Career Day

Overview

Career Day 2024
March 15th from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
On Campus

Without a doubt, St. Francis cultivates successful, impactful and capable alumnae – women who are changing their world.  

Who better to inspire Troubies than their Troubie sisters who are already working in myriad careers?! We are so excited to host this event on campus this year. Students are sure to gain some insights, have some questions answered and begin building their Troubie network for college and career success!

Alumnae are encouraged to participate. Current students will attend sessions of their choice based on career interest/exploration. Ideally, each session will have a couple of alums who work in a similar career field. The sessions will last about 30 minutes with each alum taking a few minutes to summarize their career and leaving time for student questions at the end.

Aerospace, Aviation & Defense

Alana Piccone ‘09
Maintenance Officer, Air Force

10 year Air Force Maintenance Officer. Graduate of the United States Air Force Academy with Active Duty experience on B-2 Bombers, F-15 Strike Eagles and Air Mobility Command Test and Evaluation. Accountable for 10-350 Airmen at any given time while also overseeing Aircraft and equipment for daily training as well as real world missions. Weapons school graduate with operational experience in a Joint Services environment.

City Planning & Land Use

Amanda (Grossman) Ross ‘06
CEO, South Fork Consulting

Ms. Ross is an award winning professional in land use planning, environmental review, and LAFCO-related activities. She successfully creates and manages an array of plans and programs in the land-use arena. Ms. Ross is an accomplished project manager and facilitator and is highly skilled at creating innovative partnerships that extend client goals to the benefit of the communities they serve.

Construction Management

Stephanie (Verdon) Fuller ‘99
Interim Vice President, George Reed, Inc.

Graduated from Chico State 2004 (BS Construction Management). Worked for Kiewit 10 years in Northern CA and some time in Canada, Texas, Kansas on various projects. In my travels, connected with Jeff Reed (CEO of Reed Family Companies) and joined George Reed, Inc in 2015. I’ve worked in the construction industry now for 20 years, time flies! My work has always involved the “infrastructure” side being earthwork, concrete, and asphalt paving. My roles have entailed project management (managing the construction of the work) mostly, working with engineers, project owners/agencies, field crews.

City Planning & Land Use

Amanda Laufer-Valle ‘11
Project Manager, Turner Construction Company

Project Manager of the $436M Resources Building Renovation in Downtown Sacramento. I have previous experience in both project engineering and superintending with Turner, as well as managing smaller ($100K-$45M) projects throughout my near 11 year career with Turner Construction, which started after my sophomore year at Santa Clara University.

City Planning & Land Use

Sarah Mumper ‘14
Project Field Administrator, Swinerton

I’m a Project Field Administrator with Swinerton Builders. I aid with project management, a skill in which I developed through years of administrative assistant experience in my previous careers. I went to ARC after graduating SFHS to study Fashion Merchandising and found that was not an industry I wanted to be a part of. I’m an active advocate and volunteer my time with the FD/MAS Alliance (non-profit) as a member of their patient advisory council. Because of my skills I’ve developed in my career I’ve been able to apply those same skills in a volunteer capacity.

Education

Somer Lowery ‘94
Director of Strategy & Partnerships, Growth Public Schools

Somer Lowery has worked in education for over 20 years. Her journey began as a substitute teacher and evolved into a school leader. She has worked for private specialty programs and now serves as Director of Strategy & Partnerships for a TK-8 public charter school which she helped open. Somer wears many hats, some of which include overseeing facilities, outreach and enrollment, marketing and social media and coaching teachers on the implementation of social emotional learning.

Education

Meghan Pedroncelli ‘11
Speech Language Pathologist, San Juan Unified School District

While completing her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Saint Mary’s College of California, Meghan Pedroncelli had the opportunity to work at a school and found her passion working with children. Through interacting with the different specialists on campus, she decided to pursue a career in Speech Language Pathology. She received her postbac degree in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology from CSU Sacramento and then continued on to receive her Master in Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Education

Mondrea Vaden ‘09
Librarian, Mondo Connections, LLC

As part of Class of ‘09, I received the St. Francis Library Award, for having an inspired love of reading, and encouraging others to have the same. After a formative college experience where I got my biology degree and two degrees in Library Science, I found myself back in libraries! In the present day, I am a Librarian at Mondo Connections, a self-employed venture that offers virtual services and support to individuals, small organizations, and libraries. I also run a small digital library to help marginalized people find customized helpful resources!

Emergency Medical Response

Helen Pierson ‘74
Chief Executive Officer, Medic Ambulance Service

Helen Pierson is the CEO of Medic Ambulance Service Inc., with 35 years in the industry. She’s part of the second generation of the family that founded the company in 1979 in Solano County. The company has since expanded to include a significant footprint in Sacramento County.

Pierson focuses first on the Medic Ambulance team’s ability to serve people who need first-responder care. That’s evident by the various accolades Medic and members of the Medic team have garnered over the years.

Emergency Medical Response

Sandra (Pierson) Whaley ‘00
VP Communications, Medic Ambulance Service

After SF I graduated from CSU, Sacramento in 2004 and was working in the Billing Office for Medic. In 2006 I was transferred to our Dispatch Center and then became the Supervisor, then Manager and now VP-Communications. I am an EMD certified dispatcher and call reviewer. I helped our dispatch center achieve International Accreditation through the Internation Academy of Emergency Dispatch as an Accredited Center of Excellence. Which we have recertified for the 2nd time this past year.

Engineering

Julia Cannon ‘17
Water Resource Engineer, MKN

I graduated from Cal Poly SLO in 2022 with a BS in Civil Engineering and MS in Civil + Environmental Engineering. Now working towards my PE License in San Luis Obispo, my focus is on the design and implementation of water and wastewater infrastructure. With a goal of improving the sustainability and resiliency of our local community, my design experience includes pump stations, distribution and collection systems, treatment processes, and storage tanks.

Engineering

Audrey Dyte ‘13
Water Resources Control Engineer, State Water Resources Control Board

Audrey Dyte has worked in the engineering field for 5 years as a design engineer and project manager focusing on water resource projects. Her technical experience includes designing utilities, drainage plans, water infrastructure improvements, well sites, pump stations, etc.; developing plans, specifications, cost estimates, and emergency action documentation for projects; construction management; and conceptual hydraulic modeling for drinking water systems.

Engineering

Lynda Grindstaff P’24
Cybersecurity & Technical Engineering Executive

Lynda Grindstaff is a cybersecurity and technical engineering product expert, board director, and experienced global executive who advises late-stage growth companies on strategies to drive scale, achieve high-margin revenue, and unlock massive growth. Start-up CEOs and Venture Capital/Private Equity firms count on her to advise their companies on how to execute with speed and efficiency, build talented global teams, and parse the signal from the noise.

Engineering

Theresa (Ross) Wiebold ‘08
Engineering Program Manager, Cisco Systems, Inc.

Theresa Wiebold is an Engineering Program Manager with Cisco System’s Security and Trust Organization. She is a leader within Cisco’s Secure Development Lifecycle and the Advanced Security Initiatives Group teams. Theresa works to identify and mitigate risk within these teams through gray-box manual penetration tests.

Engineering

Tina Andres
Director of Operations, TechnipFMC

I have spent 30 years in automotive and robotic manufacturing. I graduated with a bachelors in biology and minor in chemistry from Western Michigan University. I have worked at the General Motors Corporation, Tesla, and currently at Schilling Robotics in Davis, CA. I am very active in mentoring, participate in the WIM CA chapter, and our local Women’s EmPower network focused on increasing personal and professional growth.

Environmental

Curie Canuela ‘95
Senior Environmental Scientist Specialist, CalRecycle

I am a Senior Environment Scientist Supervisor at CalRecycle. Have 17 years of experience in waste management and recycling assisting jurisdictions, state agencies, recycling manufacturers, and schools. Have a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Biology and Management from the University of California, Davis. Currently manage a team of five environmental scientists who are currently writing the regulations for the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act.

Environmental

Kathleen Strickley ‘84
Environmental Scientist, CalRecycle

I am an avid outdoor enthusiast and life-long recycler that earned a BA in Environmental Studies from CSUS. Upon graduation I promptly packed up my car and left California to live in Alaska for 18 months. When I returned home, I was lucky enough to land a dream job as a civil servant working on recycling and waste diversion programs. Over the years I have traveled with Recycle Rex (check out his YouTube cartoon!) teaching kids and adults about the importance of conserving resources.

Fashion

Joslyn Stohl ‘17
Junior Account Executive, Cult Gaia

After graduating St. Francis in 2017, I attended ASU to pursue a degree in Business Communications and a minor in Fashion.

I moved to Los Angeles in 2021 for a wholesale internship at Cult Gaia, an LA based advanced contemporary women’s brand. Going into the fashion industry, I had no idea the various roles that made up a company. I currently work on the Wholesale team as a Junior Account Executive, managing 70+ specialty accounts across North America.

My two favorite things about my job are the relationships I cultivate with buyers world wide, and the travel!!

Finance & Investment

Rosie Lucchesini-Jack ‘90
Sr Portfolio Manager, Fixed Income, CalSTRS

I am a Fixed Income Senior Portfolio Manager at California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS), the largest teachers’ retirement system and second largest pension fund in the nation. In my current role I am responsible for the oversight of the internally managed US Treasury, Investment Grade, High Yield and Structured Product portfolios. Prior to this, I managed the interest rate strategies of US Treasuries, US Treasury inflation protected securities, and US Treasury long duration strategies, totaling over $20 billion in assets.

Gaming

Katie Lucas ‘10
Founder & Creative Director, Thoughtful Bread

Katie Lucas is a game designer and creative leader with over 8+ years working on both game development and marketing pipelines.

In her past experience she has served as the Director of Creative Services for PlayQ’s marketing team, as well as leading her small indie studio Thoughtful Bread. In addition she is an associate professor of game design at Loyola Marymount University. When not making games, Katie enjoys scuba diving, petting her cats and writing about herself in the third person.

Government, Politics & Public Affairs

Marcella Bertolino ‘16
Scheduler to the First Partner, Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

I graduated from St. Francis in 2016, and went on to study politics and theology at Catholic University in Washington, DC. There I was able to explore different career paths through internships and found my passions for scheduling and advance. After graduating in 2020, I moved back to Sacramento and started working for the State- first in the Assembly and now the Governor’s Office. My day to day includes managing the First Partner’s calendar and appointments, as well as ensuring she’s prepared for all her events and engagements. It’s fast paced and no two days are alike!

Government, Politics & Public Affairs

Allison Kustic ‘17
Senior Legislative Aide, California State Assembly

Allison graduated from St. Francis in 2017 and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with minors in Ecology & Environmental Sciences and Pre-Law, from Dominican University of California in 2020. She is currently earning her Masters of Public Policy and Administration at Sac State. Allison is the Senior Legislative Aide for Assemblymember Rodriguez and covers Energy, Water, Natural Resources, Transportation, and Agricultural issues for her office, among others. Allison is an amateur road cyclist and runner, avid reader and baker, and curious traveler.

Government, Politics & Public Affairs

Margaret Lloyd ‘08
National Security Council Director, Executive Office of the President

Margaret (Maggie) Lloyd has lived and worked in Washington, DC, since 2012, and currently serves on the National Security Council at the White House. She received a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemical-Biological Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is passionate about bridging technical and policy communities to advance international security.

Government, Politics & Public Affairs

Sandra Sanders ‘82
Committee Assistant II, Senate Natural Resources & Water Committee

Sandra is in her sixth year with the California State Senate working on California’s environmental, wildfire, climate, and water issues. She coordinates and manages legislative bill hearings for the Natural Resources and Water Committee. Before working for a Senate committee, she was a Legislative Aide to Senator Cathleen Galgiani, 5th District. Prior to her career in state government, Sandra worked in campaign finance and management for Senator Galgiani and Congressman John Garamendi. Sandra obtained a B.A.

Healthcare

Erin Green ‘00
Physical Therapist/Assistant Professor, California State University, Sacramento

Dr. Green is a Sacramento native and alumna of SFHS (2000). She graduated from UC San Diego in 2004 with a BA in Psychology and from UCSF/SFSU Graduate Program in Physical Therapy with her DPT in 2009. She completed post-professional training at the Kaiser Hayward Advanced Orthopedic Manual Therapy Mentorship and Fellowship programs in in 2010 and 2013, respectively. She obtained her Orthopedic Clinical Specialty certification in 2015.

Healthcare

Grace Hollingsworth ‘13
Diabetes Care Specialist, Novo Nordisk

I went to San Jose State for my bachelors in business and knew I wanted to get into pharma. I started working at Enterprise Rent-a-Car to get account management and sales experience. Once promoted, I got my first contract pharma sales job and gained 2 years of experience on 2 different contracts and then landed a permanent position at Novo Nordisk selling the blockbuster drug, Ozempic.

Healthcare

Enid (Spitz) Wilson ‘09
Marriage & Family Therapist, Couples Resource Collective

Enid Wilson is a Registered Associate Marriage & Family Therapist based in Sacramento. She works with adult individuals and couples in a group non-profit practice setting. Her focus areas include: trauma, eating disorders, OCD, and anxiety. In addition to her active therapy practice, Enid also has a career in corporate communications for an international publicly-traded company. When not working, you’ll find her at the gym or yoga, walking her dog Lady, or planning a trip.

Human Resources Business

Katie Schembri ‘14
Employee Experience Coordinator, SK Pharmteco

Katie Schembri is a passionate and driven Employee Experience Coordinator at SK Pharmteco Small Molecule US, a leading provider of custom development and manufacturing services for the pharmaceutical industry. She is responsible for enhancing employee engagement, retention, and satisfaction through various initiatives, programs, and events.

Information Technology

Deborah Stromberg
Vice President of Engineering, Intel Corporation

Deborah Stromberg is a Vice President of Engineering in the Datacenter and AI Group at Intel Corporation. She currently leads a Platform Firmware Engineering team enabling customers to bring server products to market. During her 25-year tenure at Intel, Deb has held engineering leadership roles across all aspects of the product development life cycle in Intel’s memory and storage businesses. She is an expert in Flash memory and Solid State Drive product development and manufacturing.

Journalism & Media

Tiffany Lee ‘10
TV/Media Specialist, Pelican Bay State Prison

I’m a scholarship kid. Half Mexican. Half Asian who never thought she’d go to college. Worked in sports, newsrooms and customer service. I’ve been in& out of prison. Love media &traveling the world to gain wisdom/perspective. I had the loudest clap when I was a troubie. I truly believe that well behaved woman never make history and it’s important to be honest. I’m not your cookie cutter alum; but I will always do my best to help you rise: by learning, listening and fighting for you to become the best version of yourself.

Journalism & Media

Josie Noronha ‘10
Creative Media Technician, California Housing Finance Agency

Josie Noronha has always been interested in harnessing their creative energy in unexpected ways. After graduating in 2010 from SFHS, Josie became a Digital Media major at Otis College of Art and Design, then took a stab at working in educational video games before entering public service with different California state departments. They currently work for the California Housing Finance Agency and are thrilled to be in a role where they can work on web development, graphic design, video editing, and livestreaming all in one place.

Legal; Private, Public

Brigget Barrios ‘08
Attorney, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

I have made the rounds in the legal world – from interning for a U.S. Senator, doing estate planning for a small firm, working at a 3,000 person firm, mid-size firm and for the State of California. After St. Francis, I went to University of the Pacific for one year before transferring to the University of Arizona where I graduated in 2011. I then got my J.D. at McGeorge in December 2014 and passed the February 2015 bar exam.

Legal; Private, Public

Sarah (Gold) Brattin ‘06
Deputy Attorney General, California Attorney General's Office

I graduated from St. Francis in 2006. I attended UC Davis for undergraduate and law school with a year-long study abroad stint in Madrid mixed it. Following law school, I worked for Governor Brown as a Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary working on parole, pardon, and commutations issues. After 2.5 years, I left to work at the California Office of the Attorney General in the correctional law section where I have been the past 7 years.

Legal; Private, Public

Le-Mai (Dam) Lyons ‘05
Deputy Attorney General, California Attorney General's Office

After graduating from the University of San Diego School of Law in 2012, Le-Mai practiced law in the private sector for five years, practicing securities litigation and civil litigation. In 2017, she joined the City of San Diego, defending city departments against civil actions. After moving back to Northern California in 2019, she joined the Attorney General’s office in San Francisco and now Sacramento, where she defends lawsuits brought by California inmates, and specializes in prison gang cases.

Marketing, Advertising & PR

Beatriz Carias Nguyen ‘15
Senior Director of Content Strategy, Abilene Christian University

Troubie Bea dreamed of working as a physician assistant (PA) focused on patient advocacy for minority populations. I wanted to change lives, God had other plans for how I would eventually do just that. After college graduation, I worked as a medical assistant to earn my PA hours and quickly realized medicine wasn’t the route for me. Spending years pursuing a career that ultimately wasn’t the right fit led to a career crisis, but also forced me to re-evaluate: I wanted to pursue what excites me.

Marketing, Advertising & PR

Kristin Estrella
Sr. Director, Account Management, Oracle

Kristin Estrella is a seasoned senior leader with over 15 years of experience in adtech and digital advertising, specializing in account management and product strategy. Currently Senior Director, Account Management at Oracle Corporation (Oracle Advertising), she leads global teams driving revenue growth and client success. Kristin’s strategic leadership has resulted in remarkable achievements. With a Bachelor of Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University, she’s recognized for her exceptional leadership with the Oracle 2019 Leadership Edge award.

Medical

MaryAnn Dakkak ‘00
Physician, Boston University

MaryAnn Dakkak has a medical degree from UC San Francisco School of Medicine and a MPH from Harvard University. Prior to medicine she worked in public health with Konbit Sante, Partners in Health and Catholic Relief Services in over 10 countries. She is a first-generation American and speaks three languages. She completed her family medicine residency at Sutter Santa Rosa, and a Surgical Obstetrics Fellowship at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.

Medical

Marisa Fat ‘18
Medical Student, Burnett School of Medicine at TCU

Marisa Fat is a first-year medical student at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU. She graduated summa cum laude from the UCLA Honors Program with a major in Human Biology and Society, where she was the recipient of the UCLA Chancellor’s Service Award and Departmental Honors. Before beginning medical school, she worked as a medical assistant and clinical scribe in Los Angeles for a year. Marisa is passionate about mentorship, bridging student-teacher knowledge gaps, and building leaders in the next generation.

Medical

Carah Santos Lunn ‘01
Physician (Allergist/Immunologist), The Permanente Medical Group / Kaiser Permanente

After 4 wonderful and memorable years at SFHS, my schooling and training led me to the East Coast – Columbia University for college and Penn State for medical school; back to California at Stanford for residency in pediatrics; and to the University of Colorado Colorado for fellowship. As a board certified Allergist/Immunologist, I worked at a private practice in Maine then was faculty at the same academic center I trained at in Denver. I’ve since moved back to Sacramento and am now at Kaiser Permanente, where I also have the opportunity to teach residents and fellows from UC Davis.

Nursing

Olivia Godby ‘12
Nurse-Midwifery Student, UCSF

I am a 2012 Trouble (Curious Georges!) and can happily say that all of my best friends are still my pals from SF! I graduated from Notre Dame in 2016 and spent 5 years in Seattle as a musician and a doula (someone who emotionally supports and advises women giving birth). I decided to return to school at UCSF in 2022 to become a nurse-midwife, which is a healthcare provider specializing in the care of pregnant women, infants, and women’s reproductive health.

Nursing

Amanda Horrocks ‘98
Pediatric Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Mindpath Health

Amanda has been a registered nurse for 22 years and a nurse practitioner for 14 years, specializing in pediatric psychiatry. Prior to becoming a nurse practitioner, she worked as a registered nurse in blood banking, neurology/neurosurgery, and geriatric psychiatry. She is passionate about journeying with young people, and she has done this not only through her professional work, but also by volunteering in youth ministry. Since graduating as a St. Francis Troubie, Amanda has earned her Bachelor’s, Master’s, and doctorate in nursing.

Nursing

Kim Menzel
Senior Vice President and Area Manager, Kaiser Foundation Hospitals/Health Plan

Kim Menzel, MHA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC, is the Senior Vice President and Area Manager for the Roseville Area.

Kim joined Kaiser Permanente in 2009 where she has led operational activities and programs relative to day-to-day hospital operations through the delivery of cost-effective and high-quality services. She has worked in all aspects of the organization, successfully leading the development and execution of key strategies that differentiate Kaiser Permanente from its competitors in the area of service, clinical excellence, and utilization management.

Public Safety

Carmyndee Fields ‘11
Public Safety Dispatcher, California Highway Patrol

Carmyndee has been a Public Safety 911 dispatcher with the California Highway Patrol for almost 11 years, starting in Los Angeles, and later transferring to Sacramento then Vallejo (Golden Gate). She is also a trainer for new employees and a part of the recruitment team. She earned her degree from Sacramento State in nutrition while working full time as a dispatcher. To maintain work/life balance, she likes to keep an active, healthy lifestyle through exercising, traveling, volunteering, and spending time with friends.

Publishing

Jennifer (Basye) Sander ‘76
Editor/Author, Penguin Random House

New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Basye Sander is the author, co-author, book packager, ghost writer of more than fifty books. Formerly a Senior Editor with a major New York publishing house, she leads creative writing retreats and works with authors to complete their projects.

City Planning & Land Use

Maura Twomey ‘77
Executive Director, Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments

Ms. Twomey is the Executive Director for the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments, the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Monterey Bay Region, including the counties of Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito. She has more than 30 years of financial and transportation related experience, including more than 20 years in executive management. Prior to her appointment as the Executive Director of the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments, Ms.

Nonprofit

Kimberly Kaufman ‘92
Founder, Angels for Hearts

After graduating college from SDSU with a BA in Political Science and minor in Real Estate finance; I went onto work as a Commercial Escrow Officer. In 2004 my world changed due to getting the flu, which got into my blood stream which left me with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). I was fast tracked for a heart transplant. Then two years later removed from the list. I truly believe not getting a new heart was a blessing in disguise. Because it lead to creating project Angels for Hearts, which in 2 years became a 501(c)(3) non profit.

Small Business Owner & Entrepreneurship Cybersecurity

Erin Chargin ‘93
Director/Owner, Learning Solutions

I am the owner of Learning Solutions Kids. We are a non public agency that serves children with Autism both in the school setting and their home setting. We also have clinics in Sacramento and Roseville. We utilize the principles of Behavior Analysis. Learning Solutions has been open since 2002 and currently we have 215 employees and serve 450 children in the Sacramento area.

Social Work

Teryn Heckers ‘06
Social Work Graduate Student

Teryn is a second year graduate student studying social work at Sacramento State. After graduating this spring, they plan to work in K-12 public schools as a school social worker or mental health clinician. They are particularly interested in supporting neurodivergent students. Prior to graduate school, they worked at a youth crisis line, did community engagement for a medical residency program, and worked with autism research studies.

Small Business Owner & Entrepreneurship

Meghan (Gibbens) Korte ‘01
Social Media Influencer, MK Influence

Meghan is an award-winning fashion, body confidence, and beauty influencer, social media entrepreneur, and owner of MK Influence, a social media marketing company. Meghan began her influencing career providing beauty education and style quick tips. Meghan created MK Influence as an all-inclusive social media marketing solution for empowering women.