Search Results
Viking Connections: Matthew Mistretta
Matthew Mistretta is vice president of sales for Kinetic Data Solutions, a start-up company in the marketing and advertising space.
"I have a true passion for wanting to give back in any way I can to Augustana. This school provided me so much and I am grateful for where I am at today because of it. With that said, if I can make a positive impact on a current or prospective student to help shape their four years at Augie, I would be honored to do so.
My experience spans the marketing/advertising world which is extremely competitive and a popular avenue for many business graduates. I bring a wealth of experience in negotiating, strategic planning, consulting and a wide understanding of the entire Advertising ecosystem. I'd like to help provide perspective to these students on their options in the business/advertising world and arm them with the knowledge needed to help secure the right career start coming out of Augie."
Graduation year: 2013
Majors: Business administration-marketing, finance
Campus activities: Baseball, Augustana Business Day 2013
• Best way to contact him: Email or phone, 708-721-5495
Viking Connections: Destany Metcalf
Destany Metcalf is a residential casemanager for adults with intellectual disabilities and brain injuries at Handicapped Development Center in Davenport, Iowa.
"I would like to help students feel connected during the career pre- and post-Augustana. I would like to provide insight on how to feel stable in establishing themselves post graduation, and I can provide a path into the agency I work for."
Graduation year: 2014
Major: Psychology
Campus activities: OSL, KT sorority, ESA, UNYK, dining staff, peer mentor, psychology club
• Best way to contact her: Email or phone, 815-766-2269
Viking Connections: Darien Marion-Burton
Darien Marion-Burton is a marketing consultant with D.M. Burton in Forest Park, Ill.
"I want to offer my expertise and network to current Augustana students."
Graduation year: 2015
Majors: Business administration-management and marketing
Campus activities: BSU, SGA, APO, Dance Marathon, Cooking Club, Multicultural Club Council, Office of Multicultural Student Life
• Best way to contact him: Email or phone, 708-834-3238
Viking Connections: Pat Manser
Pat Manser is the Senior Director of Marketing and Advertising for GoHealth, a newly public healthtech company headquartered in Chicago with offices worldwide.
"My four years at Augustana gave me the wide ranging liberal arts background that has allowed me to grow quickly in the business world. Augustana's education presents alums with a set of skills that sets them apart from other entry level business job seekers, and it's important to leverage that skill set.
Marketing and advertising is a highly competitive field in Chicago, and can be difficult to break into without connections. I've been lucky enough to make great ones in technology, marketing, advertising and business over the past decade. I hope to be able to offer students support of any kind on how to leverage a liberal arts degree when prepping to enter the marketing world, and help provide perspective on how to wield that degree and their Augie experience post college."
Graduation year: 2012
Majors: Multimedia journalism and mass communication, marketing
Campus activities: Cross country/track, PepsiCo IM manager, campus visit tour guide, Augustana Observer, sports information assistant
• Best way to contact him: Email or Linkedin message
“I have received so much help from professors, my friends and my parents.”Read More
Viking Connections: Sarah Lickus
Sarah Lickus is the manager of insurance, litigation, and liability risks at The Boeing Company in Chicago.
"I spent 9.5 years in private practice doing complex litigation on the defense side (and a bit of plaintiff's work, too) before going "in house" to a large corporation in 2019. I would hope that I can offer some insight to anybody considering law school about what the practice of law is like, as well as different paths that a legal career can take."
Graduation year: 2006
Post-grad: Doctorate in law
Majors: English and psychology
Campus activities: Sigma Pi Delta sorority, Augustana Observer, Psi Chi honor society, Reading/Writing Center tutor, Admissions Office tour guide
• Best way to contact her: Email
Viking Connections: Ryan Landi
Ryan Landi is a health administrator at VA Hospital in Chicago. The Health Information Management, Inpatient Wards/Emergency Department/Admitting/Eligibility, and Care in the Community departments all report to him.
"I want to give back to students who are interested in Health Administration and Public Health. I had alumni help me with internships and work experience when I was an undergrad at Augie which helped me decide on a career in Health Administration, where I am today. I would like to mentor and help provide shadowing or internship experiences for highly motivated students, either on breaks or longer periods if appropriate."
Graduation year: 2009
Post-grad: Masters in Health Administration and Public Health
Major: Biology, emphasis in public health and health administration
Campus activities: Office of Student Life, Leadership Education Programming, admissions ambassador, lead supervisor
• Best way to contact him: Office of Alumni Relations
Viking Connections: Sallie Konrardy
Sallie Konrardy is an elementary school counselor serving grades K-6 at Longfellow Liberal Arts in Rock Island.
"I am very proud and honored to have attended Augustana and would love to help give back in any way possible. I have worked with a few Augustana students through the Psychology department and would like to broaden my connections to the school and students. Longfellow has an excellent partnership with Augustana and I would be so happy to strengthen it.
I started my undergraduate career with a close-minded path in sciences. It wasn't until I started talking to others that I realized my passion was building meaningful relationships and helping. I switched to MJMC my junior year and am so thankful for my diverse education and perspectives from both the sciences and the arts. After graduation, I worked with high school students and helped them prepare for post-secondary education through applications and finding financial aid. From there, I moved to Black Hawk College as an academic advisor for their TRiO program while completing my masters at WIU for school counseling.
I have always loved talking with and helping others. I am passionate about being a life-long learner and value education at all levels. Lastly, I can attest that having someone who is available and empathetic to talk with can be life changing."
Graduation year: 2013
Major: Multimedia journalism mass communication
Post-grad: Master of Science in Education - School Counseling
Campus activities: Sigma Kappa Tau sorority, OSA, Augustana Observer
• Best way to contact her: Email
Viking Connections: Alicia Koepke
Alicia Koepke is a 6th and 7th grade STEM teacher and teaches the Project Lead the Way curriculum at Chippewa Middle School in Des Plaines, Ill.
"I have worked at 4 different schools since graduating. The education field has its fair share of ups and downs. I finally found the school where I feel appreciated and the students reassure me that I found my home away from home. My passion is helping kids learn to love to learn. Education takes awhile to figure out and learn your style, but I want to encourage students to stick with it because not only do we get summers off, but we get to be role models in students lives."
Graduation year: 2012
Post-grad: Masters in Education Technology and endorsement in ESL
Majors: Elementary education, middle school math and ELA
Campus activities: Sigma Pi Delta, track and field
• Best way to contact her: Email
Viking Connections: Matthew Koch
Matthew Koch is a Patient Access Manager with R1 RCM in Waukegan, Ill. He manages a team of 14 responsible for scheduling and insurance verification.
"I was part of the first cohort of public health majors, so I never really had any alumni to connect with. Particularly for biomedical science students who are interested in a career in healthcare that isn’t patient care (consulting, admin, etc.), I’m happy to speak to my experience in consulting and management.
Graduations year: 2018
Major: Public health
Campus activities: Honors program, Symphonic Band, Damascus Road, Campus Ministries