Bailey Englund is the Supervisor of Biologics Procurement. She "builds" products based on blood and antigen typings that are manufactured and sent to hospitals/blood banks to match patients for transfusion and transplantation.

"I want to participate to offer advice to those students who need a little more direction on what they want to do, specifically because I could have used that when I was at Augie. Also, I think can I offer insight into a science field outside of going into medicine, research, or a graduate program directly after graduating. I took a year off from school and found a job, took a volunteer trip in another country and then applied to go back to school (part-time)."

Graduation year: 2017

Post-grad: In progress (Masters in Public Health, concentration in Epidemiology and Environmental Health)

Major: Biochemistry

Minors: Chemistry, public health

Campus activities: Chi Alpha Pi, OSL Leadership Academy, Student Alumni Council, Order of Omega, Relay for Life, Omicron Delta Kappa, and was a perf mentor. Worked for the rec (PepsiCo), chemistry lab and ACES.

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• Best way to contact: Email

Nolan Ebel is a medical device sales representative in the orthopedic field.

"I can offer a unique network, leadership experience, international work experience, as well as mentorship for students who are looking at going into healthcare, sales or professional sports industries."

Graduation year: 2019

Majors: Graphic Design, Communication Studies

Campus activities: Varsity basketball, Office of Student Life, graphic design tutor, SloughFest Executive team, FCA leadership team.

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Hannah Durbin is the full-time marketing coordinator for Northwest. Northwest is comprised of 3 separate divisions with completely different branding profiles. Hannah handles all of the marketing for the company including TV/apps, social media, retargeting ads, copyrighting, print, presentations, etc.

"I've been in the marketing industry for over 6 years now - I definitely owe my thanks to Augustana for opening my eyes to this career and helping me prepare for it. I know firsthand how scary the after college experience is, let alone being in an industry that changes so much. I'm happy to help share what I've learned"

Graduation year: 2013

Majors: Business Administration - Marketing, Communication Studies

Campus activities: Band, Choir & Epsilon Sigma Alpha (volunteer sorority)

• Best way to contact: LinkedIn message

Brian Duffley is a player development intern for the Chicago White Sox at their affiliate location in Kannapolis. He is responsible for a lot of technology-related data collection methods and works directly with the coaching staff in order to adjust and improve player's performance based on said data.

"Sports can very often be a who you know business and for those of us who don't have solid connections entering the industry it can be challenging. Creating those connections will require much more work and cold-emailing people is often a necessity to establish contact. There are numerous people who have helped me along the way and the more people one knows the better. I can not only serve as an established contact in baseball but also be able to offer advice and insight as to how I got where I currently am. I would not be where I am without some of the contacts I created prior to being hired."

Graduation year: 2021

Major: Business Management

Campus activities: Baseball, Club Baseball, Business Club, Star Wars Club

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Brad Dubow works for Cottingham & Butler out of Dubuque, Iowa. It is in the insurance industry, and Brad is in a sales/production role with them, currently working out of the Chicago office.

"I think it would be great to help in any way I can. I know I benefited tremendously by having mentors during my time at Augustana and would love to give back."

Graduation year: 2018

Majors: Accounting and Finance

Campus activities: Varsity Baseball Player 2014-2018

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Kayla Dillon works as a full-time research specialist in at UW-Madison studying lucidity in dementia. She primarily manages observational data and mentors undergraduate students.

"I'd love to be a Viking Connection because I offer a unique perspective on taking a gap year(s) to continue exploring your interests/passions. I anticipate returning to school in the near future and have learned to appreciate the value of taking time off of school to really hone in on my long-term goals. 

As a first-gen student myself, I understand some of the challenges that come up as you navigate undergrad and life after undergrad. I would love to share some of the wisdom I've gained with others!

I have lots of experience working full-time in research at an R1 academic institution and let me tell you, it is very different from Augie! If anybody is interested in research, I have lots of tips, tricks, and experiences to share for navigating academia. I am also always happy to do mock-interviews or provide connections where I am able to."

Graduation year: 2021

Majors: Biology and Psychology

Campus activities: Augustana Symphonic Band, The Gray Matters Collective, CORE

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Nicole DiGiacomo's current job is as an associate clinical veterinarian in a small animal hospital in Villa Park, Illinois. She has been employed in this position for 16 years, specializing in medicine, surgery, with professional interests in animal behavior, positive reinforcement training, and veterinary dentistry. She currently serves as an alumni member of the applicant interview day team at the University of Illinois College of Vet Medicine.

"I was accepted to veterinary school in 2001 after graduating from Augustana. Since my graduation from veterinary school in 2005, I mentor local high school and college students in our veterinary practice. This process has made me acutely aware of one of the primary reasons that I was accepted in veterinary school in my first application process; the advising program through the biology and pre-vet programs at Augie. I was so well prepared as an undergraduate by the team at Augie. Their guidance on the selection of required and elective classes to take, the goal GPA to try to achieve, the application process, and the application interview preparation was instrumental in setting me apart from other prospective applicants. In talking with current undergrads, I have learned that their experience is not always the same as mine. I always try to share my experiences as an Augie undergrad applicant and also as a U of I CVM alumni applicant interview selection committee member in the hopes of encouraging the best preparation of undergrads for admission to our profession. The preparation and guidance I received at Augie was above all others, and I hope this standard of excellence continues."

Graduation year: 2001

Post-grad: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Majors: Biology and Biochemistry

Campus activities: APO National Service Fraternity, Admissions Ambassador, Augie Volleyball team

• Best way to contact: Email

Alyssa Diaczun is in school. Previously, she worked at Genesis and Trinity in the Quad Cities.

"When I was a student at Augie, there wasn't a sports medicine or athletic training program available, so students interested in one of those fields or physical therapy were often overlooked during the academic advising sessions. It was hard to find Augie Choice opportunities within my field of interest, hard to land internships or jobs after graduating due to the lack of connections in the sports medicine, physical therapy, rehabilitation field. I would like to help bridge that gap by not only helping students navigate the weird post-grad life but also to learn to 'Adult', how to understand the different types of PT schools out there, deciding which one is right for you, understanding bills, etc. Stuff I wish I had help with."

Graduation year: 2018

Post-grad: In progress (Doctorate of Physical Therapy)

Majors: Biology, Psychology, Pre-Physical Therapy

Campus activities: Sports Medicine Club, Chi Alpha Pi Sorority

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George Dexter is a corporate recruiter, currently working for a forestry company. He has worked for two high-profile startups previously and is currently hunting for the next opportunity in a similar company.

"Having recruited for a large variety of roles (finance, sales, business dev, software engineering, design, legal, product, HR, and more) I feel I have a strong sense of what is out there and, more importantly, what companies are looking for in candidates and throughout interview processes."

Graduation year: 2013

Major: Communication Studies

Campus activities: Varsity Basketball

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• Best way to contact: Email