Young Alumni Council

Andrew Sgarlato ’13 is an experienced management consultant based out of Havertown, Pennsylvania. He is currently a senior manager at Vynamic, a boutique management consulting firm focused exclusively on the interwoven sectors of the healthcare industry. Sgarlato has extensive experience in designing marketing and market access strategies, as well as analyzing competitive landscapes using data-driven procedures for life sciences organizations. Sgarlato’s professional experience also includes large-scale program management with commercial launch of pharmaceutical products and organization and operating model design and implementation. His undergraduate degree from Lehigh is in bioengineering, with a focus on cellular and tissue engineering and a minor in philosophy. He also holds a Masters in Business Administration in healthcare and strategic management from Villanova University. He is a brother of the Phi Sigma Kappa Nu Chapter, a member of the Lehigh Young Alumni Council, and a chairperson of the Lehigh Healthcare Alliance. Sgarlato previously has worked within the healthcare data and technology sector at both IQVIA and Managed Markets Insights and Technology.

Sydney Bagley is a communications professional based in Chattanooga, TN. She is a Communications Associate at Spotlight PR, where she handles media requests and client relations. Previously, she worked at a Fortune 500 Financial company in customer service and annuity services. Sydney graduated from Lehigh University with a B.S. in Business & Economics. She majored in Marketing and received a minor in Africana Studies. Outside of work, Sydney is an active member of Lehigh’s class of 2016 Reunion Committee, volunteers with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and Bridge Scholars of Chattanooga. She enjoys painting, writing, and quoting The Office.

Jigar Patel is a supervising senior consultant at Sia Partners in New York City, specializing in financial institutions. His time at Sia Partners, and previously at EY, has exposed him to post-merger integration, data and technology platform simplification, financial regulatory compliance program development and regulatory reporting, and more. He graduated from Lehigh University in 2017 with a B.S. in business and economics, majoring in business information systems and accounting and minoring in religious studies. Patel is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the State of New York.

Outside of work, Patel is involved in the Lehigh Asian Alumni Network (LAAN), the Lehigh Club of Philadelphia, and the CBG Foundation, a family nonprofit benefiting children in Thuvavi, Gujarat, India. For fun, he likes to perfect his pizza-making skills.

Caroline Weisstuch is a senior business analyst at Cushman & Wakefield. She graduated from Lehigh with a Bachelor of Science in environmental engineering and political science from the Integrated Degree in Engineering, Arts and Sciences (IDEAS) program. At Lehigh, she participated in several campus activities, including working as an admissions tour guide, serving on the Association of Student Alumni as the Class of 2019 Senior Class Gift Committee chair, and playing active roles in Dance Marathon, LU’s Finest Step Team, and Kappa Alpha Theta. She is also a member of the Martindale Society, and traveled to Malaysia in 2018 on a research trip. In addition to supporting YAC, she serves on the Junior Board of Girls, Inc. of New York City and as Chair of Cushman & Wakefield’s Women’s Integrated Network. 

Hunter graduated from Lehigh in 2020 with a Bachelors of Arts in History. During his undergraduate studies, he completed an Honors Thesis in History titled “A Loose Thread: British Imperialism in Turkey in the Aftermath of the First World War”. In 2021, he received a Masters of Science in Management from Lehigh’s College of Business and Economics. Hunter currently works on the Structured Finance Team at Meridian Capital Group.

Myles Bagley graduated from Lehigh with his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering. He currently works and resides in Georgia. While on campus, his favorite Lehigh tradition was Rivalry Week and the bonfire.

Angelica Benares graduated from Lehigh with a BS in Business Information Systems in May 2020. She is currently based in New York where she works as a Technology Risk Consultant at EY. 

Evan is a graduate of Lehigh's Class of 2020 with dual degrees in accounting and computer science and business and a minor in Chinese. While at Lehigh, Choy was a member of the Marching 97 and the Lehigh Tour Guide Program. He also continues to volunteer his time for the honorary band fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi. Today, he is a licensed CPA in New York, where he lives and works for Deloitte in their IT and specialized assurance offering. He is also a Juris Doctor candidate at New York Law School in New York City.

Victor Cochrane graduated from Lehigh in 2022 with a degree in economics and information systems and political science. He is currently a law student at Villanova University. He was an active member and president of Student Senate while on campus, was a campus tour guide, and served as a Gryphon for the Gryphon Society.

Will Constant is a cybersecurity professional based in Washington, DC. He is a Cybersecurity analyst at IBM Consulting, where he manages the IT security infrastructure for many different Federal agencies. Will graduated from Lehigh University with a B.A in Political Science and received a minor in Economics. Besides work Will serves as a volunteer on the Alumni Volunteers for Admissions and a Shark Tank judge for NJ Paterson P-Tech. During his time at Lehigh, he was involved with Student Senate, the Black Student Union, the Office of First Year Experience, Diversity Recruitment via Lehigh Admissions Office, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and the TUMBAO dance team.

Elyse majored in mechanical engineering and started her career as an Application Engineer at SKF. She recently graduated with an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and is excited to join BCG as a consultant this fall. You can find Elyse outside on scenic walks, skiing, and traveling with her partner, Kush. 

A class of 2022 graduate, Santiago majored in Economics and Political Science with a minor in Global Studies. Santiago was a proud Posse scholar, manager of the Women's basketball team, VP of Finance for Student Senate, and the Latino student association. Santiago proudly represents the Lehigh community in San Francisco as a finance analyst at Alphabet Inc.

Dakota is a graduate of the Class of 2017 with a degree in Business Information Systems and a minor in International Relations. She currently works as Business Intelligence Analyst for Process Insights. While at Lehigh, Dakota was a member of the Global Citizenship program, Student Senate, Alpha Gamma Delta and Break the Silence (BTS). She currently resides in Philadelphia, PA.

Annika graduated in 2018 after studying economics at Lehigh. She was a proud first generation college student and graduate of the inaugural LUSSI class. During her time in undergrad, she founded The Happiness Collective and participated in Student Senate. Annika recently moved cross-country to Portland, and would love to collaborate with other west coast alumni! 

Erin Garrity of Titusville, New Jersey, is an intelligent services account engineer at Trane. She graduated with a degree in chemical engineering and a minor in business. She is a sister of Pi Beta Phi and served as their vice president of member development in 2016. Garrity was also actively involved in the larger Greek Life community through her roles as program coordinator of the Greek Emerging Leaders (GEM) Program and vice president of Greek relations on the Panhellenic Council. In 2018, she was selected to address her peers during commencement, where she wrapped up her speech with lyrics from “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus. Garrity is excited to remain engaged with the Lehigh community through her participation on the Young Alumni Council.

Meg Gottschall graduated from Lehigh in 2020 with a degree in philosophy. While at Lehigh, she was a member of philosophy club and the president of Phi Sigma Tau, the philosophy honors society. After graduating Lehigh, Meg moved to Atlanta, GA to work as a writing teacher. Currently she is finishing up her master's degree in philosophy at the University of Edinburgh. 

Allie Guccione graduated from Lehigh University in 2013 with a major in accounting and a minor in sociology. Guccione currently lives in Hoboken, New Jersey, and works at Tiffany and Co. in controls. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.

Celeen Hefele is a graduate from the Class of 2016 with degrees in economics and English and a minor in entrepreneurship. She currently works as an M&A consultant at PwC. While at Lehigh, Hefele was extremely involved with the Office of First Year Experience, being an Orientation Leader for two years and then an orientation coordinator. She was on the executive board of her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, and participated in numerous other clubs on campus. She was awarded the Contribution to Student Life award while at Lehigh. Recently, she was involved with the planning committee for the Class of 2016's reunion. She continues to support Lehigh by leading the case competition with PwC, where she works as a Deals Senior Manager, and she participates in interview preparation and resume reviews for current Lehigh students.

Kautz graduated with a double major in finance and marketing, with an International Business Certificate back in 2017. He currently lives in NYC and works as a Strategy Manager for a small healthcare company. While at Lehigh, he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity where he served as recruitment chair, house manager, and career development chair. He was actively involved in the Finance Club, where he was president for three years, and the Marketing Club, and he was an admissions fellow during his senior year. He loved his experience at Lehigh, is always looking for excuses to go back, and has been on the Young Alumni Council for 5 years now.

John Larson grew up on a farm just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. He joined the five other Lehigh alumni in his family when he earned a Bachelor of Science in business in 2017, with majors in supply chain management and marketing and a minor in philosophy. His favorite Lehigh experience was using the Tauck Scholarship to spend eight weeks studying in Shanghai, China! While at Lehigh, John sang with the Melismatics a cappella group and University Choir and walked up and down Lehigh’s hills backwards as an admissions tour guide. Larson is now a Senior Managing consultant for IBM Consulting; he specializes in launching global ERP implementations for clients across industries. Outside of work, John traveling, camping and hiking, or spending time with friends and family.

John Lim has served on the Young Alumni Council since 2020. He is currently a Compliance Associate at Guggenheim Securities, a boutique investment bank in New York City. Prior to Guggenheim, John was a Risk Consultant at KPMG, specializing in the Healthcare and Life Sciences sector. John graduated with a B.A. in International Relations and Economics in 2019.

Outside of work and the Young Alumni Council, John is involved with other Lehigh alumni organizations, such as the Lehigh Asian Alumni Network (LAAN) and the Alumni Volunteers for Admissions. He also volunteers regularly for StreetWise Partners, a non-profit aiming to uplift students in the historically under-represented communities of New York City.

Jenny graduated with the highest honors from Lehigh in 2021, double majoring in Accounting and Business Information Systems with double minors in Political Science and Chinese. On campus, she was heavily involved with the F1RST+ (first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented minority) community, spearheading initiatives to promote equitable student access and success. She also was involved with the Martindale (Argentina) program, Beta Alpha Psi, Beta Gamma Sigma, and the Dean's Council. Jenny is currently working in tech at a Hoboken-based start up and was previously at KPMG. She is excited to be on YAC to encourage more younger alumni to stay connected and engaged with Lehigh

Kaylyn Swartz Lohan graduated from Lehigh with bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering and integrated business and engineering (IBE). She also completed her Masters of Business Administration from Lehigh as well.  While at Lehigh, she served as treasurer for Zeta Tau Alpha and an editor for the Epitome yearbook.  She was also an admissions fellow and a tour guide and involved in the Society of Women Engineers, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Association of Student Alumni, and the Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity. Currently, she is a Pricing Manager at Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. in Allentown, Pennsylvania. In this capacity, she supports both the North and Canada subregions in the Industrial Gases Americas business.  Outside of work, she is an active member of Lehigh Valley Section of the Society of Women Engineers and enjoys traveling, cooking, and hiking outdoors.

Lauren Maida is an associate brand manager on the Zarbee's brand at Kenvue, formerly Johnson & Johnson. Raised in Central New Jersey, Maida graduated from Lehigh with a Bachelor of Science in Business & Economics and went on to earn her MBA from the University of Notre Dame in 2021. While at Lehigh, Maida served as president of her sorority, Pi Beta Phi, and as a tour guide with the Lehigh University admissions team. She currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Skyler McCabe, from Basking Ridge, NJ, graduated from Lehigh in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Business and Economics degree with a major in Finance and Marketing and minor in Real Estate. During her time at Lehigh, Skyler was involved in a multitude of clubs and organizations including Beta Gamma Sigma, CBE Dean's Council, the TRAC Writing Fellows Program, Pi Beta Phi, Women in Business, Panhellenic Council, and the HAWKS Peer Mentor Program. After graduation, Skyler moved to New York City and joined Citibank as a Corporate Banking Analyst in the Financial Institutions Group where she interned during her junior summer. Skyler is very excited to be a part of the Young Alumni Council and is looking forward to engaging with alumni and giving back to Lehigh!

Diana Nicholas is a proud member of Lehigh's Young Alumni Council! Raised in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Nicholas graduated from Lehigh in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a minor in Entrepreneurship. While at Lehigh, she served on the Panhellenic Judicial Board, participated in Lehigh Silicon Valley, and held executive roles for her sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi, and University Productions. After graduating, she moved out to the San Francisco Bay Area and currently is a co-founder at a cybersecurity start-up, Anetac. Diana is very involved with Lehigh@NASDAQ and the Baker Institute mentoring multiple students.

Julia Pardee is a Venture Associate at Cyber Mentor Fund. She graduated Lehigh in May 2021 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Information Systems and Marketing. Based in San Francisco, Julia is thrilled to be a part of YAC and engage with other Lehigh alumni. At Lehigh, she was heavily involved with Student Senate, the TRAC Fellows Program, and the Office of First Year Experience. She’s excited to come back to Lehigh for YAC meetings and the Lehigh-Lafayette game, especially to eat takeout from Tulum on the Front Lawn.

Leah Paulson graduated from Lehigh with a B.A. in global studies and Spanish in 2014 and an M.Ed. in globalization and educational change in 2015 as a President’s Scholar. At Lehigh, Paulson was a Gryphon, an athlete on the Women’s Rowing Team, a member of the Student Athlete Council, and the president of the Residence Hall Association. For the last few years, she has been writing the Class of 2014’s columns for the Lehigh Bulletin! She has been working in student affairs since graduation and currently works in housing operations at Temple University in Philadelphia. She is also working toward her Ed.D. in leadership and learning in organizations at Vanderbilt University.

Megan graduated in May 2022 with a degree in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Health, Medicine, and Society. She is currently in Air Products' Chemical Engineering rotational program working as a project development engineer for blue and green hydrogen projects and currently lives in Conshohocken, Pa. While at Lehigh, Megan was a tour guide, Admissions Fellow, Gryphon, and a member of the Society of Women Engineers, women's club soccer, and Association of Student Alumni.

Lauryn Ragone, Class of 2017 and 2018, graduated from Lehigh University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Journalism. She received the Presidential Scholarship to pursue her Master’s in Education and special education certification. During her time at Lehigh, she was an editor and reporter for The Brown and White, the Director of Philanthropy for her sorority Zeta Tau Alpha, Director of University Productions Arts and Excursions, and an Admissions tour guide.

Ragone currently resides in the Lehigh Valley where she is a Special Education High School English teacher and serves as the Department Chair. Outside her role as an educator, Ragone is an active member of the Junior League of the Lehigh Valley and the alumni chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha. She loves returning to Lehigh to walk the campus, attend lectures, and sporting events. Ragone looks forward to serving on Lehigh’s Young Alumni Council to support alumni in reconnecting with their alma mater.

A member of the Class of 2014, Ashley Ryan was part of the computer science and business (CSB) program, with a minor in science, technology, and society. While at Lehigh, her love for the CSB program led to her involvement in the Computer Science & Business Association board and running student-led events for the program. Some of her most memorable experiences at Lehigh were created during the travel opportunities she was grateful to participate in, including Zambia, Cambodia, and the Czech Republic. Alongside her studies, her work as a student web developer/designer for the IMRC prepared her for her post-graduation opportunities. Ryan joined the Web & Mobile Services team at Lehigh as a senior developer, leading her to her current position as manager of the team. She enjoys working for Lehigh and the opportunities to remain connected and stay involved in her alma mater.

Jordy Salcedo-Giraldo graduated from Lehigh in 2016 with a Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry. During his time at Lehigh he was involved in several organizations including Lehigh EMS, Orientation Leader, and Lehigh Dance Marathon. After Lehigh, he went on to medical school at Drexel University College of Medicine where he graduated in 2020. Jordy is currently a Pediatric Nephrology Fellow at Children's National Hospital in Washington DC where he is training to take care of children with kidney diseases.

Audrey attended Lehigh from 2016-2021. She earned a B.A in Global Studies (Sustainable Development and Marketing Minors) and then went on to complete an MS in Business Management in 2021. She was a very involved undergraduate and graduate student, and encourages students to take full advantage of the amazing opportunities and resources Lehigh has to offer - the faculty, the LU/UN Partnership, and the Office of Creative Inquiry... just to name a few! Joining YAC seemed like the perfect next step to continue her involvement with the Lehigh community. Audrey currently lives in Washington DC and works in Deloitte's Risk and Advisory practice.

Ankit graduated in the Class of 2020 with a degree in bioengineering and a minor in economics. He currently lives in Bergen County, NJ but works in Lower Manhattan. He is currently a Loan Consultant for a firm called Better Mortgage. During his time at Lehigh, he was a part of several organizations including, Student Senate, ASA, The Gryphon Society, SASA, RHA, and the Lehigh Consulting Group. His passion for continuing to be a part of the Lehigh community post graduation led him to become part of YAC and I strive to continue to engage with the Lehigh community as well as keep his peers in the loop of this great institution.

Rachel Sholder of Baltimore, Maryland, works at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory doing modeling and analysis for NASA space missions and the CDC. She graduated with a bachelor's in mathematics and a master's in statistics. During her time as a graduate student, she served as President John D. Simon's graduate assistant and served as the summer graduate assistant in the Office of Institutional Research. During her time as an undergraduate student, she served as a peer health advisor president; was on the executive council of her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, for two years; interned in the Dean of Students Office; interned in the Health Advancement and Prevention Strategies Office; was the student representative on six Dean of Students committees; and worked as a grader in the department of mathematics. Sholder was a recipient of the Outstanding Panhellenic Woman of the Year Award, the Elizabeth Major Nevius Award, the Class of 1904 Award, the Student Senate Leadership Award, the Contribution to Student Life Award, and more.

Abdul-Nafea Syed graduated in the class of 2021 with a degree in Bioengineering. As a student he was a Head Gryphon, a Teaching Assistant, the President of the Biomedical Engineering Society and LU enable. Abdul also had the opportunity to do in-depth research in the Pashuck labs as a research assistant. Formerly part of the Rossin Junior Fellows, Abdul joined the Young Alumni Council to find ways to stay involved with the campus and create a community for his class of '21. He has made lifelong friends from his 4 years at Lehigh. He is currently a Product Development Senior Engineer at Stryker.

Cathy Withers earned a B.A. in Economics and B.S. in Earth and Environmental Sciences in 2014. She completed a MS in Economics the following year as a Presidential Scholar. During her time at Lehigh, Cathy was very involved with a variety of campus activities. She competed in the Track team, chaired a Student Senate, received a Strohl grant for summer research, and was selected for the Martindale Society. Some of her most memorable experiences included studying abroad in New Zealand and piloting why is now the H.A.W.K.S peer mentorship program.

After Lehigh Cathy pursued a career in business consulting, finding a good fit for her atypical academic background in the utility industry. She worked with several major utility providers in the U.S. (including PPL and ConEdison) and abroad. She then shifted to management and strategy consulting in the technology space, focusing on enterprise-wide transformation projects, and works in this space today.

Cathy is still an avid runner and is now a certified yoga teacher. She lives in New York City and welcomes any Lehigh to reach out and connect!

Michael Wu ('20) studied in the Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE) program with a focus in Bioelectronics and Biophotonics. During his time at Lehigh, he was involved in various activities across campus including starting two startups, sitting on the executive boards of the Lehigh BioMedical Society, IBE Council, and a club focused on design-build competitions. He was also a Rossin Junior Fellow for the P.C. Rossin School of Engineering where he was a teaching assistant for the senior engineering capstone project. Outside of academics, Michael was also involved with the Ultimate frisbee team and the ski club. Currently, Michael is living and working in New York. 

Shawn Yin graduated from Lehigh in 2018 with a degree in chemical engineering. He currently lives in San Diego and works as a Process Science Engineer in biotech. While at Lehigh, his favorite professor was Dr. Tuzla in the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering department as he has seen and experienced the care he has for his students, while on campus and after they are an alum. Shawn’s favorite places around campus include FML for studying and the Goose, with his go-to sandwich of Johnny Bravo.