Young Alumni Council

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.

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 on the executive board, she serves on the Junior Board of Girls, Inc. of New York City and as Chair of Cushman & Wakefield’s Women’s Integrated Network. She was the recipient of the Alumni Award at the Class of 2019’s 5th Year Reunion.

Michael Wu 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.

While at Lehigh, she was deeply involved in campus life through the Gryphon Society, Admissions Fellows, Lehigh University Prison Project, and Alpha Omega Epsilon, among others.

Her dedication to Lehigh remains strong, as she regularly attends events like Lehigh-Lafayette, the Rally, and Reunion. Each year, she interviews prospective students as an Alumni Volunteers for Admission (AVA) member and emphasizes that the best part of her Lehigh experience was the lifelong connections she built within the community.

Professionally, Sara is a Curriculum Specialist at Savvas Learning Company, where she collaborates with educational institutions to improve learning products and teaching methods. Sara holds two master’s degrees in Higher Education Administration and Secondary Education, respectively, and is currently working towards her Ed.D. Curriculum, Teaching, Learning, and Leadership at Northeastern University.

Currently, Sara lives in York, PA, and is always eager to connect with fellow Lehigh alumni!

Hunter graduated from Lehigh's College of Arts and Sciences in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in History, with honors, and earned a Master of Science in Management from the Lehigh College of Business in 2021. While at Lehigh, Hunter wrote an honors thesis in history, loved playing pick-up basketball at Taylor Gym, and was involved in Greek Life. Hunter has been a member of the Young Alumni Council since 2022 and sincerely appreciates the opportunity to remain involved with the University through the Council.

Originally from Abuja, Nigeria, she earned her B.S. in Computer Engineering with a minor in Creative Writing, as well as her M.Eng. in Computer Science from Lehigh University. As a student, she served as Head Resident Assistant, a senator in the National Society of Black Engineers, and a member of both the Eta Kappa Nu Engineering Honor Society and the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Computing Honor Society. She also contributed to the Dean’s Student Advisory Council. Bonor created and hosted Lehigh Insider, an award-winning podcast produced by The Brown and White, and acted as the 2023 Undergraduate Commencement Speaker. She was a Martindale Scholar and published research on immigration policy in Denmark as part of the Denmark cohort. She also participated in several cultural dance teams and received the Williams Prizes in both Journalism and Fiction. In recognition of her leadership and service, she was awarded the 2024 Graduate Life Leadership Award. As a young alum, she continues to engage with Lehigh through mentorship, volunteering, and outreach.

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.

During her time at Lehigh she was active in Admissions Ambassadors, Greek Life and was a Campus Manager for Fresh Prints. She is currently based in New York where she works in Cyber Risk at Capital One. One of her favorite things at Lehigh was her Iacocca Internship where she spent 2 months working in New Delhi.

During her time at Lehigh, Marlena was involved in several organizations including Kappa Alpha Theta, Greek Emerging Leaders, and Lehigh University Dance Marathon (LUDM). Marlena served on the Executive Boards of Kappa Alpha Theta as Chief Operations Officer, LUDM as the Morale Chair, was a Mentor in Greek Emerging Leaders, and was a Rho Gamma her senior year.

After graduation, Marlena started as a receptionist at Eldridge. She quickly moved into an Executive Assistant role, supporting the Chief Talent Officer and Chief Administrative Officer. Currently, Marlena has moved onto the Human Resources team and is an HR Generalist at the firm.

In her free time, Marlena often attends Lehigh events in the NYC, Westchester and Fairfield Country areas hoping to connect with other Lehigh Alumni and meet new people! She is also heavily involved in the Stamford, CT community where she lives.

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.

He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering. Previously, Chase worked as an Associate Metallurgist at Carpenter Technology Corporation, specializing in the development and testing of specialty alloys.

Outside of work, Chase is active through his involvement with ASM International at both local and international levels. He also volunteers regularly at his church and maintains strong ties to Lehigh University, serving on the Materials Science and Engineering Department Advisory Council.

A Lehigh Valley native, Chase graduated from Lehigh University in 2022 with a Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering and a Minor in Business. During his time at Lehigh, he was engaged in departmental research and events, and held roles including Rossin Junior Fellow and Senior Peer Mentor. He also participated in several student organizations.

Will Constant is a cybersecurity professional based in Washington, DC. He is a Federal Deployment Manager for Palo Alto Networks, where he helps federal agencies use security tools for better cybersecurity hygiene. 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. 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.

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.

While at Lehigh, she was a member of the Philosophy Club and the president of Phi Sigma Tau, the philosophy honors society. Since graduating, she has worked as an educator in Atlanta, GA and Edinburgh, Scotland. Meg currently resides in the UK with her two cats and is a PhD Candidate at the University of St Andrews.

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.

While at Lehigh, he was involved in several clubs and organizations, including the Association of Student Alumni, the Interfraternity Council, and Delta Chi. Mike joined YAC in 2025 to promote and support the endeavors of the Lehigh community.

While at Lehigh, Stephanie was a Lehigh Liners manager, and Kappa Delta member. Today, she is a Business Analyst, at CIEE in Philadelphia PA. 

Joey Kawash graduated from Lehigh in 2019 with majors in Management and Economics, and a minor in history. He earned his Master’s degree the following year w/ a major in Secondary Education. As a student, he was an active member and Vice President of the Club Taekwondo team, Orientation Leader & Camp Hawk Counselor in the Office of First-Year Experience, Student Senator, and Tutor, and later Graduate Assistant of the Community Service Office. He also participated in LeaderShape, and got to learn abroad twice, once in the summer, as a Tauck Scholar in the Lehigh in Prague program, and again to Vietnam & Singapore in the 2019 Global Lab. After his time as a student, he taught a mix of subjects across multiple school districts in Pennsylvania for 3 years before moving back to the area of his birth in Paterson, NJ. Joey is currently a Compliance Analyst for Optima Partners in New York City.

At Lehigh, she was an avid member of the Lehigh Family, serving as a campus tour guide, orientation leader, and Photo Editor of The Brown and White, on the executive board of her sorority, Alpha Phi, and was a member of several campus organizations. 

She currently lives in New York City and works as a Business Development Analyst at AQR Capital Management, where she focuses on relationships with Family Offices.

At Lehigh, Leeza was a member of the TAMID Group, Scholars of Finance, Kappa Delta, and the Computer Science and Business Association (CSB-A). She is excited to stay connected with Lehigh through her involvement in the Young Alumni Council.

She holds an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas, where she is currently a PhD candidate researching disability in engineering education. While at Lehigh, Emily spent a lot of time in the music department, playing in the Marching 97 & Wind Ensemble, and working in the music library. She also was a member of SPEAK and served as both a tour guide and a Rossin Junior Fellow. Outside of her studies, she enjoys sewing and other crafts, watching documentaries with her cat Daffodil, and volunteering her favorite Austin non-profits.

He continued his academic and athletic career at Villanova University, completing a Master of Science in Structural Engineering in 2024 while competing as a graduate student-athlete. He is now pursuing a Master of Business Administration at Villanova School of Business.

Riley currently works as a Project Manager at Villanova, where he supports the planning and execution of construction projects around campus. Prior to this role, he spent three years at AECOM as a structural engineer and earned his professional engineering license.

Riley remains active in both the Lehigh and Villanova communities, previously serving as a volunteer assistant coach on the track and field team, mentoring student-athletes and supporting their development both on and off the track.

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.

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 serves on the Associate Board of the Korean American Community Foundation (KACF), an organization that funds community-based non-profit organizations working to improve lives and transform communities in the Korean and Asian American communities in the greater New York area.

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

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. 

During her time on campus, Natalie was involved in music at Lehigh, singing in the University Choir, Dolce and Off the Record. She was also a tour guide, admissions fellow, Rossin Junior fellow, SPEAK member, Admissions graduate assistant, and a member of SWE and Alpha Omega Epsilon. Natalie now works for Saint Gobain, an international manufacturing company, as a project engineer for the CertainTeed Architectural business based out of Malvern, PA. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, singing in the Bethlehem Bach choir, traveling and reading.

During her time at Lehigh, Skyler was involved in several clubs and organizations including Beta Gamma Sigma, College of Business and Economics 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 in the Corporate Banking Financial Institutions Group where she interned during her junior summer. She is currently an Associate on the team. 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!

She works for Charles River Development, building trading software for portfolio managers at large institutional asset managers. Her time in this space has given her direct exposure to the trading desks of prestigious asset managers and taught her greatly about product design and implementation. Mary graduated from Lehigh University with a B.S. in Finance and a B.S. in Integrated Business and Engineering degree, majoring in Materials Science and minoring in Economics. During her time at Lehigh, she was involved in numerous organizations, including the Gryphon Society, the Office of Disability Services Peer Mentor Council, and Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority.

At home in Cambridge, she enjoys spending time with loved ones, including her husband, a fellow Lehigh Alumnus, and their two cats. In particular, she enjoys adventures outdoors, including water sports, skiing, hiking, as well as small acts of political activism in her community.

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.

She is currently in Air Products’ Chemical Engineering rotational program working as a project engineer and 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. Her favorite Lehigh tradition is the Rally and is excited to hold her class’ flag this year.

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.

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.

He graduated from Lehigh University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Aerospace. At Cytrellis Biosystems, he helped bring a novel medical device to market and now works at WHOOP, supporting the development and manufacturing of health-focused wearable technology. Tyler enjoys solving technical challenges and working across teams to improve products and processes. Outside of work, he spends his time skiing, mountain biking, and working on hands-on engineering projects, including mechanical systems and machine embroidery. He stays connected to Lehigh through prospective student outreach and as a volunteer with the Lehigh Club of Boston.

As a Finance major in the College of Business, Liz was an active campus leader as an undergraduate, serving as Vice President of Membership Recruitment for Alpha Phi, an Admissions Office Tour Guide, a Greek Emerging Leader, a member of the Association of Student Alumni, a Reunion Weekend Student Ambassador and participant in Lehigh’s Prague summer study abroad program.

Since graduation, Liz has remained deeply engaged with Lehigh through her roles with the Alumni Volunteers for Admission program, the Wall Street Council, and as a regional host for the Long Island Sendoffs. In her professional life, Liz is an Investment Grade Debt Capital Markets Associate at Bank of America in New York City, where she leads Lehigh-focused campus recruiting and mentorship initiatives. Her ongoing commitment to Lehigh includes supporting Giving Day, strengthening the Lehigh alumni network, supporting the next generation of student leaders, and helping Lehigh students and families feel welcomed and connected.