Meet Our Bloggers
Name: Ferdinand Alfajora
Program: MS Taxation
- Online student
- Self-employed in business tax consulting
- Combat veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan
Name: Lauren Baltas
Program: Part-Time MBA with a concentration in Strategy and Decision Making
- First-generation college student
- Chronic illness advocate
- Proud to represent LGBTQ+ women in business
Name: Karan Chadda
Program: MS Audit and Advisory Services
- International student from India and a licensed CPA
- Dean’s List for Scholastic Excellence
- President, Graduate Students for Accounting (GSA); event manager, DePaul IIA Student Chapter Board
Name: Manal Fatima
Program: MS Business Analytics
- Spent 5+ years at Amazon India honing skills in data-driven decision making
- Currently blending academic learning with co-curricular exploration at DePaul, recognized with the Dean’s Award for Scholastic Excellence
- One line I live by: “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford
Name: Julian Izdebski
Program: MS Real Estate
- Moved from San Francisco
- Eisenberg Case Competition 2025 contestant & Real Estate Club member
- Looking to Work in CRE investments
Name: Dhanush Jaiswal
Program: MS Human Resource Management
- International Student From India with 6+ years of experience in HR global mobility at Deloitte and Amazon. Currently a student employee at DePaul supporting HR systems and compliance
- Passionate about leveraging HR tech to drive talent acquisition and empower organizations
- Guided by the belief that “what you do today will come back tomorrow”
Name: Jumana Kassar
Program: MS Business Analytics
- Double Demon (Driehaus class of 2017 – HR Management, Business Administration, and Arabic Language)
- Sr. analyst – HR total rewards compensation at a leading real estate management company
- Interested in learning new ways data drives businesses and how to refine that data to best suit various needs
Name: Tirthal Kothari
Program: MS Supply Chain Management
- International student from India who led India’s first supply chain ranking as a research analyst in supply chain
- Upscaling into supply chain management at DePaul
- This is the time to work hard, learn, and prepare for success!
Name: Jeanne Lloyd
Program: MS Accounting
- Originally from Dubuque, IA
- Career changer; former professional ballet dancer and teacher
- Member of Beta Gamma Sigma
Name: Maria Maravelia
Program: MS Marketing
- Originally from Athens, Greece
- Passionate about brand strategy, digital marketing, and helping international students feel at home in Chicago
- Combining a background in philosophy with marketing analytics to approach problems with both creativity and critical thinking
Name: Brian Marren
Program: Part-Time MBA – Concentration in Finance and Real Estate
- Originally from the western suburbs of Chicago
- Spent last 5+ years in supply chain management
- Interested in industrial real estate development
Name: David Martinez
Program: MS Finance
- Originally from the Bronx, NY
- Interested in mergers and acquisitions, financial statement analysis, and equity research
- Loves long-distance runs, enjoys playing dodgeball and volleyball, and loves speaking Mandarin after living in China for 7 years!
Name: Amaka Okosieme
Program: MS Marketing Analysis
- Marketing girl with a love for turning data insights into impactful marketing campaigns
- Big believer in storytelling, strategy, and finding the “why” behind the numbers
- Avid tea lover and self-proclaimed restaurant explorer
Name: Bhavana Rajashekar
Program: MS Finance
- Originally from Bengaluru, India
- Interested in FP&A, corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions
- Currently working as a board member of Kellstadt Finance Association
Name: Kieran Sutliff
Program: MS Economics and Quantitative Analysis
- Originally from Granville, OH
- Interested in health economics and data research
- Currently works as a graduate assistant for the MS-EQA program
