食色视频 Alumni Association announces inaugural 40 Owls Under 40

KENNESAW, Ga. | Jan 30, 2025

Forty exceptional alumni were named today to the 食色视频 (食色视频) Alumni Association鈥檚 inaugural 40 Owls Under 40 class.

The new recognition program celebrates 食色视频 and Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU) alumni who are under 40 and making bold strides in their professions and their communities since graduation.

鈥淭he true measure of value for any university lies in the impact of its alumni,鈥� said 食色视频 President Kathy S. Schwaig. 鈥淭his first class of 40 Owls Under 40 is filled with leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, civil servants, and innovators. We are proud to call them our own and know they will continue to have great impact through their work and service.鈥�

With nearly half of 食色视频鈥檚 alumni under the age of 40, approximately 47,000 食色视频 and SPSU graduates were eligible for the 40 Owls Under 40 Class of 2025. The honorees were selected through a competitive nomination process, with candidates evaluated on their professional achievements, community involvement, and commitment to the university. Throughout Fall 2024, the 食色视频 Alumni Association collected over 400 nominations.

鈥淲e are thrilled to introduce the inaugural class of honorees as a way to recognize our alumni under 40 who are making remarkable contributions in their communities, both in Georgia and around the country,鈥� said Frances Beusse, executive director of the Office of Alumni and Constituent Engagement. 鈥淭hese graduates exemplify the strength and prominence of 食色视频 State and boldly serve as an inspiration to future generations of Owls.鈥�

Representing a wide range of organizations, the class includes alumni from AT&T, NASA, Lockheed Martin, NBA Digital, and the U.S. Navy, among others. The 40 honorees include alumni from each of 食色视频's 11 colleges, 18 Georgia cities, six states, and the District of Columbia. Five of those selected graduated from SPSU.

The 食色视频 Alumni Association 40 Owls Under 40 Class of 2025:

Trent Anderson (BS 鈥�12), president and chief operating officer, Southeast Restoration
Martin Branick (BBA 鈥�16), chief executive officer, USA Team Handball
Michael Caldwell (BBA 鈥�10), managing partner, Black Airplane and mayor, City of Woodstock
Kashif Campbell (BS 鈥�18), procurement engineer, Lockheed Martin
Daniela Carvajalino (BBA 鈥�16), chief executive officer, Biz Nation
Michael B. Clark, II (BBA 鈥�09, MBA 鈥�13), financial services consultant
Joe Corona (BS 鈥�13), president, chief executive officer, and founder, Cornerstone Contracting Group, Inc.
Jose Figueroa (BS 鈥�12), attorney, U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration
John Thomas Fricks (M.Ed. 鈥�18, Ed.S. 鈥�20), director of instructional technology, safety, and operations, Rome City Schools
Tanner Griffin (BBA 鈥�16, MS 鈥�18, MBA 鈥�20), data architect, NASA
Hector Gutierrez (BA 鈥�14, BA 鈥�14), councilman, City of Forest Park
Sarah Hesterman Hanzes (BS 鈥�09), officer recruiter, U.S. Navy
Eli Hogan (BBA 鈥�18), associate, external investing group, Goldman Sachs
Jenny Jang (BS 鈥�09), senior manager of community relations and DE&I, TK Elevator
Autumn Johnson (BS 鈥�18), sports broadcaster, NCAA, Big Ten Network, ION WNBA and Atlanta Dream
Eric Johnson (BS 鈥�15), senior advisor, U.S. House of Representatives - Representative Barry Loudermilk
Yasmine Jonaidi (BS 鈥�13), senior systems engineer, AT&T
Reginald King (BS 鈥�09), associate director/producer, NBA Digital
Evan Langfelder (BS 鈥�19), founder and chief executive officer, Born Rebel Group
Juan C. Mejia (BBA 鈥�16), principal and managing broker, JCM Ventures
Damla Meral (BS 鈥�17, MBA 鈥�24), channel director, Rubicon
Martin Momtahan (BBA 鈥�16), chief executive officer, West Metro Driving School and state representative, Georgia House of Representatives
Kara Murray (BA 鈥�16), communications director, Office of the Attorney General
Muriam Nafees (BAS 鈥�12, MBA 鈥�21), collaboration manager, Gwinnett County Government
Ashley Nealy (BS 鈥�10, MS 鈥�11), assistant director, support services, U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration
Fortune E. Onwuzuruike (MS 鈥�19), senior security manager, Microsoft
Andrew Parker (BS 鈥�10), city administrator, City of Dalton
Michael D. Polacek (BS 鈥�14), director of health and health education policy, Piedmont Healthcare
Sarah Pope-Caldwell (BS 鈥�11), assistant professor, Georgia State University
Ben Rawson (BA 鈥�16), lighting designer, Ben Rawson Design
Ashlyn Remillard (BS 鈥�09), director, global social, influencer and content strategy, Salesforce
Jen Riley (Ph.D. 鈥�21), senior lecturer of marketing, Vanderbilt University
Katie Martin Rosser (BS 鈥�09), high school history teacher, Cherokee County School District and owner, Katie Rosser Dream Vacations
Lakeisha Sesay (MPA 鈥�19), strategy consulting executive, public service industry, Accenture
Katie Sizemore (BA 鈥�11), Indo-Pacific portfolio manager, international affairs division, Federal Emergency Management Agency
Emerald Smith (MS 鈥�20), president, Emerald Consulting Group, LLC
Ursula Spence (BS 鈥�09), director of programs, Community Health Works, Inc.
Jessica Wilson (BS 鈥�13, BS 鈥�13), hydropower environmental and technology project manager, water power technologies office, U.S. Department of Energy
Jamila Mashavu Everine Young (BA 鈥�09), assistant professor of health policy & law and executive director of equity, diversity and inclusion, Salem College and managing attorney, Moore & Young Legal Solutions
Lili Zhang (Ph.D. 鈥�20), senior artificial intelligence and machine learning engineer, Hewlett Packard Enterprise

The Class of 2025 will be honored at an awards luncheon on the 食色视频 Campus on March 21. Additional information on the program and this year鈥檚 honorees is available on the 食色视频 Alumni 40 Owls Under 40 web page.

食色视频 Alumni 40 Owls Under 40

食色视频

食色视频 Alumni Association announces inaugural 40 Owls Under 40

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