Pirate’s Eye Podcast

In this episode of The Pirates Eye Podcast, host Viannca Vélez ’10 chats with Viviana Zambrano ’, a two-time Seton Hall grad and Director in the Office for Student Retention & Educational Innovation. Viviana shares her journey through EOF and Upward Bound, her passion for mentoring first-generation students, and her commitment to expanding college access.

In this episode of Seton Hall's Pirate Eye Podcast, we’re joined by Linda Schaeffer ’73, the first woman in Seton Hall’s accounting program, who broke barriers in forensic accounting and now mentors the next generation of business leaders and financial professionals.

Dr. Enmanuel Mercedes- is a Latino-American psychologist, professional speaker, and founder of Your Wellness Space™, a mental health service company with the mission to cultivate a life of hope, healing, and harmony. In addition, Dr. Mercedes serves as a consultant to organizations seeking to play an active role in meeting the mental health needs of its members. Dr. Mercedes leadership positions include being the current President of the Latino Mental Health Association of New Jersey, a board member of the non-profit organization Boys to Leaders and a board member of the ECHA Scholarship Foundation. Dr. Mercedes was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Newark, New Jersey. He lives with his wife and three sons in West Caldwell, NJ. Dr. Mercedes is the first of his family to attend college in the U.S. and is a proud alumnus of Seton Hall University, where he obtained a BA in Psychology, MA in Psychological studies, and Ph.D. in Counseling. mercedesphd.com | yourwellness.space IG- @mercedesphd | LinkedIn- www.linkedin.com/in/enmanuelmercedes

In this episode of the Pirate's Eye Podcast, we sit down with Kathy Cunningham '85, a dedicated community servant, former professional cheerleader, and proud generational Pirate. Kathy shares her journey of keeping her brother Donnie Robertson Jr.’s legacy alive after his tragic death on 9/11. Through her tireless fundraising efforts for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, Kathy and her team have raised nearly $2 million to provide mortgage-free homes for Gold Star and fallen first responder families.

For over a decade, Claudia has dedicated her career to paying it forward by helping college students transform their struggles into success stories. She is a proud first-generation graduate and Educational Opportunity Program alumna. After receiving extensive support from her college counselors at Seton Hall University, she was inspired to pursue a career in higher education. She then earned a master's degree in counseling from Montclair State University and has held various roles in higher education, honing her skills in academic advising and career development. Currently, Claudia serves as the Alumni Director for America Needs You (ANY), a professional development non-profit that empowers first-generation college students through intensive career development and transformative mentorship. In her current role, she oversees national programming and career advancement opportunities for ANY’s growing network of over 2,000 alumni. Viannca Vélez '10, Host Instagram: www.instagram.com/vianncavelez Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/vianncav Claudia Guevara-Olivier '12, Guest www.americaneedsyou.org IG Handles: @0h_Claudia @andimfeelingood

With this season’s tipoff, we’ve scored the inside scoop on all things SHU basketball and the buzz word of the year: NIL. Our host Viannca Velez ’10 sits down with SHU alum and Athletic Director Bryan Felt ’97, to uncover his journey from student to AD, insights on the upcoming season, the Men’s Basketball Practice Facility, and how Name Image & Likeness is impacting all of D1 athletics. Learn more about the Seton Hall University Practice Facility: https://www.shu.edu/investing-in-our-future/basketball-practice-facility.html Support NIL with Onward Setonia: https://www.onwardsetonia.com Connect with our Host: IG: @vianncavelez Want to recommend our next guest? Email alumni@shu.edu.

In this episode, our host Viannca Velez sits down with Devin Mcguire '16, a professional baritone, conductor and music educator. Devin shares with us his journey to becoming a musical artist and the ways in which being a transfer and commuter student during his days at Seton Hall shaped his college experience.

Noting that "there is no shortage of Christmas events at Seton Hall University" and that "festivities abound and students will ring in the Christmas cheer," Best College Reviews recognized Seton Hall as the best college in America for "Holiday Events." But have you ever wondered how we got here? In this very festive episode, Viannca sits down with Alan Delozier, Humanities Librarian, to discuss the history of Christmas here at Seton Hall! Learn more about Christmas at the Hall and don't forget to follow Viannca @vianncavelez and connect with her on LinkedIn!

Tela Wittig '19 is a New York City based software developer and Founder of Represent, a software company focused on connecting people with their elected representatives and providing for increased transparency in government at every level. Tela built Represent over the past year and launched it nationally in April 2022. She graduated from Seton Hall’s School of Diplomacy with a B.S. in 2019. Tela is a proud Pirate and President of the Young Alumni Council where she works to engage and grow the Seton Hall Young Alumni community. Connect with Tela! LinkedIn Find out more about Tela’s company, Represent! Download Represent on the App Store! And follow Represent on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn! Connect with Viannca! https://www.linkedin.com/in/vianncav/ www.instagram.com/vianncavelez Join us at Home of the Hall! www.shu.edu/homeofthehall www.shu.edu/alumni alumni@shu.edu

Kevin's Social:Instagram: instagram.com/kevnolivaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinoliva/Website: kevinoliva.comBusiness website: houseofdogs.coRead more about Kevin and his success!

Tiffany's company, Brand CuratorsAbout Tiffany:Tiffany Chanel Knighten is a NYC-based branding consultant and creative agency owner dedicated to empowering millennial women. In 2020, Tiffany founded Brand Curators to support creative entrepreneurs with branding, social media, and content creation services. With a passion for art and culture, she uses her platform to amplify cultural conversations and individuals that create within those spaces. Tiffany graduated from Seton Hall University’s College of Communication and the Arts with a B.A. in Public Relations & Journalism.Follow Brand Curators on Social Media!https://www.instagram.com/brandcurators.co/https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-curatorshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanyknighten/

To view the recording of this panel or other recent Stillman virtual opportunities, visit shu.edu/stillmanalumni