Cate Connect
Cate Connect allows alumni to engage with the School and interact with current students in and out of the classrooms. It enables students to network with Cate alumni from various career fields and affinity groups.
Professional Development
May 16, 2024
Tracye Lawyer ’95
Ethan Ha ’20
Grace Dickman ’13
Tracye, Ethan, and Grace met with student-athletes via Zoom for a session that focused on their experiences as college athletes. Alumni presenters provided insights regarding the college recruiting process and shared how Cate prepared them with time management skills that have been invaluable.
May 6, 2024
Shyam Akula ’12
Shyam returned to the Mesa to speak about his neurobiology research and answered students’ questions about his medical school journey. Shyam was a 2017-2019 Harvard Stem Cell Institute MD/PhD Fellow and a 2020 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship. This summer, he will join the University of California, San Francisco, as a resident physician in neurology.
April 30, 2024
Christian Ondaatje ’13
Christian works in decentralized AI as a computing programmer. Christian shared that he took programming and coding courses during his senior year at Cate and now incorporates data science and software engineering skills into code software. Christian manages a small digital asset recovery company that legally hacks Bitcoin wallets to assist individuals who have forgotten their passwords and recover lost funds.
February 5, 2024
Mona Khalil ’84
Mona Khalil chatted with Ewe Speaks and shared her experiences in the United Nations Office of the Legal Counsel and International Atomic Energy Agency. She described how the world of international affairs overlaps with the world of international law. Hearing Mona explain current world events from an international law perspective was eye-opening and engaging for students.
January 31, 2024
Tina Brown ’05
Clean Grid Alliance Consultant
Diving deep into the industry’s history and predicted projections, Tina Brown provided insights regarding the clean energy field to Environmental and Business Club students. Tina encouraged students to find their purpose by allowing themselves to take meandering roads as they explore future career paths.
January 18, 2024
Anne Sewall ’08
Westfield Real Estate Asset Management
Cate’s Investment Club met with Anne to learn basic concepts and terminologies from the real estate asset management world. Anne provided students with mock scenarios of properties in three different cities and led a discussion focusing on the advantages and disadvantages of each location
December 7, 2023
Jenny Dearborn P’16,’19,’21
Chief People Officer of Productboard
Jenny shared advice on how the Class of 2024 can prepare for their next chapter beyond Cate. Students participated in discussions regarding résumé writing, interviewing skills, and establishing LinkedIn accounts.
December 6, 2023
Walter Douglas ’73
Retired Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, East Asian and Pacific Bureau (EAP)
Ewe Speaks, Cate’s speech and debate club, learned strategies to improve their public speaking skills from Walter. Students also gained insights into a career path in the foreign services field.
November 14, 2023
Gregory Lemmons ’96
Intellectual Property Attorney
Student members of the Art Club learned about various writing competitions available in addition to how Gregory, Script2Comic contest winner, balances his law career and passion for the arts.
November 2, 2023
Brent Bennett ’10
Buzzfeed Senior Video Producer & Manager
Eleanor Bennett ’10
Aspen Public Radio Morning Edition host, reporter and podcast producer
Brennan Cusack ’11
MFA candidate at USC’s John Wells Division for Writing for Screen
Will Meldman ’08
Founder & CEO of Double Down Pictures
Invited by the Career Club, Brent, Eleanor, Brennan, and Will shared stories about their experiences and journeys in their respective professional fields as film producers, radio hosts, and print journalists.
Alisa Ahlstone Lewis ’89 and Hilary Keller ’93 shared insights regarding the MBA application process based on their experience and roles as Business School Admission Officers.
October 18, 2023
Christopher Chau ’06
EMEA Head of Morgan Private Ventures
Student members of the Cate Business Club spent an afternoon chatting with Christopher to learn about the personal qualifications that finance firms look for when hiring. Christopher also shared how students can prepare for life and careers beyond the Mesa.
Affinity Groups
February 24, 2024
Returning to the Mesa to join the Black History Month celebrations, Daniel Cherry III ’96 encouraged the students to learn from their mistakes and to have the courage to think differently when it comes to the quest for Greatness.
October 17, 2023
Karla Casariego ’08, Fernando Hurtado ’12, Stephanie Flores ’12, Vanessa Lizárraga ’12, Edgar Martin ’13, and Yansy Salmerón ’13 gathered with members of the Hispanic and Latino Alliance to celebrate each other’s achievements and share the challenges that they have overcome.
