Tenth Annual Victoria Dabrowski Schmidt ’42 Career Symposium

Symposium Schedule at a Glance

Saturday, September 27, 2025 | 9:00 am  – 3:30 pm

Douglass Student Center, 100 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ

9:00 AM – 9:20 AM | Check-In & Morning Refreshments (light breakfast & coffee)

9:20 AM – 10:00 AM | Welcome

Tribute to Benefactor

Keynote

10:00 am: 10-minute Break

10:00 am – 12:30 pm | Digital Headshot Sessions with Tamara Fleming Photography

10:10 AM – 11:10 AM | Session One

Workshop  A – AADC Volunteer Leadership Training

Workshop B – Pathways to Elevation: Building Career Mobility with Intention and Strategy

Workshop C – Money, Power & Purpose: Elevating and Redefining Your Role in Wealth Building

11:10 am: 10-minute Break

11:20 AM – 12:20 PM | Session 2

 Workshop A – You are the Brand

Workshop B – A Healing Circle for Women Navigating Retirement and Life Transition

Workshop C – The Whole You: Wellness Strategies for Success

12:20 pm: 10-minute Break

12:30 PM – 1:45 PM | Lunch and Panel Discussion

Panel Topic: Purposeful Paths: Turning Passion into Profession  

10-minute Break 

1:55 PM – 2:55 PM | Session 3

Workshop A – Three Simple Tips to Understand Your Personal Style

Workshop B - More Than Networking: Build the Connections That Move You Forward

Workshop C – So, You Want to Publish Your Book!

5-minute Break

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM | Networking Session and LinkedIn Connections

3:30 PM | Symposium Concludes

Symposium 2025 Planning Committee
Fabiola Paul ’09, Chair
Lorrie Delaney '18, Director of Alumnae Relations
Maura Caroselli ’99, Jesenia Delgado ’25, Marissa Guzik ’21, Ikecia Lenese Mapp ’01, Jo-Ana Rivera ’17, Eno Totoh ’15

Schedule dated August 6, 2025

Symposium Keynote, Panel and Workshops

Saturday, September 27, 2025 | 9:00 am  – 3:30 pm
Douglass Student Center, 100 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ

9:00 AM – 9:20 AM | Check-In and Morning Refreshments

Douglass Student Center Lobby; Light breakfast and coffee served, Trayes Hall.

9:20 AM – 10:00 AM | Opening Remarks and Welcome 

AADC President Lisa Dorio Ruch ’89, Esq. and Symposium Chair Fabiola Paul ’09

Tribute to Benefactor Victoria Dabrowski Schmidt ’42

Ikecia Lenese Mapp ’01 and former AADC Executive Director Valerie L. Anderson ’81, MBA

Keynote

Rising Together – Professionally, Personally, Spiritually

Linda Swenton Naselli ’81, MBA | Retired Chief Executive Officer of Reliance Vitamin

10:00 am: 10-minute Break

10:00 am – 12:30 pm | Digital Headshot Sessions with Tamara Fleming Photography (headshots available for purchase, sign up required at time of registration, space is limited)

10:10 AM – 11:10 AM | Session One

Workshop  A – AADC Volunteer Leadership Training
Enhance Skills, Enrich Your Resume, Elevate Relationships with the 5 Keys of Volunteer Leadership

Facilitators: Eileen Cotter, Lorrie Delaney '18, Anne Marie Russo, Lizethe Martinez '13, Beata Souders

Workshop B – Pathways to Elevation: Building Career Mobility with Intention and Strategy

Practical roadmap for advancing your career by aligning your skills, values, and opportunities for long-term success.

Facilitator: Rosslin Mensah '18, MPA

 Participants will engage in reflective exercises, small group discussions, and interactive activities designed to accommodate various learning styles. We will also address how to leverage mentorship, networks, and cross-sector opportunities to build professional capital. Attendees will be empowered to develop actionable strategies that position them for sustainable career mobility, aligned with their personal values and long-term goals.

Workshop C – Money, Power & Purpose: Elevating and Redefining Your Role in Wealth Building

Where financial confidence meets generational influence and impact.

Facilitator: Ka’Neda Bullock

Explore how self-advocacy, investment confidence, and strategic partnership can elevate your financial future.  We’ll move beyond budgeting into portfolio management, wealth building, and legacy planning—skills essential for women across all life stages. Whether you’re preparing for your first job, navigating career growth, or approaching retirement, you’ll learn how to engage with advisors who speak your language and champion your goals.

11:10 am: 10-minute Break

11:20 AM – 12:20 PM | Session 2

 Workshop A – You are the Brand
LinkedIn Isn’t Enough: How to Make Sure Opportunity Knows Your Name

Facilitator: Kara S. Beaufort, Esq. ’09

Whether you are job hunting, launching a side business, or aiming for a promotion, this high-impact session will equip attendees with the tools to strategically position themselves both online and offline so they become top-of-mind for the opportunities they deserve. We'll blend practical branding strategies with professional communication and legal awareness. Attendees will learn how to: Optimize LinkedIn for credibility and reach; Craft a personal brand that speaks for them before they enter the room; Speak and negotiate with confidence in interviews and high-stakes conversations; and Understand the basic legal steps to protect their personal brand and intellectual capital.

Workshop B – A Healing Circle for Women Navigating Retirement and Life Transition

Retirement is not just an end—it's a new beginning filled with opportunities for growth, discovery, and fulfillment.

Facilitator: Katherine Taylor Clark '84

This circle is intended for women 55+ plus who are thinking about retirement, transitioning, or are retired. Through guided prompts, it helps participants step into what's next. These prompts are designed to help women reflect on the transitions, emotions, and possibilities surrounding retirement and identity beyond career. Who are you becoming beyond your title or career? What dreams call to you in this next chapter?

Workshop C – The Whole You: Wellness Strategies for Success Panel

Moderator: Maura Caroselli '99

Panelists: Elizabeth Mitchell, Shantice Wright, Zaira Gonzalez, Jennie Vila ’07

Discover why inner health is your ultimate professional asset in this insightful panel discussion. We’ll explore the role of self-care, holistic wellness for professionals, mental health strategies for a sustainable career and the powerful connection of our physical spaces and mental well-being during challenging times.

12:20 pm: 10-minute Break

12:30 PM – 1:45 PM | Lunch and Panel Discussion

Remarks from Associate Alumnae Executive Director Eileen M. Cotter and Symposium Chair Fabiola Paul '08

The Pivot Point: Turning Passion into Profession Panel

Moderator: Fabiola Paul '08

Panelists: Janki Bhatt ’08, Mary Kavalam RN, EdD ’93, Tonisha Taylor, Kaila Boulware ’15

Explore bold career transitions, entrepreneurship, develop a clear personal brand, and create with intention to build a purpose driven business while using self-advocacy to protect your well-being during all phases of your professional journey.

10-minute Break

1:55 PM – 2:55 PM | Session 3

Workshop A – 3 Simple Tips to Understand Your Personal Style

Style Isn’t Just What You Wear—It’s Who You Are.

Facilitator: Tracey Evelyn Reed

 Understanding your personal style is deeply connected to personal growth and development because it’s not just about clothing — it’s about self-awareness, confidence and self esteem, emotional itelligence and expression, clarity and decision making, and intentional living. 

Workshop B - More Than Networking: Build the Connections That Move You Forward

Learn how real connection, intentional community, and meaningful follow-up can elevate every stage of your journey.

Facilitator: Erica Bell

Resonate. Reach. Rise. This interactive workshop invites participants to rethink how they show up in conversations, spaces, and communities by focusing on three transformational strategies: authentic connection, intentional community, and consistent follow-up. Through reflective prompts, small-group discussion, and a live follow-up planning activity, you will walk away with tools to engage in networking that feels natural—not transactional—and actionable next steps to strengthen their personal and professional relationships.

Workshop C – So, you want to publish your book!

Facilitator: Jeannee Sacken ’75

Whether you are writing a memoir, creative nonfiction, or a novel, it helps to know how to publish that book. There are very different strategies for going the traditional route with an agent and submitting to one of the Big Five publishing houses versus submitting without an agent to a smaller Indie Press, or going the hybrid or self-publishing route. We will discuss specific, step-by-step instructions to help get your books in print, including: how to get an agent, the importance of making a book stand out from the crowd, choosing to go with a mid-range or small indie press, and the ins and out of self-publishing. We'll weigh the pros and cons of each approach, from the presenter's experiences as an award-winning author in the crowded world of publishing.

5-minute Break

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM | Networking Session and LinkedIn Connections

Meet our presenters from the day, connect with peers and potential collaborators and enjoy networking. We will have a special announcement from AADC leaders.

3:30 PM | Symposium Concludes

Symposium 2025 Planning Committee
Fabiola Paul ’09, Chair
Lorrie Delaney '18, Director of Alumnae Relations
Maura Caroselli ’99, Jesenia Delgado ’25, Marissa Guzik ’21, Ikecia Lenese Mapp ’01, Jo-Ana Rivera ’17, Eno Totoh ’15

Schedule dated August 6, 2025

Keynote Speaker

Linda Swenton Naselli '81, MBA, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Douglass College. She also holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers Business School. Linda’s career has spanned multiple assignments with manufacturing companies in the private equity sector where she has held CEO/COO/CFO positions, building value in businesses positioning for transactions. She recently retired as CEO of Reliance Vitamins, a mid-cap private equity owned vitamin and supplements manufacturer, where her seven-year tenure resulted in a successful transaction to new ownership. Linda has served on the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College Board of Directors and participated in and contributed her talents to several Victoria Dabrowski Schmidt ’42 Workplace and Professional Development Symposium planning committees.

Symposium Planning Committee Chair

Fabiola Paul '08, LCSW is known as the Go-To Self-Care Strategist for energizing, empowering and educating professionals and entrepreneurs on their journey to wellness. In her practice, she leads her clients through a mindset shift that enables them to become more self-aware, establish better boundaries, achieve overall balance and enjoy greater happiness in their daily lives. A gifted therapist and dynamic communicator with more than a decade of experience as a clinical social worker, Fabiola is expert at delivering important insights that resonate with target audience groups. As CEO of Enlightening Counseling & Educational Services, she has cultivated a holistic, compassionate approach to healing from trauma and burnout that anchors her coaching and training sessions. 

Panelists and Workshop Presenters

Kara Sheree Beaufort R ’09, Esq., earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in Africana Studies from Rutgers. She served as a PEER Instructor, mentoring fellow students and leading conversations around personal development, leadership, and community building. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School in 2013 and has since built a multidimensional career that bridges law, education, business, and the arts. Kara is the managing partner of Beaufort Shaw & Associates, a boutique New Jersey law handling business, individual rights and real estate. She is also the executive director of Legally Hired Professionals, Inc., a legal and executive staffing agency that supports law firms and corporations in recruiting top-tier, diverse talent. She serves as an adjunct professor at Hudson County Community College, where she teaches English and speech communication, and at Seton Hall Law School, where she teaches Advocacy and Persuasion in the Legal Profession. She serves on the board of a New York-based theatre company dedicated to elevating underrepresented voices and narratives. In June 2025, Kara was a featured speaker at the Black Christian Influencers Conference, participating in a panel on sustainable business frameworks and faith-driven leadership. Kara is passionate about equipping others—especially women and communities of color—with the tools to lead boldly.

Erica Bell is a Certified Life and Career Coach, educator, and award-winning community leader with a passion for helping people move with clarity, purpose, and intention. With more than two decades of experience in education, coaching, and public service, she specializes in creating spaces where growth feels personal and progress feels possible. As the founder of Girl Talk Meetup, Erica leads with heart and strategy—bridging connection and career development in ways that inspire meaningful action. Whether guiding individuals or convening communities, she’s known for her ability to meet people where they are and support them as they rise.

Janki Bhatt ’08 is the founder of Ignite Your Power LLC, and a reading specialist and yoga teacher, who infuses somatic practices within literacy instruction. She works with families to help kids overcome anxiety about reading, improve decoding and comprehension skills, and gain strategies to care for their unique needs. She earned a Reading Specialist Master of Arts degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she was an Arthur Zankel Urban Fellow. She earned a Master of Science degree in elementary education and teaching from Pace University.

Kaila Boulware ‘15 is a marketing and media professional, corporate consultant, founder of Hidden Gems non-profit bookstore, an author, speaker and strategist with a track record of transforming passion projects into sustainable businesses. With over a decade of experience in branding, storytelling, and community building, she has consulted dozens of emerging creatives, entrepreneurs, and students in developing mission-driven careers rooted in purpose. Her dynamic approach blends real-world experience with empowering insight, leaving audiences motivated and equipped to take action. She is also pursuing a master’s degree in student in Global Public Health at Rutgers University. Her proudest position is being the mother of her three children, Truth, Wisdom and Faith.

Ka’Neda Bullock, MBA, CFP®, AIF® is the Founder and President of Master Plan Investment Group, a wealth management firm dedicated to helping individuals, institutions, and business owners build and preserve wealth. An alumna of Smith College, Ka’Neda brings over 15 years of experience in the financial industry, with a strong focus on empowering women, especially professional women and entrepreneurs, to take active roles in managing their financial futures. A Certified Financial Planner™, she is a frequent speaker on topics ranging from investment strategy to legacy planning. She has been recognized as one of the Top 40 Under 40 by InvestmentNews and received the Trailblazer Award from the Association of African American Financial Advisors. Deeply committed to community service, she volunteers with organizations that support financial literacy, education, and youth development. As a wife and mother of two daughters, she is passionate about modeling financial leadership for the next generation.

Katherine Taylor Clark ’84 is a seasoned educator, trained circle facilitator, and proud Douglass graduate. With over 30 years in education and five years facilitating circles in schools and online spaces for women, she brings a heart centered approach to healing, storytelling and supporting life transitions. She has led circles for women, educators and community stakeholders, and is passionate about helping women thrive through every chapter of their journey. Katherine earned a master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from Rider University. She founded Clark Associates for educational consulting and was previously an elementary school principal in the Hamilton Township School District.

Zaira Gonzalez is a seasoned social worker, educator, and leader with over 15 years of experience in the non-profit and education sectors, where she has led various support service programs and designed professional development opportunities. A first-generation Dominican American and graduate of Columbia University, Zaira is deeply committed to ending the stigma around mental health and advancing workplace practices that prioritize emotional well-being, cultural responsiveness, and sustainable support systems. As the founder of Minding the Mess, LLC, a mental health-based professional organizing business, Zaira helps individuals align their environments with their emotional wellness goals through intentional living. Her work goes beyond decluttering; it’s about walking alongside people through life’s most transformative moments, from navigating grief to redefining identity, and reclaiming peace in the spaces they inhabit. Drawing from her expertise in mental health, equity-driven leadership, and wellness, Zaira bridges the connection between order and emotion, creating environments that nurture calm and hope.

Mary Kavalam RN, EdD ’93 was a Critical care nurse for 19 years and successfully transitioned into the pharmaceutical industry where she is a Clinical Scientist working on Late Development phase three Trials trying to advance medicines for the disease of Ulcerative Colitis. After graduating from Douglass, she earned a nursing degree, as well as advanced degrees in Administration and Education. Her dissertation focused on the Lived Experience of Bedside nurses who transition into the Pharmaceutical Industry.

Rosslin Mensah ‘18, MPA is a strategic education and workforce development leader with over five years of experience designing and scaling programs that advance postsecondary access, career readiness, and equitable economic mobility. With deep expertise in program development, operational strategy, and cross-sector partnership building with organizations like the Newark Trust for Education, Rutgers University - Newark, School of Public Affairs and Administration, and the Sadie Nash Leadership Project, Rosslin has led high-impact initiatives that equip first-generation students and historically underrepresented communities to successfully navigate education-to-career pathways. She takes a systems-thinking approach to program design, aligning mission, data, and implementation while centering student voice, lived experiences, and long-term outcomes. Rosslin has collaborated with higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, employers, and community leaders to strengthen program infrastructure, expand opportunity, and build sustainable talent pipelines that address systemic barriers to workforce access and advancement. Driven by a deep commitment to equity and opportunity, Rosslin is passionate about building career pathways that empower individuals with the skills, networks, and resources to thrive in a rapidly changing economy.

Elizabeth Mitchell is a certified grief counselor, certified trauma healer, and a specialist in Formational Healing Caregiving. She is also a skilled life coach, offering a holistic and compassionate approach to emotional wellness, personal growth, and trauma recovery. With a rich blend of professional training, personal insight, and a deeply empathetic presence, Elizabeth supports individuals through some of the most challenging seasons of their lives. As a counselor, Elizabeth brings extensive expertise in helping people process grief, heal from trauma, and rediscover a sense of wholeness. She is certified in Formational Healing Care, a non-clinical, trauma-informed modality that integrates traditional counseling methods with cutting-edge neuroscience to care for the whole person. Whether working with someone experiencing loss, trauma, or emotional stagnation, she brings compassion, clarity, and a calming presence that empowers clients to explore their emotions and move forward with confidence. As a life coach, she offers personalized coaching designed to support transformation, purpose, and resilience.

Tracey Evelyn Reed believes that what we wear reflects our confidence, our energy, and our story. While earning her Master of Arts in Costume Design, she witnessed firsthand how actors transformed the moment they stepped into their costumes. It sparked a lifelong passion in Tracey, inspiring her to help real women experience the same feeling in their everyday lives. As a wardrobe stylist and designer, Tracey has dedicated her career to helping women express themselves through fashion, embracing their individuality and stepping into their power. She is taking her mission even further with the launch of her very own clothing brand—designed to make women of all shapes and sizes feel confident, beautiful, and like the best version of themselves. Tracey is currently resident fashion designer at the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator, Wardrobe Stylist and self-care advocate passionate about helping busy women look and feel their best.

Jeannée Sacken ‘75, a former university professor, is now a photojournalist who travels widely documenting the lives of women and children. She also photographs wildlife and is deeply committed to the conservation of endangered species. Described by MKE Lifestyle magazine as “Indiana Jones with a camera,” Jeannée has summitted Mt. Kilimanjaro, canoed the Zambezi River, kayaked the North Pacific, and driven through far-western Mongolia in a blizzard. Many of her adventures have been fictionalized into her novels. Her debut novel, Behind the Lens, the first book in the Annie Hawkins Series, has won numerous awards, including the 2021 American Writing Awards Novel of the Year and the Hawthorne Prize. Double Exposure was a finalist for the Firebird Awards for Best Suspense, Romantic Suspense, and Women’s Fiction. The Rule of Thirds won the Killer Nashville 2024 Silver Falchion Award for Best Suspense and the 2023 Literary Global Award for Novel of the year, among other prizes. Her next novel, The Women Who Stand Between, will be released in September 2025.

Tonisha Taylor is the Dean of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Community Engagement at Lehigh Carbon Community College. In addition to her strong administrative background in higher education, Tonisha has taught social work, psychology, sociology, and English courses at various institutions in the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. Tonisha has earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Medgar Evers College/CUNY, a Master of Social Work from Hunter College/CUNY, an MA in Language in Literacy from City College/CUNY, and Ed. S in Adult Education from Walden University and is currently a doctoral student at Monmouth University School of Social Work. She is a licensed social worker, published author, accomplished speaker and the founder and board president of the Shine A Light NJ nonprofit, and CEO of Taylored Social Work Services LLC.

Jennie Vila ’07 is a Licensed Professional Counselor with 16 years of clinical experience across psychiatric hospitals, community settings, in-home therapy, nonprofit administration, and individual counseling. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Douglass, a Masters of Education in Counseling Psychology from Rutgers University, completed post master’s licensure coursework at Caldwell College, and is a Certified Integrative Mental Health Practitioner and Integrative Wellness & Life Coach. Jennie is also an Associate Alumnae of Douglass College Board member, Co-Chair of the Mentoring Committee, and a member of the Strategic Planning and Nominating committees, in addition to multiple state and national organizations related to mental health. With a strong commitment to social justice, feminism and LGBTQIA advocacy, she is a champion of continually working to reduce stigma and promote equity. Her therapeutic approach is holistic and multi-modal, integrating cognitive behavioral, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, psychodynamic, and person-centered methods tailored to each client’s unique journey. She is skilled in working with anxiety, depression, stress management, life transitions, identity issues, career concerns, and chronic health challenges.

Shantice Wright is currently a Quality Assurance Specialist in the field of child welfare. With over a decade of experience in child welfare and criminal justice, Shantice has worked in various roles supporting clients in foster care, criminal justice, domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental health. She holds a master’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in public administration. She is also a Certified Holistic Health Practitioner and NJ Notary Public. Shantice is currently pursuing a doctorate in Social Work Human Rights Leadership. Shantice's passions include promoting workplace well-being and self-care, serving as a Wellness Ambassador in her various positions. Outside of work, she is an Adjunct Professor, a dog mom, and enjoys spending time with her loved ones.