Alumni Profiles

 

Class of 2012
Majors: Communication Arts

 

Class of 2009
Majors: Philosophy, Theology

Class of 2006
Majors: Humanities & Catholic Culture, and Theology

“When I came to Franciscan, I had signed up for everything,” Pauline Smith laughs. “Honors, classics, humanities… Fortunately, the first person I saw for advising was Prof. James Gaston.

Class of 2006
Major: Spanish

The summer before he graduated from Franciscan University in 2006 with a degree in Spanish, David Hickson graduated from Marine Officer Candidate School. He knew exactly what he was going to be: a Marine Officer. But after much time in prayer and struggling to find peace, he realized that he simply couldn’t kill other human beings. He turned down his commission and thought he was going to the seminary to be a Navy chaplain, but he didn’t find peace that route either. Then, Hickson decided to follow in his parents’ footsteps and teach.

Class of 2009
Majors: Philiosophy, Theology, Honors Program

“Discussing the greatest ideas of the Western tradition and seeing how they developed and changed throughout history, taught us to think, reason, and communicate,” Cate says. “Studying these works introduced me to our great Catholic tradition.”

Class of 2010
Major: Sacred Music (Voice)

Amy Gallwas can’t remember life without music. “It’s always been in my family,” she says. Her mother, aunts, uncle, and grandmother all played and sang, helping to foster her love of music, and she joined her first choir in fourth grade.

“I had my first solo,” she remembers with a laugh. “It was really scary; my knees were shaking the whole time.”

Singing became more exciting than it was scary, though, and Amy eventually wound up...

Class of 2009
Major: Anthropology, Honors Program

When Kathryn Barton was in elementary school, she studied the ancient Egyptians and decided that when she grew up, she was going to be an archaeologist. Over the years, she lost touch with that desire, and when she entered Franciscan University as a freshman, Kathryn registered for a more “practical” major.

The following summer, she found herself cleaning museum exhibits on Mackinac Island, Michigan, and was reminded of how much she enjoyed the work. When she returned to Steubenville in the fall...

Class of 2003
Major: Classics

Georges Montillet has always had a knack for learning languages. His first language is French, but to hear him speaking Spanish, Italian, Latin, Greek, German, English, Arabic, or Persian, you wouldn’t know it.

“It’s allowed me to make friends around the world,” Georges says. He means that literally..."

Class of 2007
Major: Computer Information Science
Minor: Business Management

  Computers and business are increasingly interrelated, and understanding both can allow you to help others, 2007 graduate David Norton says. Norton has combined his degrees in ...

Class of 2003
Major: Political Science

 “Political science helped make me more well-rounded and better able to evaluate things. I understood, much better than those simply taking a scientific approach, that philosophy drives policy, that policy drives law, and that law drives history.”

Class of 2001
Major: Political Science, Spanish

  Since graduating from Franciscan University in 2001, Lt. Tom Byrnes has been involved in many things he had never expected, such as working with Iraqi officials in Baghdad as a Navy JAG lawyer.

Class of 2004
Major: English

Michelle Kafel had plans to study theatre in New York City when her parents made her an offer that redirected her to Franciscan University. “[They] basically said, ‘Listen, you can go anywhere you want, but we’ll only pay for Steubenville,’” the 26-year-old actress recalls.

Class of 2007
Majors: Social Work, Theology

Most undergraduate social work students go straight from graduation to a graduate program. Maribeth Nolan went straight to Ecuador. "I can’t believe it’s only been two and a half years,” Nolan says.

Photo by Bertrand Roberts

Class of 2005
Major: Finance

Angela Coppa knew she wanted an accounting career in New York City.  She also knew it would take dedication and work to achieve her dreams.

After graduating from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2005 with a degree in finance, Coppa spent a year and a half doing technical accounting for PricewaterhouseCoopers in New Jersey, then transferred to PwC's New York City office...

Class of 2008
Major: Computer Information Science

Computers really do connect all corners of the world, and a degree in computer information science can, too—just ask Patrick Nagurny.  The 2008 Franciscan University graduate is participating in a yearlong exchange program for young professionals in Germany this year.  Only 75 Americans annually are accepted,...

Class of 2006
Major: Business/Marketing

After spending just eight months in corporate America after graduation, Kelly Lee knew that she wanted to be her own boss.  In the three years since,...

Class of 2006
Majors: Finance and Philosophy

When he graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2006, Peter Bremberg didn’t expect to wind up working in India.  After two years at a New York financial firm...

Class of 2001
Majors: Theology and Philosophy

Kim Schreck first learned about Franciscan University shortly after he returned to the Catholic Church. A girl he met on a retreat told him, “You’d love it there. You’d fit right in.”

Class of 2005
Major: Communication Arts (Radio/TV)

Three years after graduating from Franciscan University, Phil Rosensteel had the confidence and edge to launch his own production company in Baltimore. Through Wired Different Media, Inc., Phil engages his passion to create technically and artistically excellent media...

Class of 2007
Majors: Catechetics and Theology

Mallory McClosky attended Franciscan University’s youth conferences throughout high school and seriously considered attending the University. When it came time to make the decision, however, she opted for a secular school where she could define herself and her Catholic faith by needing to defend it.

After one year of defining and defending, Mallory became certain the Lord was calling her to transfer to Franciscan.

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Class of 2005
Major: Education

Since she graduated from Franciscan University, Maggie Mosher has become an award-winning special education teacher at St. Agnes Catholic School in Roeland Park, Kansas. Her extensive work with students with disabilities...

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Class of 2007
Majors: Biology and Theology

In the jungles of South America, Brian Burke ’07 found his calling.

“I wasn’t sure I wanted to pursue medicine,” he recalls, “until I went to Ecuador.”

Class of 2001
Major: Nursing

Chrissy (Quinn ’01) Wilson always knew she wanted to be a nurse. The youngest of eight children, with older siblings who attended Franciscan University, the choice for a nursing program was also obvious. Knowing it was a big commitment...

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Class of 2000
Majors: Philosophy and History

John Henry Crosby grew up with a passion for Beethoven and Mozart. He studied the violin and intended to give his life to music until, like his father, Franciscan University professor Dr. John Crosby, a passion for philosophy...

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Class of 1994

 Major: History

Two high school teachers first challenged Kevin Schmiesing to do more serious reading about history, a subject that had always fascinated him. Their classes focused on the history of ideas...

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