As we gather to celebrate more than 3,000 graduates as part of its second annual Commencement Weekend, DeVry University hosted DeVry Day on Saturday, June 10, at the Crowne Plaza in Rosemont, Illinois. The day-long event served as an opportunity to prepare the Class of 2023 for what’s next after graduation through career service workshops, networking and panel discussions, and welcome them into the alumni association at an alumni reception in their honor. The day also provides Chicago-area DeVry students currently in their junior and senior year a sneak peek at their next steps beyond graduation.
Additionally, this year’s graduates and Chicago-area junior and senior-year students in attendance received insight and advice from notable alumni members during a panel discussion on advancing career paths and navigating post-graduation journeys with support from the alumni association.
“DeVry’s alumni association is a valuable resource,” noted Kris Velazquez, a systems engineering fellow at Lockheed Martin and DeVry ’09 and Keller ’11 graduate. “I’ve learned through my own experience how the journey never ends. It’s an ongoing benefit and opportunity to leverage more learning, evolution and support to achieve your goals and pass on what you’ve learned to the next group of students.”
“The student journey and the alumni journey encapsulate pathways that never end because you continue to evolve, engage and learn opportunities that can support your career,” added Stefanie Khan, director of business intelligence and advanced analytics at UPS. Khan, a DeVry ’06 and Keller ’07 graduate, will also introduce the keynote speaker at this year’s commencement ceremonies.
This year, DeVry Day’s keynote speaker was alumnus Wilbur You, founder of YouTech, a digital marketing group with $1 billion in sales to clients worldwide. He spoke about his career journey and offered graduates sage advice about leadership, entrepreneurship and success. DeVry Day attendees received copies of his book, “Happy, Humble, and Motivated.”
Furthermore, DeVry’s alumni association hosted a reception where it honored five alumni who have attained recognition for their work and have reached a level of prominence and success in their profession. The award recipients were:
- Alumni Achievement Award, Michael Omidele ‘12
- Alumni Achievement Award, George Maropakis ’97, ’00
- Alumni Legacy Award, Nelson Brown ‘84
- Alumni Legacy Award, Sonya Wickel ‘01, ‘02, ‘03
- Alumni Legacy Award, Elizabeth Ogunti ‘97
Among the special guests on hand at the alumni reception were Dennis Keller and Ron Taylor, founders of the Keller Graduate School of Management, which is proudly celebrating its 50th anniversary.
More than a symbolic passing of the torch, DeVry Day allowed graduates to actively engage in sessions to help them prepare for what’s next after graduation, including, but not limited to, career services workshops, networking, panel discussions and taking advantage of DeVry’s Career Compact, a career and professional resource for all current and future DeVry and Keller graduates.
