�鶹��ý

Please write the degree(s) you have from �鶹��ý.
BA Sociology/Anthropology
Briefly explain your occupation including job title and company name.
LD Creates Beauty Owner & Creator/Entrepreneur. I am the creator of all natural, holistic, eco-friendly, handmade health, wellness and beauty products.
What person, course, or moment most influenced your �鶹��ý experience? How?
Arriving at then �鶹��ý State College of New Jersey in 1989, I first saw "the bench". The bench was made of all recycled products. It sat at the circular driveway right in front of the A Wing. I would later enter A Wing to attend my Freshmen Seminar course taught by future President Harvey Kesslemen. The campus lighting was the first time I experienced motion activated lighting. 1989 was my introduction to Earth Day, the campus buzzed with various activities. �鶹��ý instilled in me a respect and appreciation for the environment and our home, Earth.
What is your proudest professional or personal accomplishment that occurred after graduating in which �鶹��ý played a role?
From the start of LD Creates Beauty, environmental consciousness was part of my business plan and product line. We utilize environmentallly friendly packaging, recycling programs and upcycling practices.
What do you like about the work you are doing now? Describe your career path.
Becoming an entrepreneur can be challenging. Following my calling to help others requires me to pivot, re-strategize and start all over again. I developed many of these skills at �鶹��ý.
How do you stay connected with �鶹��ý?
I stay connected to �鶹��ý by following their social media pages ln Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. I also recieve alumni newsletters, which I use to schedule my volunteer activity calendar.
What is something people may not know about you?
Many people may not know that Dr. Vera King Farris was the keynote speaker at my Atlantic City High School graduation. I had no idea how she would profoundly influence my view of the world and all of its possibilities.
What is the most important way �鶹��ý helped you during your time as a student?
�鶹��ý instilled in me a respect and awareness of our environment. It gave me education, responsibility and living examples of how we can make achange to where we live.

Please write the degree(s) you have from �鶹��ý.
BA Political Science BA Teacher Education
Briefly explain your occupation including job title and company name.
High school history/ criminal law teacher at Cape May Tech High school
What person, course, or moment most influenced your �鶹��ý experience? How?
Two professors that changed my experience and professional career is Dr. Culleny and Dr. Balasco
What is your proudest professional or personal accomplishment that occurred after graduating in which �鶹��ý played a role?
Being accepted into Northeastern University for grad school and landing a job right out of college in my degree(s) field
What do you like about the work you are doing now? Describe your career path.
The amazing opportunities to impact or transform students lives positively and having them learn what it means to be citizen.
How do you stay connected with �鶹��ý?
Peers and mentors
What is something people may not know about you?
I love hot honey on pizza
What is the most important way �鶹��ý helped you during your time as a student?
Made me feel a sense of belonging and gave me the ability to explore what I would like to do in life all in an inexpensive way.

Please write the degree(s) you have from �鶹��ý.
Bachelor of Science in Public Health - Environmental Health track
Briefly explain your occupation including job title and company name.
I currently work at Hillmann Consulting, an engineering and environmental firm, as National Project Director, I run our national team for building sciences with a focus on large losses and disaster recovery.
What person, course, or moment most influenced your �鶹��ý experience? How?
Mariska Hagerty was my preceptor and truly helped me find my path. I also did The Washington Center program which led to me now living in the DC region, and it was at a �鶹��ý Washington Center alumni networking event that someone recommended I apply at Hillmann.
What is your proudest professional or personal accomplishment that occurred after graduating in which �鶹��ý played a role?
Personally I am grateful for the friends I made. We still keep in touch. We’ve been in each others weddings and are around for babies now! The connections I made were not just professional but lifelong friends.
What do you like about the work you are doing now? Describe your career path.
It’s rewarding to me to help communities that have been affected by disasters. Not just the giving back part but seeing people come together and help each other is inspiring. We definitely need more of that community feel these days.
How do you stay connected with �鶹��ý?
Social media! And my friends who now work there!
What is something people may not know about you?
I’m an only child!
What advice do you have for current students who want to make the most out of their experience at �鶹��ý?
Not just an education but life experience, at work and personally!

Please write the degree(s) you have from �鶹��ý.
Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Biology with a minor in chemistry and a concentration in wildlife management
Briefly explain your occupation including job title and company name.
Zookeeper at the Cape May County Park and Zoo. Here I am responsible for every aspect of care involved with our animals, including the cleaning,training, enriching and medicating when necessary.
What person, course, or moment most influenced your �鶹��ý experience? How?
Dr. Bonnan and his comparative anatomy course made it clear to me that I definitely wanted to work with animals for my career.
What is your proudest professional or personal accomplishment that occurred after graduating in which �鶹��ý played a role?
I presented a research poster at the 2025 AAZK (American Association of Zookeepers) Conference in Phoenix Arizona on the mixing and co-habitation of2 different primate species using research write up techniques I learned at �鶹��ý
What do you like about the work you are doing now? Describe your career path.
I love learning something new every single day about all the different animal species I work with, as well as the experiences I have had. Whether it isadministering eye drops to a snow leopard or trimming a giraffes hooves, every day is so exciting.
How do you stay connected with �鶹��ý?
As an alumni of the �鶹��ý Track Team, I return every year for our alumni meet and still come back several times a year to go on runs throughout the�鶹��ý trails.
What is something people may not know about you?
Since graduating, I have transitioned from the track world into the triathlon world and have since competed in 4 triathlons.
What is the most important way �鶹��ý helped you during your time as a student?
Always having staff that genuinely cared about my success. Whether it was being there for office hours, being responsive with emails or just beingamazing at explaining things in the classroom, I always felt that I had staff who wanted me to succeed.

Please write the degree(s) you have from �鶹��ý.
MSW
Briefly explain your occupation including job title and company name.
Modra Health Founder & Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I work with infants, young children and youth in their homes as an Intensive In-Community Therapist providing various evidenced-based relational support services such as Parent-Child Psychotherapy (CPP), Attachment Regulation & Competency (ARC Grow) and other trauma-informed / culturally sensitive treatments.
What person, course, or moment most influenced your �鶹��ý experience? How?
All of my MSW professors developed my ability to think critically but to name a few that helped me grow as an effective clinician and a social advocate are Dr. Robert Barney, Dr. Diane Falk, Dr. Guia Calicdan, Dr. Renee Space, Dr. Robyn Hernandez- Mekonen. The small classroom experience and routine schedule of the program elicited a level of trust and educational curiosity that was fueled not only by the discussions but also by the support that was evidence amongst stuff and students. I felt safe from the moment I stepped ground on the property of the building in Atlantic City until I left home with more exciting opportunities for experiential learning and a general eagerness to practice social work domestically and internationally (should an opportunity arise).
What is your proudest professional or personal accomplishment that occurred after graduating in which �鶹��ý played a role?
I will say my proudest personal accomplishment is self - empowerment and perseverance to weather a crisis/storm that I was faced with within a year post graduation and to advocate for myself and my family while on the journey to healing and recovery. My proudest professional accomplishment post graduating is the ability to attend professional training opportunities and starting my own company specializing in early trauma therapy and relational/post traumatic growth.
What do you like about the work you are doing now? Describe your career path.
I like that I have had experience working with populations across both health and lifespan. Seeing firsthand how childhood wounds negatively impact future outcomes informed my decision to focus on childhood mental health and caregiver support and to continue to intervene even through small “doses” of treatment with every port of entry I make with a patient.
How do you stay connected with �鶹��ý?
I have gone out twice to �鶹��ý Night at the 76ers, a basketball event that they organize at least once a year. I am connected with some of my professors on LinkedIn and I receive email communication from the MSW field program coordinator, as well as general �鶹��ý messages.
What is something people may not know about you?
Maybe that I’m Bulgarian and I love my country of birth, although Cape May County has been my home for the past 21 years and I have no intention of leaving it. I have grown to find my voice, purpose and community in the place I reside and work in.
What advice do you have for current students who want to make the most out of their experience at �鶹��ý?
The most important way �鶹��ý helped me during my time as a student is through studies in the social work program, it paved a road of many transformative processes for me that rebuilt my future and placed me on a path of self-discovery.

Please write the degree(s) you have from �鶹��ý.
BA Sociology and Anthropology
Briefly explain your occupation including job title and company name.
Case Manager at Cumberland County Guidance Center, working with individuals with mental health diagnoses to become more independent and involved in their communities.
What person, course, or moment most influenced your �鶹��ý experience? How?
Professor Rubenstein created a great �鶹��ý experience for me when I switched my major to Sociology and Anthropology. What I do has evolved over the years but I still love it.
What is your proudest professional or personal accomplishment that occurred after graduating in which �鶹��ý played a role?
Getting my first job that was related to my degree and working with people.
What do you like about the work you are doing now? Describe your career path.
I am currently working as a case manager for individuals with mental health issues to become more independent and work on goals to support them better in the community. I love working on skills patients are able to utilize independently.
How do you stay connected with �鶹��ý?
I stay connected by participating in alumni events when I can and always keep track of things going on so I can participate in some way.
What is something people may not know about you?
I originally wanted to major in biology at �鶹��ý and I took an elective course that was Physical Anthropology which changed my education course forthe better.
What advice do you have for current students who want to make the most out of their experience at �鶹��ý?
Explore the campus and you will find so many things available and clubs to be apart of and you will have an amazing experience at �鶹��ý.