February 19, 2014

On February 5, current students from the College of Nursing and Health Professions were treated to a panel discussion with four successful alumni in an event presented by the College’s Alumni Network. The panelists, who represented a variety of different health professions, each began their careers as Drexel students.

Panelists included Ann Marie Kriebel-Gasparro, MSN ’97; Catherine Khella, Health Sciences ’12; Laura Kowal, MPT ’98; and Kimberly Talley, MSN ‘96. President of the College’s Alumni Network Feruza Esanova, BSN ‘09, served as moderator for the panel. Each panelist gave an introduction that included information about their current work positions, and provided insight into how to land a job after graduation.

Kriebel-Gasparro has been a nurse in several specialties including oncology, critical care, and pediatrics. After receiving her Master’s degree from Hahnemann University in 1997, she worked as a neurology nurse practitioner, nurse coordinator at the Penn Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center, and as a nurse practitioner in gerontology in various Pennsylvania and New Jersey outpatient clinics. “Never stop having a love for learning,” she advised the students. Kriebel-Gasparro was able to relate to those students who are currently unsure of what to pursue post-graduation. She emphasized that if they continued to learn, they would soon find their niche.

Catherine Khella was the most recent graduate, whose degree led her to pursue a Master’s in Education degree from the University of Pennsylvania. During her time at Drexel, Khella founded a chapter of the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children. She was also on the varsity crew team, where she won several local and national races. She hopes to become a teacher within the School District of Philadelphia.

After graduating from the Physical Therapy Program, Laura Kowal served as a practicing physical therapist for twelve years in hospital and rehabilitation center settings. After eight years of practice, Kowal decided to pursue a healthcare law degree at the University of Maryland School of Law, believing that her physical therapy degree would benefit her when handling healthcare clients. She currently works as an attorney at the Ballard Spahr law firm located in Philadelphia. Kowal is the vice president of the College of Nursing and Health Professions’ Alumni Network.

Kimberly Talley achieved her AD, BSN, and MSN all from Drexel University. She is a certified nurse practitioner and board certified in nursing leadership by the American Nursing Credentialing Center. Talley has over fifteen years of nursing leadership experience and is currently the Director of Patient Care Services for the Surgical Service Line at Christiana Care Hospital in Newark, Delaware. “I love Drexel!” ended Talley emphatically.

At the end of the panel discussion, Nicole Dalberto, Senior Coordinator for Graduating Students at the Steinbright Career Development Center, gave attending students information on the abundant resources available from the Center including networking opportunities, resume development, and career counseling. The event was extremely successful. Students were able to gather ideas for their job searches and career paths and talked directly with alumni at the reception following the panel.

Students can schedule an appointment at the Steinbright Career Development Center at 215-895-2206.