In Action

Chiara Mannarino (MS '14)

Bringing Art to Life. In December 2023, Chiara Mannarino, MS ‘14, curated the inaugural exhibition of the Tristate Italian Art Prize, a new initiative of the Consulate General of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute in New York. The exhibit, which closed on February 28, showcased the creativity of the Italian and Italian American community in the Tristate area. Read more about how Chiara is making their mark in the art world! 


Adan Acevedo (MS '09)

Celebrating Big Moves. Harvard Business School’s 2023 Class Day Speaker, Adán Acevedo, MS ‘09, has returned to Los Angeles as a consultant with the Boston Consulting Group.  In his continued work helping younger generations access quality education, he is closing out his role as Board Chair for the Young Eisner Scholars, a program that provides financial, social, and academic support to students in underserved communities. Thank you for your service! 


Alyssa Chiang (MS '15)

Creating space for the modern Asian-American individual. Alyssa Chiang, MS ‘15, co-founded Lotus Magazine in 2020, a bi-monthly e-magazine which has grown to more than 250 subscribers. The lifestyle magazine serves as a platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of the Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) community as it shares stories and perspectives aimed at empowering, inspiring, and promoting visibility. Read more about it here!


Doris Díaz-Kelly (MS '90)

Role model for the next generation of Hispanic leaders.  The State University of New York welcomes the new SUNY Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI) director-in-residence, Doris Diaz-Kelly, MS ’90, to help build on SUNY’s successful professional development and networking program for Hispanic/Latinx leaders and allies. Simultaneously, Doris is Interim Associate Vice President of Student Affairs - Student Engagement at SUNY Oneonta.  Learn more about SUNY’s HLI mission of developing the next generation of Hispanic/Latinx leaders, and it’s success.  


Jupiter El-Asmar (MS '13)

Leaders in Public Service. Congratulations to Jupiter El-Asmar, MS ’13, for being selected as a 2023 Presidential Management Fellow Finalist, the Federal Government’s flagship leadership development program for advanced degree holders across all academic disciplines. Established 45 years ago by Executive Order, its purpose is to recruit and develop a cadre of future government leaders drawn from all segments of society. Read more about the PMF Program here.


Francis Poon (MS '09)

On the Red Carpet. Congratulations to Francis Poon, MS ’09, for winning the 2023 Imagen Award for Best Documentary for his film, Frontline: After Uvalde: Guns, Grief and Texas Politics.  The Imagen Foundation was created to support and encourage the inclusion of Latino talent, executives, and voices in all aspects of the creative process in entertainment media, celebrating individuals and entities who elevate the image and status of Latino talent in front of and behind the camera. See the full list of awardees here.


Evelyn Wong (MS '17)

Going Back to Cali: Congratulations to Evelyn Wong, MS ’17, for being admitted to Stanford University’s joint MD/PhD program as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar.  Upon completing her Marshall Scholarship in the UK, Evelyn will join a cohort of 100 scholars from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools who will benefit from three years of full funding along with leadership programming to prepare them to be visionary, courageous and collaborative leaders who address complex global challenges. 


Dennis Ojogho (MS '12)

Add it to your reading list: Dennis Ojogho, MS ’12, published his first novel, The Dreams of Our Ancestors, inspired by his mom's incredible life. Through triumph and loss, love and heartbreak, joy and sorrow—this book tells the story of a young Nigerian woman’s American Dream while exploring themes of kinship, the immigrant experience, gender norms, and race relations. The book is available on Amazon and you can read a sample on Medium.


Namra Zulfiqar (MS '17)

Forming part of a Global Community of Leaders: Namra Zulfiqar, MS ’17, was selected to form part of the 2023 cohort of Schwarzman Scholars to complete a one-year, fully-funded master’s program at Tsinghua University in Beijing! The Master of Global Affairs degree program provides an international network of high caliber global leaders, academics and innovators the opportunity to work together and serve as a bridge between China and the rest of the world. 


Sarah Deonarain (MS '19)

Women in Leadership: Sarah Deonarain, MS ’19, was selected for the 2022 Fitzie Award which recognizes and rewards outstanding young women from Harvard College, the Harvard Business School, Tenacre Country Day School and Dana Hall School, institutions that Fitzie Grogan Petersmeyer attended.  Sarah joins an ever-growing network of past winners and Foundation supporters and she received a monetary grant which will assist in her career development.  Previous awardees have used their funding to travel and live abroad, which is one of Sarah’s top priorities upon graduation!  You can learn more about the award here.