Elvin Ahmeti C’15 took full advantage of North Park’s multidisciplinary academics and internship opportunities, completing a double major in finance and accounting with a minor in biology. Now based in Chicago and working as a senior financial analyst at global healthcare manufacturer Fresenius Kabi USA, Ahmeti says his combined education in business and life sciences prepared him for his career and helped him to stand out in the job market.

Ahmeti developed his skills in North Park’s rigorous business and biology classes, and through an internship as a business analyst at Swedish Covenant Hospital. Ahmeti stayed on-board at Swedish Covenant for another year post-graduation before moving over to Fresenius Kabi. As a senior financial analyst, Ahmeti works in a team to ensure the sustainability of the company’s pharmaceutical product portfolio.

“The fact that I had a biology minor along with my business major made me stand out as a job candidate,” Ahmeti says. Many of Ahmeti’s classes, including Advanced Finance and Strategic Management, were “exact replicas of what is expected from financial professionals in the real world.”

“The courses I took at ���ϳԹ� were challenging and properly prepared me for my future,” says Ahmeti, who encourages students to work hard. “Be focused on your end goal and eventually you will reach it.”  While at ���ϳԹ�, Ahmeti’s favorite classes were Advanced Finance, Public Speaking, and Management and Leadership.

When not working, Ahmeti enjoys cooking, traveling, watching soccer, and learning about history and politics. He considers himself lucky to live in Chicago because of its cultural and culinary diversity. One day he hopes to own a restaurant specializing in artisan sandwiches and breakfast food somewhere warm like Vietnam.

Jamey Lundblad C’95 loves Chicago. As chief marketing officer for the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, his job is to promote the city’s many cultural offerings. It’s one he relishes.

“Chicago is an arts powerhouse and a global cultural destination—the birthplace of the skyscraper and modern architecture, storefront theatre, improv, the urban blues, and more,” Lundblad says. “I’m passionate about making the arts and local culture available to Chicagoans and visitors, and I love going to see exhibits, theatre, and dance myself—every chance I get. So, I’m grateful that my job allows me to advocate for the arts and Chicago every day.”

The communication arts and Swedish double major says North Park prepared him well for his high-profile position with the city, where he’s responsible for marketing Chicago’s many festivals and promoting Millennium Park, the number-one tourist attraction in the Midwest.

“My classes at ���ϳԹ� were terrific and provided a solid foundation for my career,” says the Minnesota native. “But what really shaped me were my experiences outside the classroom and around the world,” including his semester in Sweden and his role as Student Government president his senior year.

“My study abroad in Sweden gave me confidence and a more expansive worldview,” says Lundblad, who was mentored by many beloved North Park professors and staff, including David and Sue Horner, Melissa Morris-Olson, and Charles Peterson, among others.

After graduation, Lundblad got his career off the ground as an editor and event planner for North Park. Then he moved on to roles at marketing agency VSA Partners and as director of marketing for the Chicago Public Library.

Now a frequent world traveler, Lundblad also serves on the board of directors of Edgar Miller Legacy, a group whose mission is to preserve the architect’s “handmade homes” throughout the country, but especially in the Chicagoland area.

In fact, Lundblad and his husband, Bill Melamed, held their recent wedding in the R.W. Glasner Studio, a building designed by Miller, who was known as a master painter, wood carver, and stained-glass maker. Lundblad and Melamed are committed to supporting the arts, as well as a variety of LGBTQ causes.

Lundblad hails from a long line of North Park alumni: his aunt, uncle, brother, and sister-in-law all attended North Park.

“I’m proud to call myself a North Park Legacy,” Lundblad says.

Hi, I’m Leah, and I’m a recent graduate of ���ϳԹ� and currently employed as marketing coordinator at the British International School of Chicago, Lincoln Park. I work with the marketing side of our office, where I create promotional materials, take pictures, send emails and mailings, maintain the website, and network with parents and donors.

This opportunity excites me because the international school setting makes a difference in the development of children and their outlooks on life. It exposes them to other cultures early on and allows them to learn alongside other kids who may have a totally different background than they do.

My job is a combination of my professional experiences at ���ϳԹ�, where I was a student worker in University Marketing and Communications as well as the Office of Advancement. In the marketing office, I learned how to maintain websites and had an opportunity to hone my photography skills. I have my own style of photography, but when I started taking pictures for North Park, I had to learn how to transition to a new style to fit within their brand guidelines. I also learned more InDesign and other design skills from the lead designer.

The Office of Advancement gave me an opportunity to develop professional skills, such as welcoming people, providing customer service, and building relationships with people who are part of the institution, all of which are huge parts of my job now.

At ���ϳԹ�, I also I took a business communication class with the director of Career Development and Internships Office (CDIO). The class prepared us for job searching and interacting in a professional workplace. We worked in groups and practiced writing in various formats, including press releases, PSA’s, and more. We talked about interviews, how to dress for them and how to answer questions; received other tips for success; and then set up mock interviews with staff and faculty members to gain extra practice. I’ve never considered interviews to be one of my strengths, so the extra bit of practice really helped.

I see this position as a starting point for my career. I’m in a position where I am completing tasks that I know I can do. I’m using the skills that I have already learned, but there is still information that I know I have yet to learn. It’s nice to transition out of the student worker mentality into a leadership position where I get to take charge.

Following graduation, Burkart was accepted into Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science’s doctor of physical therapy program. Burkart credits this success to the preparation he received as an undergraduate. “Receiving my undergraduate degree from ���ϳԹ� was one of the best decisions I have ever made. As a student, I obtained over 1,250 hours of clinical experience working with diverse populations, established networking opportunities, and built lasting relationships with the faculty members at ���ϳԹ� that helped solidify my spot amongst a vastly competitive pool of physical therapy applicants.”

In addition to the skills that allowed him to grow as a clinician, Burkart appreciates the ways that he grew as a person during his time at ���ϳԹ�. “From the immense amount of hands-on exposure you receive with your athletes and patients, to the incredible opportunities you have to develop, implement, and lead the medical emergency action plan of the Chicago Marathon, these experiences allow you to gain the greatest sense of self-confidence. I am truly blessed to have been a part of this program, for it has made such a positive impact on my life.”

Burkart explains that while in school, he experienced many life-altering events and setbacks outside of the classroom. “I am forever grateful to my fellow classmates and the athletic training faculty for the way they supported me through those tough times. After the immeasurable amount of time you spend within this program, these people become your family and individuals you can rely on for the rest of your life.”

“On behalf of myself and fellow athletic training classmates and peers, I can say with complete confidence that regardless of your academic pursuits beyond North Park, the advanced knowledge you receive from this program will set you up for the utmost success.”

North Park will forever be the place where I met lifelong friends and mentors. It will also always represent challenge and growth for me. The most valuable lesson I learned at ���ϳԹ� is that your education, and your life in general, is what you make of it! Though I was a transfer student and rather shy, I put myself out there and made friends with whom I am even closer today.

I spent my first summer after graduation working for Shoreline Sightseeing downtown and having a wonderful time just enjoying living in the city. I then moved back to Michigan to begin a position as a substitute teacher. I had been unsure as to what was next for me and wanted to gauge my interest in returning to school for a teaching certificate. After taking on multiple paraprofessional roles, I decided that I would like to go back to school for a Master’s in English. I knew that I wanted to teach at the college-level. Loyola University Chicago, in Rogers Park, had a ‘teaching track’ for their Master’s in English program.

I found a graduate assistantship as a Tutoring Coordinator with the TRIO Student Support Services program on campus–Achieving College Excellence (ACE), which serves students who are the first in their family to go to college, have higher financial need, and/or have a documented disability. After graduating from Loyola, I went on to teach College Composition at College of Lake County, and Developmental Writing at ���ϳԹ�! It was so very interesting teaching in the same classroom in which I took so many of my undergraduate courses.

I later applied for a new Academic Counselor position ACE wrote into their grant. I got the job and have been with ACE as a full-time staff member for over a year now. I am the academic counselor and primary first and second year advisor for a group of about 70 students. I see myself as an advocate, ally, and, along with the rest of ACE, a support system for our students, who need guidance in navigating college life. I also teach two sections of UNIV 101, supervise a staff of ACE students who have trained to be peer mentors, and supervise the graduate assistant Tutoring Coordinator, my former position.

At ���ϳԹ�, because it’s small, students, staff, and faculty wear multiple hats–I can juggle multiple positions and projects because of my time at ���ϳԹ� and the opportunities I was given there. My time as a Writing Advisor, under the guidance of the great Carol Martin, gave me the experience I needed to work as an English Language Arts paraprofessional for at-risk students, which lead to Loyola’s English Master’s program and positions at TRIO.

My position with the North Park Press, political philosophy courses, and summer internship in D.C. prepared me for community organizing. I am now a Community Organizer in Rogers Park, am on the Steering Committee for our independent, progressive ward body, and am the Political Coordinator at the Heartland Cafe. This experience has been invaluable and I am putting my education and values into action.

One of the best things you can do, in my view, to give back to ���ϳԹ� is to go on and be a credit to the University’s mission. Are you a person of character, compassion, and common sense? Think through what it means to live a life of significance and service. It can feel like a corny line sometimes when you are in college, but I find myself reflecting on these values every day now. Folks who live lives of significance and service are so desperately needed in this world.

One of Jorge Ortiz’s most memorable moments at ���ϳԹ� was the day he graduated. He walked in front of the procession carrying his home-country’s flag, the Ecuadorian colors flying ahead and above him on his way to the stage. “North Park is an institution that has a lot of potential if a student wants to research, develop, or explore; its diversity challenged my perspectives on many of my views.” Jorge counts it a great accomplishment that he “studied and graduated in a foreign country in a foreign language.”

Jorge enjoyed his time at ���ϳԹ�, involving himself in much of what the University has to offer students as far as extracurricular activities. He was president of the Economics Club, as well as a member of the executive team for the inaugural TEDx event held at ���ϳԹ�. Jorge also had this to say about the summer research program he participated in, “the opportunity to do NPRESS with professor Gavoor, studying the relationship between the cost of goods sold and inventory, was one of my favorite opportunities at ���ϳԹ�.”

Life after graduation has served Jorge well, landing a full-time position as a business developer executive at North Side Community Federal Credit Union just two weeks after commencement. Jorge credits North Park’s Career Development and Internships Office with helping him develop a strong resume and offering guidance through his job search. He plans to continue working for the next couple of years and starting graduate school in 2019. “I explored a lot of economic theories at the University. This is a wonderful institution where I made friends for life, including professors who have become mentors.”

CHICAGO, May 18, 2017 — On May 3 North Park held its annual day of giving, #NPUBlueandGoldDay. Alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends rose to the challenge and made #NPUBlueandGoldDay a huge success.

A total of $137,388 was donated. “I had a number of people tell me they kept watching and refreshing our Giving Day website. It was so encouraging. The energy was high on and off campus,” said Shena Keith, assistant vice president for advancement. The “Wear it. Give it. Share it.” campaign caught on and spirits on campus were high.

The Office of Advancement had a goal of 503 donors for the May 3 event, which was surpassed with a total of 526 donors.  Alumni accounted for 52% of the donors, but faculty/staff (14%), friends (6%), parents (4%), and students (4%) also made substantial gifts.

Ragnar the Viking, the student body mascot, helped to rally support for #NPUBlueandGoldDay with appearances in videos and at campus events on May 3. He also joined nearly 400 students, faculty, and staff to take a giant N-P-U photo in celebration of the day. “Best Giving Day ever!” proclaimed Ragnar.