UConn Today – Growing up as an impoverished child in Southern Italy, Antonietta ‘Toni’ (Iannuzzi) Boucher ’02 MBA never attended school. She and her brother were often left home alone, supervised by the family dog, while their parents worked in the fields. Her only toy was a “doll’’ consisting of a stone wrapped in one of her mother’s dishtowels.
At age 5, her family left their modest farmhouse, with its dirt floor, no running water, and no bathroom, and embarked on a new life in America.
UConn Today – The student-run UConn Finance Society hosted its 10th annual Finance Conference on Friday at Morgan Stanley headquarters in Manhattan, an event which, by all accounts, was a tremendous success.
Nearly 100 UConn finance students attended the day-long event, as did 60 alumni Wall Street professionals, double the attendance from last year.
UConn Today – A deep curiosity and a relentless commitment to learning drove alumna Ashley Silva ’25 MS to become a vice president at a prominent investment firm while still in her mid-30s.
“You won’t be successful without understanding what’s important to the business,’’ said Silva, who earned her master’s degree in Human Resource Management at UConn last May. “It is critical to understand the bigger picture, beyond your own role and that of your department.’’
UConn Today – UConn legend and NBA standout Emeka Okafor ’04 (BUS) is well accustomed to standing ovations and thunderous applause from an enthusiastic crowd.
But for the other four alumni who will be inducted into the UConn School of Business Hall of Fame alongside him on Friday, April 24, the roar of the crowd at the reception may be more novel, despite their remarkable achievements.
UConn Today – If it hadn’t been for UConn’s Innovation Quest (iQ) entrepreneurship program, Keegan Jalbert ‘23 (CLAS) would still be debating when to start his own business.
Instead, the entrepreneur and graduate student in nutritional sciences is making great progress with his company called AccessFlora. He has purchased a food trailer, and in the spring will launch his Reef-to-Table service that will cater oysters at weddings and other events.
UConn Today – Two UConn business students who are passionate about sustainability and a healthier planet, attended the COP30 climate conference last month in Belem, Brazil, adjacent to the Amazon rainforest.
Both graduate student Caroline Keary ’25, ’26 MS and senior Aminieli Hopson ’26 said the experience was one of the best of their lives, and that what they learned will benefit their careers.
They left with a new network of like-minded climate advocates and an appreciation for both the enormous challenges of climate preservation and renewed respect for those who dedicate their lives to it.
UConn Today – Call it fate, serendipity, or just plain good luck, but alumna Mackenzie “Kenzie’’ Blowers ’25 had a stroke of career fortune during her second year as a UConn student.
Blowers was assigned to the second floor of Belden Hall and her RA was Danielle Harrington ‘24. Harrington had created a poster for students to get to know a bit about her, and she included her experience as an intern at The TJX Companies.
UConn Today – Marilena Mademtzi ’25 MBA had already earned two advanced degrees, including a Ph.D., when she enrolled in the UConn MBA program.
A career-long advocate for students with autism and mental health struggles, Mademtzi ultimately hopes to drive innovation in pediatric behavioral healthcare throughout Connecticut.
UConn Today – As an undergraduate, Isabella Williams ’25 received internship offers from all of the Big Four accounting firms, a very rare accomplishment.
She accepted an internship at PwC and is now an associate in the company’s Investigations & Forensics sector, based in Boston. There she found both a professional challenge and very welcoming colleagues.
UConn Today – If you ask U.S. Army Major (Ret.) Henry H. Washington III ’21 EBV about the experiences that set him up for success as a youngster, he will credit three things:
Today he is the Founder and CEO of the Henry H. Washington 3 Foundation, which serves to better the lives of children, teens and young adults in metro Atlanta. The foundation offers a wide range of services, but is particularly focused on helping youth find a career path, stay out of trouble, and serve the community.