Blue Jays had a front-row seat to the possibilities ahead as the Alumni Association, led by Alumni Director James Linn ’06, hosted an impactful career day that brought nearly 30 alumni back to campus to share their professional journeys and hard-earned wisdom.

The day began with a keynote address for pre-freshman, freshman, and sophomores delivered by Dominic Massa ’94, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at WYES-TV. A graduate of Jesuit who built his career in broadcast journalism and public media, Massa encouraged students to begin thinking intentionally, but not fearfully, about their futures. Drawing from his own experiences, he emphasized the importance of adaptability, lifelong learning, and embracing change as the only constant in any career.

Massa spoke candidly about the value of internships and shadowing programs, explaining how early exposure helps students test interests, build confidence, and develop professional habits. He also addressed thoughtful student questions on maintaining integrity in today’s media landscape, stressing ethical decision-making and responsibility in an era of fast-moving news and evolving technology. Another central theme was the power of networking, seeing every interaction as a potential connection and approaching relationships with authenticity, curiosity, and gratitude.

Throughout the keynote, Massa challenged students to “do the work,” arrive early, stay late, and remain open to learning while grounding their ambitions in Jesuit values, reminding them to find purpose and meaning in all they do.

Following the keynote, juniors and seniors rotated through small, individualized classroom sessions led by alumni representing a wide range of industries. These sessions gave students the opportunity to ask direct questions, hear honest stories, and gain practical insight into life after Jesuit. Some of the fields represented included law, medicine, banking, marketing, nonprofit work, engineering, historic preservation, ministry, and more—highlighting the depth and diversity of the Jesuit alumni network.

The day underscored the strength of the Jesuit brotherhood and the willingness of alumni to give back by mentoring the next generation. The Alumni Association extends its sincere gratitude to all participating alumni for investing their time, experience, and encouragement in the current students.

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Career Day Alumni Speakers

Alumni Name	Class Year	Career Field
Dominic Massa	’94	Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, WYES-TV
Michael Redmann	’89	Archives / Historic Preservation
John Zollinger	’85	Banking
Austin Delery	’12	Wealth Management
Ryan O’Malley	’05	Corporate Financial Planning
Ian Blanchard	’03	Financial Planning / Advisor
Jackson Cheramie	’21	Education
Mark Duggan	’04	Education
Russell Schafer	’03	Dentistry
Peter Spera	’98	Architecture
Richard Smith	’65	Real Estate
Sandy Smith	’98	Marketing / Tourism / Hospitality
Mark Hill	’04	Law
Edward McAuliffe	’04	Law
Eric Drewes	’09	Insurance
Justin Burgess	’09	Insurance
Richard Reese	’03	Military
Nathan Alvarez	’18	Nonprofits / Fundraising
James Martin	’94	Engineering
Jim Ryder	’62	Accounting
Alexandre Raymond	’09	Pharmacy
Alex Nay	’11	Medicine
Michael Hanemann	’63	Medicine
Christopher Cimo	’07	Physical Therapy
David Gonczi	’10	Physical Therapy
Matthew Felger	’13	Energy / Utilities
Michael Koster	’15	Parish Government
Fr. Jeffery Merritt	’07	Ministry

Career Day is a project put on by the Alumni Office in conjunction with the Guidance Office. Both the classroom and auditorium sessions saw Jesuit’s alumni serve as great resources for today’s Blue Jays. Alumni participation in Career Day is a meaningful way in which Blue Jay alumni reconnect and give back to their alma mater. 

Alumni Volunteers

Alumni who would like to volunteer their time for Career Day or any other alumni event at Jesuit should use this online Alumni Volunteer Form to indicate their interest.