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Brent Denison: ’04 MFA Theatre Arts

“While working toward my MFA, I attended a job fair and applied for an opportunity at The Colosseum but they seemed to misplace my initial application. I did not allow the setback to stop me as I followed up to get an interview a second time. I landed the job working with A New Day with Celine Dion and learned that determination and communication can get you the job even after a terrible first interview.”

Denison is senior manager for customer service and training at Florida’s The Straz Center, the fourth largest performing arts center in the nation, and facilitator of its Guest Experience Council. His hobby is having fun at Florida’s Busch Gardens and the Disney parks. He lives in Riverview.

James Shaw: ’80 BS Hotel Administration

“While living in Las Vegas, I once had a conflict during the interview time. Then the interviewer refused to see me at an alternate time. So I sent a live plant from a florist as a gift and proposed an alternate time. I got the interview but still did not get the job.”

Shaw spent last fall studying Russian in Odessa, Ukraine. He said he is not sure what he will do with his new knowledge as he nears retirement age, but that he is addicted to learning. He credits 51�ԹϺ��� with giving him a great base to build from. He lives in Williamsville, New York

Larissa Schultz: ’08 Master of Hospitality Administration

“As an undergrad, the owner of a small business commented that my nail polish was an inappropriate color for women in his birth country. It was a very awkward discussion, but also one of the first that opened my eyes to the cultural differences in our society and began my journey on how to navigate and learn more about them.”

Schultz recently joined AMPLIFY as chief of staff for the KAABOO Music Festivals in the Cayman Islands; Arlington, Texas; and Del Mar, California. She oversees staffing for the company’s VIP program for large events and festivals in North America. She lives in Los Angeles.

Karen Prescia Dowling: ’87 MBA

“I had someone not show up for an interview. They left me a message telling me they were overqualified and would be underpaid. Little did they know, I was actually considering them for an elevated and higher paying position. Since they didn’t have the decency to follow through with the interview, they missed that opportunity.”

Dowling is CEO and owner of Dowling Consulting Services, a wealth accumulation and income planning firm in Mokena and St. Charles, Illinois. In 2017, she and her husband, Ronald Dowling, co-authored a retirement manual, A Guide to Getting Your House in Order, addressing Social Security, asset organization, and legacy planning. She is a certified estate planner and certified Medicaid planner as well as an investment advisor for her firm, Chancellor Financial Services. She lives in Frankfort.

Peter Arceo: ’96 BS Hotel Administration

“My best was when I first interviewed with San Manuel Casino’s interview panel in 2015. I knew that the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians was heavily invested in helping the local community, I found that my personal values aligned with the overall organization’s mission. … Sharing the same core values with a potential employer is key to creating a lasting, meaningful working relationship.”

Arceo was recently promoted to general manager of the San Manuel Casino in Highland, California. He has worked at the casino since 2015, first as chief marketing officer and then chief operating officer. The San Manuel Indian Reservation. He lives in Rancho Cucamonga.

Angela M. White: '92 BS Education, '02 JD

"My strangest interview lasted 3 hours in Nye County. I was asked my zodiac sign, whether I consumed alcohol, and the like.  Enough said!"

White has been a federal attorney for the Social Security Administration since 2010. She previously worked as a deputy public defender, largely handling felony cases for indigent clients in rural Nevada. Watercolor painting and drawing are her hobbies. She and her husband, Dennis Redoutey, have two "fur babies," Mini Might Missy and Theo. They live in Henderson.

Kathleen Lauckner: ’90 M.Ed, ’12 PhD Educational Leadership

“My worst interview was in the days when smoking was allowed in offices. I had to sit through a lengthy question-and-answer session, sucking in more secondhand smoke than anyone should be exposed to.”

Lauckner is emerita faculty of 51�ԹϺ���’s School of Public Policy and Leadership and a part-time instructor in community health. She recently presented to the executive Ed.D. program in organizational leadership at her undergraduate alma mater, Stockton University in New Jersey. She shared her community engagement experiences related to lead toxicity and her voter participation work involving energy and education issues.