10, Senior UX Designer at Regenstrief Institute Inc.
- Michael Markesbery '15, Co-founder and CEO of Oros Apparel
- Jessica Gephart '11, Postdoctoral Fellow at The National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center
- Ibukun Ibraheem '16, Assistant Project Manager of Special Collaborations at Adidas
The honorees will be on campus Oct. 26 and 27, speaking to classes, meeting with students and reconnecting with their favorite faculty members. They will be honored at a dinner on Friday in the Shriver Center Dolibois Room.
Although the honorees possess a diverse set of talents and passions, they share similar sentiments concerning Miami.
"I made a vow to myself that the same person that walked on campus as a freshman wouldn't be the same person to leave as a senior," said Ibraheem. "Miami helped me exceed this expectation."
Drozda shares a similar appreciation for her alma mater.
"The interdisciplinary nature of my Miami education helped me to discover my passions and encouraged me to explore different career paths," said Drozda.
Miami led Drozda to pursue her current position as an Attorney Advisor within the Executive Office of Immigration Review in San Antonio, Texas.
Both honorees agree that Miami's faculty is the most underutilized resource offered to students.
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"Through building relationships with my professors, I was able to better navigate my options for post-Miami life and make the most of my academic experience," said Drozda.
"The openness and willingness of professors to help and encourage," still influences [my] life today, said James Earl Cox III.
Many of the honorees utilized time out of the classroom to build strong relationships with professors.
Office hours give students the ability to "develop a relationship with your professor, so they can help you beyond the classroom," said Ibraheem.
Leadership positions in organizations across campus also contributed to the honorees' success at Miami and beyond.
"[Leadership positions at Miami] helped me realize what it truly means to be a leader," said Ibraheem. "At it's core it's about being a team player, ensuring everyone's voice is heard and considered."
The Miami alumni network is vast and continuously growing. This year's 18 inductees were selected from an applicant pool of 150 outstanding alumni.
The honorees will be speaking in classrooms and meeting with student organizations and faculty on October 26-27 and will attend a dinner on Friday, October 27.
They will bring their career experience and expertise along with advice for current and incoming students.
"Go for it. Whatever interests you, completely throw yourself into it," said Bowyer Khan.
Check our website later this week for a podcast featuring several of the honorees.
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