Meet Our Bloggers

A headshot of Ferdinand Alfajora
A headshot of Lauren Baltas
A headshot of Karan Chadda

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
Headshot of Manal Fatima

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
Headshot of Julian Izdebski

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
Headshot of Dhanush Jaiswal

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”
Headshot of Jumana Kassar

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
Headshot of Tirthal Kothari

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!
Headshot of Jeanne Lloyd

Name: Jeanne Lloyd
Program: MS Accounting

  • Originally from Dubuque, IA
  • Career changer; former professional ballet dancer and teacher
  • Member of Beta Gamma Sigma
Headshot of Maria Maravelia

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
Headshot of Brian Marren

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
Headshot of David Martinez

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!
Headshot of Amaka Okosieme

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
Headshot of Bhavana Rajashekar

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
Headshot of Kieran Sutliff

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