Alumnae Stories

From Carondelet to the White House: Allison Barry’s ’15 Commitment to Service

Allison Barry ’15 credits her time at Carondelet with instilling a lifelong passion for social justice and public service. 

Alumnae Board President—Toni Garcia ’11

Toni Garcia’s connection to Carondelet runs deep and she’s thrilled to explore her connections further as the new Alumnae Board President.

Jennifer Silijestrom ’97: Navigating the Horizons of Healthcare

How one alumna’s journey from Carondelet to health care was influenced by her time and mentors from high school. 

Dr. Amy Yakaitis ’94: Nurturing Lives, Embracing Service

Dr. Amy Yakaitis ’94 P ’26 has been a steadfast presence in the field of obstetrics and gynecology for over 20 years, dedicated to shaping women’s health and accompanying them through pivotal life moments. Her journey from Carondelet to her current role as a respected practitioner demonstrates her passion for service and commitment to delivering compassionate, meaningful care.

Giving a Voice to Little People

“I wanted to create opportunities for children to express themselves comfortably and freely in a safe place where they can be heard and treated as a whole child.

Pursuing all of which women is capable

How an introduction to genetics in high school biology inspired one alumna’s career. 

“How we eat is as important as what we eat” - Sobremesa

Sobremesa is an expression used in Spain regarding their attitude towards life and an attitude Nicole follows in life and her career.

Chase Your Dreams

Danielle Manifold ’11

I’m a First Generation college student in my family. I didn’t think much about school until my mom encouraged me to pursue higher education at the end of my sophomore year at Carondelet. She told me that I could do anything that I wanted as a woman - that my future was my decision, an opportunity to establish a career, that I deserved a chance to sketch out my dreams and then chase them.

Working for Sustainable Global Health Change

Danielle Piccinini ’06 - her Peace Corps experience in South Africa ignited her passion for sustainable Global Health change on a larger scale.  She is now a Senior Program Officer with John Hopkins Center for Communication Program.

Promoting Science Education for Young People @toxtalks_

Kendra Prutton ’12 is a Toxicology PhD student at the University of Colorado. She is committed to education and diversity in science and is encouraging all young women to consider a career in STEM - check her Instagram site toxtalks_

Career inspiration from CHS teacher

Destinee Cordeiro ’09

Carondelet means so much to me and is still ever present in my life 12 years after graduating in 2009. I was inspired to go after a career in journalism by my favorite English teacher, Ms. Ditzel, who would always say that I wrote my assignments as if they would be in a magazine.

Increasing Gender Equality in the Financial Industry

Laura Corso Hopkins ’01 has been working in the financial world since college, starting her career on the East Cost in NYC and at the FDIC in Washington, DC. She encourages women to pursue a career in finance and help increase gender equality in this field.

From Paris with Love

Briana Sapp Tivey ’99 left Cal Poly for Paris, France enjoying working & traveling abroad.  She is now settled in Santa Barbara sharing her passion for the natural world

Seattle State of Mind

Denise Hazlick ’83 has been living in Seattle for 25 years. She is an avid triathlete, an accomplished journalist, and works for Microsoft as an enablement strategist in the commercial partner organization.

Entrepreneur, Mother & Musician

Jennifer Sitko Skarakis ’87 is an accomplished graphic designer, mother of 3 girls, musician and entrepreneur. What started as a favor in college to design creative invitations and wedding announcements for her friends, led her to starting her third company, Sendo Invitations - an online event planning and management site.

DNA of a teacher

Nena Allegra Manuel ’14 is an elementary school teacher following in the footsteps of her mother. She comes from a long line of educators…so it must be in her DNA!

A trip to Australia helped me find my career

Catherine Kozel ’15 is making an impact in a traditionally male-dominated industry: Supply Chain & Logistics.

Working for Hollywood Stars

Madison White ’13 has hung up her swim goggles to help counsel aspiring artists and  Hollywood superstars in the entertainment business.

Makenna Zimmerman ’16, a Journey of Passion, Dedication, and Dance

From excelling in collegiate dance to making waves in the professional dance and corporate world, Makenna Zimmerman’s journey is a testament to perseverance, passion, and an unyielding drive for success.

USA Artistic Swimming Young Alumnae Athletes Shine

We are excited to spotlight two alumnae artistic swimming athletes, Emma Moore ’24 and Morgan Woelfel ’24.

Emma ’24, Morgan ’24, and the rest of the Junior Artistic Swimming Team USA swept Gold at the Pan American Championships in Lima, Peru this summer and also are now World Champions. This was the first Gold medal won by Team USA at the Junior World Championships in 35 years. Both athletes are now training for the 2028 Olympics with the USA Senior National Team in Los Angeles.