Emmanuel Tobe ’21 always knew he wanted to major in communications, but the success that came after his graduation was something he never saw coming.

“When I was in high school, I was looking at schools, knowing that I wanted to go into communications,” Tobe said. “I started out as a journalism major because, in high school and middle school, the only career option I knew of in communications was journalism. It wasn’t until I got to Elon and started taking some more classes that I was able to see the different levels of communication and the large number of fields and work that you can do in communications.”

After getting into Elon and experiencing all the majors and fields the university offered, Tobe switched to a double major in media analytics and cinema and television arts, with a minor in political science. Tobe got involved with campus organizations from the start. During his first year, he joined Elon Phoenix Weekly, and by his second year, he and his roommate were producing.

“Being involved in Phoenix Weekly gave me a lot of confidence,” he said. “There are a couple of things I did there that I’m really proud of. For one, we strapped the camera to the back of a golf cart for an interview. We also did some really fun stuff, like when we traveled to South Carolina and did a feature on kids who were BMX bikers. We also interviewed David Stern, who’s the commissioner of the NBA.”

“I’m really thankful to Max Negin (the advisor of Phoenix Weekly) for letting us make mistakes and letting us learn from them. I think that it’s so easy to stay in a lane, but I think that is a disservice to both yourself and also to whatever you’re creating,” said Tobe.

Tobe says it’s important to get involved on campus early on and look for the smaller campus and off-campus organizations to offer your��expertise.

“One thing that I also recommend is utilizing the community,”��he said. “I think that a lot of people��underestimate the connection that Elon and Burlington have. I worked at Ace Speedway, a racetrack 40 minutes from campus. I was the communications intern,��and I did that for a summer,��and it was��a great��experience that not many ����app�ٷ���վ�� students know about.”

Tobe was a communications fellow and credits the program for allowing him to explore multiple fields in communications and meet industry professionals.

“To be a freshman and to get the chance to go to a bunch of advertising agencies and hear from account directors and producers and listen to them talk was so cool,” he said. “At the time, I wasn’t planning on working at an agency, but things shifted and moved, and now I am working at an agency. I never expected going to those agencies to be as beneficial as it was, but I think that’s the cool thing about being exposed to a lot of different things as a communications fellow.”

Immediately after college, Tobe was thrust into the professional world with a three-week internship for the Tokyo Olympics, which faced a lot of adversity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Later, he began working for the NBA in broadcast operations.

One of his top experiences while working for the NBA was being able to work out of Las Vegas.

“I was able to go to Las Vegas and help out with the summer league tournament, which was incredible,” he said. “I’d never been to Las Vegas, and my dad actually came out as well. So it was really cool to be out there and have him there as well. He was really excited!”

Tobe does warn that some challenges can come from working for a legacy company like the NBA, such as how it can be easy to feel like “another cog in the machine.”

While Tobe has also started his own company, Ecsetera, the effort is on hold for now. He is currently working for Droga5, an award-winning advertising agency based in New York City. His favorite work to date with the company is working on a video for a charity called HT40.

“We had a video for the NHL, and it was for this charity called HT40, which was founded by these two parents whose son was a high school hockey player who unfortunately committed suicide,” he said. “The thing they wanted to get out of the video was that hockey is this very masculine sport where people are, a lot of times, afraid to be who they are, or they are afraid to reach out and say they need help or need someone, but that doesn’t have to be the case.”

The agency��created a video for this charity with the NHL that had high schoolers and then a couple of NHL professional players singing “Lean On Me” while skating on the ice. Tobe says the message was that, if you need someone to lean on, there are people around you, and there’s no struggle you have to go through on your own.

Tobe also worked on the for this year’s Super Bowl, which starred Guy Fieri and aired during the game’s second quarter. The ad centers on Guy Fieri becoming “Justaguy,” a boring version of himself. After using Bosch appliances, “Justaguy” transforms back into his exciting counterpart, Guy Fieri. The ad was a major success, even winning the “Readers’ Choice Best Ad” award from Ad Age.

“I was responsible for producing some of the digital banners and social media for the campaign,” said Tobe. “It was an incredible experience and gave me such insight into how large campaigns are made and what happens when people work together to accomplish a goal.”

Tobe says working in advertising is different from how it used to be, but it makes the field exciting.

“We can fast forward, we can skip, we can go on a streaming service, we can pull out our phones and look at something else,” he said. “Because of how technology and the media have changed and evolved with us while growing up, we are a generation that must be really advertised to and marketed in creative, cool ways.”

Tobe has taken the lifelong learner approach when it comes to his career. His advice to recent graduates is to stop stressing about titles and roles you see on LinkedIn, what he called “LinkedIn watching.” He says��that everyone is on their own path, and it’s important not to get distracted by others and to be true to yourself.

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“I tried an almost ‘Three Stooges’ slapstick style or ‘The Office’ sarcasm,” he said. “If you read the book out loud, it presents in a way that I would speak. It was to help me be a better speaker and writer.”

Vet’s love for public speaking started as a student at ����app�ٷ���վ��, speaking about leadership to high school groups and professional associations. A year after graduating in 2013, Vet and a partner opened The Oak House in downtown Elon. Since then, he has risen to executive leadership roles at multiple companies as well as held advisory board roles in several companies and non-profits and shares his experiences as an international speaker. He also serves on the ����app�ٷ���վ�� Alumni Advisory Board and the Doherty Center Advisory Board.

“Speak Goodr” includes a variety of humorous stories and some of the “wildest things” that have happened during Vet’s speaking career, including a recent chaotic incident during a conference presentation.

“I was speaking in an exhibit hall and every person was given a pair of headphones. I had to talk into a microphone that just went to their headphones, which was a very unreal and surreal experience,” he said. “While, all the while, the stage had a massive divot in it that was imploding. The monitors and slides were strobing. An AV guy comes on stage and starts talking to me, blocking me and totally interrupts the presentation. Meanwhile, the meeting planner was still trying to keep the event on schedule.”

But Vet says while public speaking can have some mishaps and be intimidating to many people, it’s important to remember why you’re speaking in the first place.

“The reason you end up on stage, whether it’s a board room, corporate stage or a conference is because someone thought you had a message to share,” he said. “What I tell people is you have to take that message that you have and you have to share it, even if it’s just for one person, you’ve done your job.”

“Speak Goodr” is available at major retailers and .

“When I was a kid, the only thing my mom would be OK with us having on TV while we were eating dinner was the evening news and Jeopardy!,” said Phillips. “It was a great family experience. We would watch it, shout in answers and it would spark discussions and conversations. It’s just something I really love and it’s relaxing too.”

This September, Phillips had the opportunity to hear the famed Jeopardy jingle, not through the TV, but as a contestant, standing behind the podium with a buzzer in hand.

“I walked into the studio for the first time and saw the stage and my jaw dropped,” said Phillips.

Phillips’ episode is scheduled to air Friday, Nov. 1, but her journey to the Jeopardy! stage has been years in the making. Potential contestants must first take the Jeopardy! Anytime Test, which Phillips estimates she has taken 15 to 20 times. In April 2023, she took the test again, and a year later, was finally selected to take a second, proctored exam. Then she was chosen for an audition, meeting with the casting producers to see if she could play the game.

“Playing the game is very different than answering the questions on the quiz,” she said. “It was a whirlwind of a summer, just all Jeopardy, all the time.”

An audition does not guarantee a spot on the show, but for Phillips is paved the way to her appearance. To prepare, she took advice from previous contestants who noted that a lot of the questions are going to be what you already know. But she still practiced with 500 flashcards for a month before filming at Sony Studios in Los Angeles in September.

“The best part was spending the day in the green room with the other contestants for that week,” she said. “We couldn’t have our phones so the only thing we did was talk to each other and watch the games that were happening. It was an amazing group of people who all shared a love of knowledge, facts and trivia.”

Phillips graduated from Elon with a double major in history and international studies and a minor in political science. She took a year off and then earned her law degree from the College of William & Mary. Originally from Rockville, Maryland, she now lives in Alexandria, Virginia, and is a commercial space regulatory attorney for the Federal Aviation Administration. While at Elon, Phillips immersed herself in the Elon Experiences, including two study abroad experiences: in Ireland and in London.

“They were so much fun and I learned so much,” said Phillips. “I really appreciated both of those.”

While Philips could not talk about the specifics of her Jeopardy! episode before it airs, she could emphasize how her Elon education made an impact.

“I became such a well-rounded and life-long learner at Elon,” she said. “There was such encouragement to try different things and constantly explore new areas. That well-roundedness helps with a show that is general knowledge trivia.”

Phillips becomes the second member of the Elon community to appear on Jeopardy! this year. Marko Saric, an adjunct instructor in mathematics, was a contestant on the long-running show in April.

A natural passion for business

During his junior year of high school, he and his dad toured colleges in the southeast, visiting different baseball camps and universities with strong programs. Along the way, Straub met ����app�ٷ���վ�� baseball coach Mike Kennedy and he quickly fell in love with ����app�ٷ���վ�� campus and academics.

“I was blessed to be offered a spot within the Business Fellows Program, it is really what sealed the deal for me along with ����app�ٷ���վ�� amazing faculty. So, I traded in baseball to pursue another passion in business,” says Straub.

Growing up in a household where his parents owned and operated several businesses, Straub had a natural passion for learning more about the business field.

“When I was 12, my parents opened two Bruster’s ice cream franchises, so my high school years were spent working in those stores, interacting with customers and learning what it took to build a business in our local community,” he explained.

Straub ultimately decided to major in finance and accounting to follow in his parents’ footsteps. During his undergraduate career, he also took advantage of opportunities to become more involved on campus.

As a member of Beta Alpha Psi, the accounting fraternity in the Martha & Spencer Love School of Business, Straub helped organize The Elon Network, a professional networking event held in Alumni Gym once a year.

But, Straub is never happy to be working on just one project at a time.�� So, he also worked in the Office of Residence Life and part-time off campus doing various odd jobs like buying and reselling textbooks from students at the end of each semester. It was in this job that he met his wife, Lauren, when he bought her textbooks her first year of college.

Straub was also one of three students admitted as a Doherty Scholar through the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

“This scholarship opened doors for me to explore entrepreneurship, where I built relationships with investors in the Piedmont Angel Network and organized a ‘Shark Tank’ like event with them to benefit other business students on campus,” explained Straub.

He also traveled to Utah to attend the University Venture Fund conference where he learned about venture fund models.��“I am forever grateful to Ed and Joan Doherty for the opportunities they made available through their generosity,” he said��

Learning abroad

Straub’s scholarships from the Dohertys and the Business Fellows Program gave him the chance to study abroad as well. He traveled to Poland his first year of college and was introduced to a passion for travel.

“I went on study abroad four times while at Elon, once every year,” said Straub. “I studied microfinance in Argentina, attended Nanyang Business School in Singapore and traveled to Turkey and Dubai during my senior year (Winter Term). These study abroad opportunities taught me valuable skills and helped me become increasingly resilient even outside of my comfort zone.”

All of these undergraduate experiences prepared Straub well for a career in business following graduation. Straub started his career with GE Capital as part of their leadership development program and later moved over to BMO Bank where he spent two years before moving back to North Carolina.

A homecoming

He quickly landed a job with Winston-Salem-based private equity firm Five Points Capital where he worked on control equity buyout transactions and made credit investments out of their two funds. A few years later, he left North Carolina once more for a new job at Corporation Service Company in the Philadelphia area, where he still is today, closer to his own family. He currently serves as director of corporate development and helps evaluate and execute strategic acquisitions for this firm and provides support on various strategic initiatives for the company.

Straub’s real passion, though, lies in his work with his dad in their business they started together soon after he moved back to Pennsylvania.

“In 2021, my dad, Dave, and I started talking about building a business together. When my dad was young, he made candles with his father, and the idea of starting a candle-making experience-based business was one we began to explore,” said Straub. “In the wake of the pandemic, we believed people were craving quality time together with friends and we felt that building a business that offered guests a creative outlet and a safe space to gather was the foundation of a winning concept.”

Straub and his father signed a lease to open their first Cork & Candles location in June 2021, opening their doors the following March. The goal from the start was for the business to become a franchise opportunity to expand to more communities.

“There is a complexity to selecting the best supplies for the chemistry behind candle making – from getting the right wick, wax and fragrance combination, it’s not as easy as YouTube might make it seem and there’s a lot of testing behind the scenes,” said Straub.

With his Elon business education and the experience he received through work following graduation, combined with the craftmanship knowledge passed down from his grandfather, Straub was able to bring the perfect blend of skills needed for their startup.

Not a class, an experience

Today, guests are welcomed with a signature smell when they enter their stores. Each store is designed to have a rustic Napa Valley feel, with a small retail section for novelty candles that have been designed by his father. More important is their space for guests to gather and spend time together learning this fun craft.

“It’s not a class so much as it’s an experience,” he said. “You can bring your own beverage or wine, explore our scent library where our staff helps you pick out what you like, and then you get to enjoy the art of candle making with friends, family and others.”

The original storefront also has some handmade furniture made from wine barrels that Straub’s father made, a woodworking skill that he learned from his own father. Guests can also admire the candle-making memorabilia that Straub’s father and grandfather used when Straub’s father was young and originally learning the craft. Each store also has a storyboard that provides a history and gives a nod to the role of Straub’s grandfather in passing down his skill set.

Together, Straub and his father have built a team around them with general managers who run the individual stores, a marketing coordinator and a regional manager who supports operations. Meanwhile, Straub and his father focus on the vision for the company, designing the intricacies of the guest experiences and testing out new recipes for the many signature scents that the stores offer.

“The most rewarding part of this journey has been building something alongside my dad,” he said. “Sharing this experience together has been more than I could have imagined. Equally rewarding, building a business where our employees can come to work and have fun and getting to watch our guests enjoy themselves and interact with our employees is fulfilling. It’s the realization of a vision we had when we started – build a space where friends gather and watch the impact it can have in our local communities.”

Be proactive

Straub feels Elon prepared him well for the many opportunities that he has had since graduation. His love for working on multiple projects at once and operating in a space outside of his comfort zone all stemmed from his time at Elon.

“Elon has a tremendous number of organizations and ways to get involved both on and off campus. As a student, I often said ‘yes’ to so many things and juggled a lot at the same time. In hindsight, these competing priorities helped prepare me to multitask well and handle multiple business ventures at once,” Straub said.

Just last year, Cork & Candles began franchising and they sold their first franchise this year. The goal is to grow the brand nationally now that they have the licensing to franchise across the United States. As they grow, they are excited to support their franchises, helping them as they build their own love for business in their own communities across the country.

Straub hopes that all budding entrepreneurs dive in and pursue their passions. His advice to ����app�ٷ���վ�� students following in his footsteps is to network and just get started.

“Being proactive will set you apart from others in your field,” said Straub. “Find someone that is doing what you want to do and take them to lunch, then ask them about their experiences and learn from them. Don’t be afraid of negative feedback – the toughest feedback usually highlights your biggest growth opportunities.”

Elon will recognize four alumni for their leadership, accomplishments and service during this year’s Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony on April 26 at The Inn at Elon. Award recipients include:

Sam Troy ’67��

Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award

This award is presented to an alumnus who has distinguished himself in a profession and in the community and brought honor to Elon.

An English major, Sam Troy currently serves as executive-in-residence at the Bryan School of Business and Economics at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where his primary focus has been conducting research on and promoting the North Carolina wine industry. He is the epitome of an engaged alumnus, faithfully supporting the university with a gift every year since he graduated as well as volunteering his time.

Kristen Yntema ’95��

Distinguished Alumna of the Year Award����

Awarded to an alumna who has distinguished herself in a profession and in the community and brought honor to Elon.��

A double major in business administration and public administration, Kristen Yntema is the president and CEO of AuthoraCare Collective, one of the largest nonprofit hospice and palliative care organizations in central North Carolina. Triad Business Journal recognized Kristen as one of its 40 Leaders Under 40 in 2011, one of its Outstanding Women in Business in 2016 and a Most Admired CEO in 2019.

Carol Brown ’68��

Distinguished Service to Elon Award������

Awarded to an organization, business, foundation, orindividual who has demonstrated outstanding service��that promotes the advancement of Elon.��

A mathematics major, Carol Lupinacci Brown spent 30 years with the Christina School District in Delaware as a middle and high school teacher, building administrator and central office administrator. All the while, Carol has maintained a meaningful connection with Elon, serving as an Elon Alumni Board member and previously served as an Alumni 360 volunteer, peer agent and class reunion volunteer. In 2019, she made an estate gift and created an Elon Experiences scholarship in 2023.

Erica Ayala ’08��

Distinguished Alumni Service Award������

Awarded to an alumnus or alumna who has given extraordinary service to his or her community.��

A political science major, Erica Ayala joined CBS Sports in 2023 as a writer and on-air analyst, primarily covering WNBA, NCAA Women’s Basketball and NHL stories. She is considered the only Black/Latina broadcaster to call an NHL game. Outside of her career, Erica has volunteered her time with the Children’s Defense Fund and Westchester Children’s Association, holding multiple roles to advance child advocacy and social action. In 2017 New York Nonprofit Media recognized her as a “40 Under 40 Rising Star” in the nonprofit world.

The Office of Alumni Engagement and the Young Alumni Council have announced the 2024 Top 10 Under 10��award recipients, who will be celebrated during an April 27 ceremony in Snow Family Grand Atrium.

These 10 accomplished alumni from the past decade have achieved professional success, continuously work to better their communities and serve as loyal alumni role models. Award recipients include:

Sarah Alger ’17��

Information Officer at USAID – Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance��

Sarah Alger graduated with a degree in public health and for her undergraduate research, Sarah collaborated with Dr. Cynthia Fair to publish the first-known study on the needs of internationally adopted children with HIV in the United States.

After spending a year in Uganda serving as a Strategic Information Fellow with the CDC Global Health Fellowship Program, Sarah joined USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance as a full-time Information Officer.

Katherine Blunt ’15��

Energy Reporter at the Wall Street Journa����

Katherine Blunt earned her degree in journalism, with a focus on print and online news. Katie, along with two colleagues from the Houston office of the Wall Street Journal, investigated the massive wildfire that engulfed Northern California due to faulty infrastructure from power provider Pacific Gas & Electric.

Katie’s work on the disaster was the foundation for her 2022 book,��California Burning: The Fall of Pacific Gas and Electric – and What It Means for America’s Power Grid.

Sean Burke ’14��

Multifamily Debt Originations at PGIM Real Estate��

Sean Burke graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance and joined PGIM in 2017, assisting with the structuring of more than $2.7B in debt financing transactions.

In his current role as a Loan Officer, he is responsible for originating and structuring multifamily affordable and conventional loans. Sean’s passion for affordable housing stems from his time at Elon when he volunteered with the Odyssey Scholars in the Mississippi Delta.

Ashley Braun Darling ’13 & Tom Darling ’13��

Co-Founders of Darling Wines��

Ashley Braun Darling earned her degree in media arts and entertainment, specializing in broadcast and news media. Tom Darling graduated with a bachelor’s in sport and event management.

In 2017, Ashley and Tom launched Darling Wines. Beginning with a Syrah, Darling Wines has since added a Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay to their listings. Bottles can be enjoyed at several Michelin-starred restaurants as well as local favorites and retail wine shops in the Bay area.

Peter Fox ’14��

Vice President at The Blackstone Group��

Peter Fox earned a degree in finance and during his final year at Elon, Peter was part of a team that qualified as state finalists in the 2014 CFA Institute Research Challenge.

Since graduating, Peter has steadily advanced his career in investment banking. Beginning as an analyst with the Corporate Finance Group at Credit Suisse, he progressed into associate and senior associate roles at Coller Capital before joining the team at Blackstone in 2021.

Phylicia Pearl Mpasi ’15��

Actress, currently in��The Color Purple��

Phylicia Pearl Mpasi is a graduate of ����app�ٷ���վ�� musical theatre program and before graduating, she was cast as a vocal swing and the understudy for Shenzi in “The Lion King.”��In May 2023, she celebrated the premiere of��Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies��for Paramount+ working as a writer for the first season.

Most recently, Phylicia Pearl stars as young Celie in the remake of��The Color Purple,��produced by Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg.

Oscar Miranda Tapia ’17

PhD Candidate in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development at NC State

Oscar Miranda Tapia earned a degree in psychology��and spent a year as a Community Impact Fellow with Alamance Achieves before earning his master’s degree in education from Harvard University in 2019. Oscar returned to his alma mater to help launch The First-Generation Initiative through his role as Assistant Director of First-Generation Student Support Services.

This meaningful work is highlighted in the book that Oscar recently co-authored with President Emeritus Leo M. Lambert, Assistant Provost Peter Felten, and Isis Artze-Vega in August 2023,��Connections are Everything: A College Student’s Guide to Relationship Education.

Dmitri Thompson ’18��

CEO at Rise Media, Co-founder of Rise League Inc.��

Dmitri Thompson is a former captain of ����app�ٷ���վ�� Division I Men’s Basketball team who graduated with a degree in sport and event management and ended his career as one of the best scorers in program history. Following graduation, he spent two years playing professional basketball in Cyprus. While playing abroad, Dmitri and his brother, Dwight, sold shirts to raise money for the Boys & Girls Club, creating RISE League.In November 2023, they received a $75K grant from Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Most recently, the Thompson brothers started Rise Media, a full-service creative agency that offers photography, videography, editing and Photoshop services for businesses and the public.

Erin Wilkins ’18��

Manager, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Goodwin Law firm��

Erin Wilkins earned a degree in public health studies before going on to receive an MA in education and human development from The George Washington University.

In a short span of time, Erin has built a distinguished career in the legal industry and currently serves as the Manager of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the law firm, Goodwin. As a testament to her expertise in DEI, Erin has been invited to speak at the National Association for Law Placement Annual Education Conference in Boston, MA, in 2024.

To read more about this year’s alumni award winners, visit the Alumni Awards page here and for more information about this year’s awards, please contact Hannah Hattori, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement—Special Events, at hhattori@elon.edu.

The Office of Alumni Engagement will recognize four distinguished alumni for their leadership, accomplishments and service and the 2023 Top 10 Under 10 Alumni Award recipients during this year’s Alumni Awards Weekend on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25.

The Distinguished Alumni will be recognized at the Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony on Friday, March 24. They are:

Chris Bell ’92����

Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award ��

This award is presented to an alumnus who has distinguished himself in a profession and in the community and brought honor to Elon.

A business management graduate, Bell currently serves as the as regional president for Truist Financial Corporation in North Carolina’s Triangle region. He has served his community well in many capacities and is previously a member of the Elon Alumni Board, including one term as president, and a regional committee member for the Elon LEADS campaign.

Kathie Niven ’89����

Distinguished Alumna of the Year Award

Awarded to an alumna who has distinguished herself in a profession and in the community and brought honor to Elon.

An English major and Communications minor, Niven serves as chief executive officer of Biscuitville, Inc. In 2014, she led the rebranding of Biscuitville, which included the addition of FRESH SOUTHERN® to its name; remodeling, relocating or rebuilding 100% of its restaurants; and a re-energized commitment to sourcing locally. Always generous with her time for her alma mater, Niven has served on the Elon Alumni Board and the President’s Advisory Council.

Rich ’87 P’17 and Laurie P’17 Johnson

Distinguished Service to Elon Award ��

Awarded to an organization,��business, foundation or��individual who has��demonstrated outstanding service that promotes the advance of Elon.

A mass communications major, Rich Johnson spent his entire career in the banking industry and retired in 2022 as senior vice president and chief consumer lending officer at MainStreet Bank.

Laurie earned her bachelor’s degree from American University and her MBA at George Washington University, joining Accenture in 1989 and recently retired as managing director. Proud parents of Elon alumna Grace Johnson ‘17, the Johnsons have been among ����app�ٷ���վ�� most active and impactful volunteers, always answering the call to serve Elon.

LaToya Faustin ’04 G’10

Distinguished Alumni Service Award����

This award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service that promotes the advancement of Elon.

A corporate communications major, Leadership Fellow and double Elon graduate (B.S. in communications in 2004 and MBA in 2010), Faustin serves as executive director of She Built This City, providing industry disruptive programming that sparks interest and builds pathways to lucrative careers in the skilled trades for youth, women and marginalized communities.

Equally committed to community service beyond the scope of her work, Faustin serves on the Neighborhood Revitalization Committee for Habitat for Humanity Charlotte.

The Office of Alumni Engagement and the Young Alumni Council have announced the 2023 Top 10 Under 10 Alumni Award recipients, who will be celebrated during a Saturday, March 25 ceremony in the Snow Family Grand Atrium.

These 10 accomplished alumni from the past decade have achieved professional success, continuously work to better their communities and serve as loyal alumni role models. They are:

David Campbell ‘13

Senior Manager – Americas Tax Technology & Transformation, EY

Campbell graduated from Elon with dual degrees in accounting and finance. Following graduation, he completed his CPA and began work with EY where he had previously interned.

In September he stepped into his current role as a senior manager in the Americas Tax Technology & Transformation group with a focus on the firm’s global Sustainability Tax solutions strategy. Additionally, he leads EY’s campus recruiting efforts at Elon.

Sydel Curry-Lee ‘17

Vinter & Partner, Domaine Curry

Sydel Curry-Lee ’17 was member of the Women’s Volleyball team where she was named team MVP in 2016. Curry-Lee earned her degree in psychology and following graduation partnered with sister-in-law, Ayesha Curry, to produce their own wine label, Domaine Curry.

In addition to her work as an entrepreneur, she is also a mental health advocate and content creator.

Dr. Marissa Mastrocola ’13

Orthopedic Surgery Resident, UMass Memorial Medical Center

Dr. Marissa Mastrocola graduated from Elon with her degree in exercise science and went on to receive her MD from the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in 2019.

She has contributed to five medical journal publications and has most recently focused on the topic of obesity education and orthopedic sports medicine.

Alivia Mattioli-Hodge ’15

Senior Manager of Partnerships, Penske Entertainment

Mattioli-Hodge earned her degree in sport and event management from ����app�ٷ���վ�� in 2015. Beginning her career at Pocono Raceway, Alivia contributed to her family’s multi-generational family business as promoters of NASCAR racing in the Northeast.

Entering her eighth year with Penske Entertainment, Mattioli-Hodge has focused on cultivating partnerships and programming for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and INDYCAR.

Marisa Moody ’15

Brand & ESG Impact Strategy Director, Publicis One Touch

Moody, a Communications Fellow and strategic communications major, moved to Germany three years after graduating to join the staff of Publicis Groupe.

Earlier this year, Moody transitioned to her current role with Publicis One Touch, where she is working to reposition the sustainability and environmental, social and corporate governance communications strategy for the personal care brand Nivea.

Claudia Rodriguez ’17

Technology Recruiter, Proven Recruiting

Rodriguez earned her degree in psychology and following graduation, pursued her master’s degree in higher education from NC State University in 2019 and began building her career as a technology recruiter.

After working with Proven Recruiting for two years, she joined the team at MyCase and quickly rose through the ranks to become a People Business Partner in fall 2022.

Holly Brueggman Tamburello ‘17

Senior Analyst, NERA Economic Consulting

Tamburello earned dual degrees in international economics and finance at Elon. Following graduation, she joined the Antitrust division of NERA Economic Consulting as Senior Analyst.

In her role, Tamburello has worked with clients across a variety of industries, guiding them through mergers, consumer protection, litigation and private arbitration. Tamburello is also a five-year member of the advisory board for Elon’s economic consulting major.

Jordan Thompson ’14 L’17

Legal Counsel at TikTok

Thompson is a double alumnus of Elon; he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science while playing on the football team and went on to earn his juris doctor three years later.

Currently, he serves as legal counsel in TikTok’s Monetization and Corporate legal group and advises on a plethora of business in the fast-growing entertainment platform.

David Williams ’13

Senior Security Engineer, Amazon Web Services

Williams graduated from Elon with a degree in computer information systems while playing on the football team. After four years working at JPMorgan Chase, he joined Amazon Web Services where he has steadily risen through the ranks with a focus on cloud security.

Williams earned a masters degree in cybersecurity from New York University in 2016 and an MBA from the College of William & Mary in 2022.

Doug Williams ’13

News Anchor & Reporter, CBS New York

Williams earned his degree in journalism with a specialization in broadcast news and went on to build his own Emmy-nominated talk show at SNY in New York.

He left SNY after seven years in late 2021 and spent a year doing national and local talk radio for CBS Sports and Sirius XM. In early February of this year, he returned to TV news as a morning anchor at WCBS in New York.

For more information about this year’s awards, please contact Hannah Hattori, assistant director of alumni engagement—Special Events, at hhattori@elon.edu.

Vaughn Vreeland ‘15, supervising producer for New York Times Cooking, is making a name for himself at just 29 years old. Being featured multiple times on Good Morning America, writing recipes and filming content in his supervisory role with The New York Times and even making , Vreeland is a perfect example of ����app�ٷ���վ�� alumni in action.

Vreeland originally came to Elon because he thought he wanted to major in acting, but he quickly changed direction, trying to find the best fit for him. He tried several different tracks, from anthropology to political science, but he ultimately landed on a double-major in media arts and entertainment and French. His major naturally led to involvement in other areas of campus, including Lambda Pi Eta, the communications honors society, and interning in University Communications under Dan Anderson. In this role he also was able to refine his writing skills, writing for the Magazine of Elon and the university’s news site. Another thing that he really enjoyed as a student was being a host for E-Talk, ����app�ٷ���վ�� very own talk show, hosted through Elon Student Television.

For his French major he had the opportunity to study abroad, with the help of a merit-based grant. Traveling to the South of France in the town of Montpellier, he enrolled at a university and focused his studies on visual art. He later returned to the same location his senior year. “I was able to successfully cross-reference my two majors in each of my senior theses, writing about the power of the director in French cinema as they portray disenfranchised communities, and explaining the use of color theory in Wes Anderson filmmaking. This got picked up for the Elon Journal and I still, to this day, get emails from people asking me about it,” said Vreeland.

Study abroad was not the only Elon experience that had an impact on Vreeland. Outside of his major-based studies and extracurriculars, Vreeland was incredibly involved. He was a member of the Student Government Association for three years and a tour guide for campus, eventually becoming the student supervisor and holding the title of Campus Visit Assistant, overseeing his fellow admissions ambassadors. He also participated in the Phi Kappa Phi honors society, the Pi Delta Phi French honors society and the Pi Sigma Alpha political science honors society, where he held various leadership roles as well.

The summer of his junior year he had the opportunity to intern with a small fashion magazine in New York as a media intern. As a cinema major, he knew he wanted to create in the realm of videography. “I thought fashion was going to be it for me, but I left that summer feeling a little lost in the greater media landscape because I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would,” said Vreeland. “However, one thing I knew was that I was obsessed with New York.” And so began his passion to get back to the Big Apple someday.

After graduation Vreeland moved to Thailand to teach English as a second language for half of a year in an effort to continue the global citizenship that ����app�ٷ���վ�� instilled in him, and he absolutely loved it. “I ended up making the promotional video for The Council on International Education Exchange and I realized a lot of what I highlighted in that video was food and how it connected us to the Thai people and Thai culture,” said Vreeland. He quickly realized that food as a subject was something that he was passionate about, and this became a stepping stone into his current role with The New York Times.

Following his time in Thailand, he returned to his hometown of Raleigh to work for a French-inspired patisserie where he was able to hone his skills as a home cook, and then just a few months later he made the decision to move back to New York.

I moved to New York with no job, and I lived with two Elon alums that I didn’t know, that had posted in the Elon NYC Facebook group. Fortunately, I rather quickly found a job at BuzzFeed, also through an Elon connection,” said Vreeland, explaining the importance of the Elon network for graduates.

Vreeland worked at BuzzFeed for about two years making videos for the sub-brand, “Tasty.”

“I started making recipe videos that mainly went on Facebook and Instagram. Then, I helped start the YouTube team where we focused on creating shows for the brand. They were pretty popular videos. I gained some good exposure and ended up working with someone who then went to The New York Times as the Strategy Director for NYT Cooking,” explained Vreeland.

He found out that The New York Times was also looking to start an internal video team as well, and so he and his colleague both went to The Times to help with that startup. “It was just the two of us making the cooking videos for nytimes.com, YouTube and Instagram for about two years, and then we started building our team. We now have about thirteen people on the team total, which is really exciting,” said Vreeland.

In his role as Supervising Producer, he oversees the recipe and entertainment video operation for NYT Cooking. Some of his favorite work involves more casual videos of him in his own kitchen, such as the video of him cooking himself twenty-seven meals in just one week titled, “” or a video of him making .

“I ideate and create content based on a whole host of things in the food landscape. This past Thanksgiving, for example, I created a concept with Ina Garten where she developed a menu using store-bought staples—canned cranberry sauce, packaged stuffing mix, boxed mashed potatoes—making them more delicious and seemingly homemade, that we called ‘,’ which featured a video, six recipes and a written piece for the paper,” said Vreeland.

In his role he also develops recipes and serves as an on-camera personality. He currently has several shows in the works for the channel and is featured on their social media platforms regularly. He even occasionally does national morning and daytime television spotlights to promote the NYT Cooking recipes, such as being featured on . Vreeland does not just produce videos though, he also works as a writer for the recipes that get featured on the site, such as this one about .

Vreeland feels prepared in his current career because of his education at Elon. “I feel like my hands-on education, specifically in my production classes, really mimicked real-life video creation,” explained Vreeland. He remembers a class with Tom Nelson where he had to make a video each week without assistance, and he said this prepared him for the fast-paced work environment of BuzzFeed where they were turning out a large quantity of content weekly. Elon also taught him the power of human connection, “without my connections I made in my time there — be they with faculty, my peers, people I met on tour — I’m not sure where I’d be,” said Vreeland. One thing he also learned as an undergraduate is that he works best under pressure. He said that, although it does not happen quite as often, he still occasionally pulls all-nighters like he did in college.

Vreeland feels that Elon alumni are successful because they receive a deeply experiential education, which better prepares them for life after college. The advice that he would give to current students is: “Define your comfort zone and work to push those boundaries. I’ve grown the most when I got uncomfortable and took risk—professionally speaking, and within reason, of course—it’s in those moments I learned the most about myself and what I’m capable of.” For him, seeking out opportunities from the very beginning and asking a lot of questions helped him to foster strong connections that helped him get where he is today.

As for Vreeland’s future, he said, “Stay tuned. And go Phoenix!”

If you are interested in trying some of Vaughn Vreeland’s New York Times��Cooking recipes for yourself, check them out . Also, check out his latest feature on Forbes Top 30 Under 30 list for 2023, .����

BFA Acting alumna Kimmi Johnson ‘15 opens Monty Python’s Spamalot tonight at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Kimmi is an Acting/Education Intern for their 2015-2016 season. This is the first of a multitude of productions she will be a part of over the next nine months as a part of their program. Spamalot runs through October 11th.

The founder and chief operating officer of The Vibration Solution LLC, a product design and manufacturing company he started as a student in 2007, Ian is always looking for ways to create innovative business solutions. At the company, which markets “Silent Feet,” a patented vibration isolation material that silences noisy household appliances like washing machines, Ian has been instrumental in guiding the company to 300 percent growth. He also managed purchasing, logistics and ERP system integration for Honda Power Equipment Manufacturing from 2007 to 2011.

The Minnesota native wants to apply his innovative spirit and sharp business acumen to city government as the next mayor of the City of Burlington, N.C. , Ian said he wants to engage the community, voters and city council in “thought-provoking and constructive discussions” about ways to unlock the full potential of the community’s economy. “The big thing is promoting businesses,” he added.

An Eagle Scout, Ian believes in giving back to his community through service, leadership and philanthropy. No matter what Burlington voters decide, Ian will continue advocating for a stronger American manufacturing industry. He regularly speaks to students and business professionals of all ages around the country about the future of international business, innovation and the power of the Internet.

While 6 p.m. signals happy hour or dinnertime for many young professionals in Washington, D.C., for  it’s more like a second lunch break.

“There aren’t enough hours in the day,” says O’Connor, who lives with Ulbrich in D.C.’s Adams Morgan neighborhood. “We even got rid of our TV. We make dinner, and we get to work.”

“Work” refers to RaiseDC, a social fundraising organization the duo, who met as freshmen at ����app�ٷ���վ�� in 2005, founded in 2012 to benefit nonprofit organizations in the D.C. area. Their events cater to Washingtonians in their 20s and 30s with limited expendable income who seek a “virtuous nightlife”—an outing that goes a few levels deeper than just having cocktails with friends.

“All 20-somethings go out in D.C. on a Saturday night,” says Allison Starks, an event planner and frequent RaiseDC guest. “RaiseDC’s purpose sets it apart. When I go to a RaiseDC event, I’m making a contribution and a connection to the community.”

Neither O’Connor, who works as an account manager for Tauzin Consultants in D.C., nor Ulbrich, an ethics consultant for CEB in Arlington, Va., run RaiseDC full time. Yet the idea began percolating in fall 2011, after the pair held an event for an acquaintance who was running from Canada to Mexico to honor his mother and raise funds for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Within three weeks, O’Connor and Ulbrich booked a venue, promoted the event and donated the proceeds—about $1,100—to the foundation.

After that success, they asked themselves: “Why not create an organization that does the exact same thing, all over the city, to benefit local nonprofits?”

The pair spent the next six months meticulously developing the blueprint for RaiseDC. Events would be held about once every six weeks and involve four stakeholders: a nonprofit organization headquartered in the Washington area that invested the majority of its funds locally, as well as an under-the-radar venue, musician and photographer or visual artist.

Before their first event, O’Connor and Ulbrich approached Joe Callahan, executive director of 826DC, which helps D.C. schoolchildren develop important creative and expository writing skills. At first, they sought advice about working with nonprofits. Later, they asked Callahan to partner with them for RaiseDC’s debut party.

He agreed, and the event raised more than $2,600 for 826DC. Perhaps more importantly, it also raised awareness about the organization. “At our next volunteer open house, we had about twice as many people as we typically had before,” Callahan says. “I attribute a large part of that to our RaiseDC event.”

So far, RaiseDC events have raised more than $10,000 for six D.C.-area charities. Tickets are typically $12-15 in advance and $20 at the door. O’Connor and Ulbrich want to diversify the themes and venues but such changes cost money, and RaiseDC can’t aff ord to price out its target audience.

To address this challenge, O’Connor and Ulbrich recently incorporated their venture as , enlisted an advisory board of local nonprofit and business leaders, and began recruiting corporate partners.

As RaiseDC continues to grow in size and scope, the pair have no intentions to leave their careers to run
the organization. But that doesn’t mean they plan to pull back the reins on what they’ve built.

“It’s a good busy,” O’Connor says. “We can stop at any time, but we’re both proud of what we’re doing. We’ve only scratched the surface of what this organization can do.”

This story first appeared in the Spring 2013 edition of .