March 13, 2015

One of the best ways for students to find new opportunities, whether for employment, volunteering, mentoring, or personal growth, is by networking.  For this reason, the CNHP Alumni Network and CNHP Student Senate host an annual Alumni/Student Career Networking Event.  This year’s event, held on Thursday, February 26, was also sponsored by Drexel University Student Affairs. 

CNHP Alumni Network President Feruza Esanova, BSN ‘09, kicked the evening off with her own story mentioning how she went from Drexel grad to a nurse at Cornell Medical Center and Hospital for Special Surgery.  She then introduced a panel of CNHP alumni who told the crowd about their journey including their experiences at Drexel to what they’ve done since graduation to lead them to their present careers.  The panel members represented Doctoral, Graduate, and Undergraduate Nursing, as well as Nutrition Sciences and Physical Therapy.  Each had a very different story to tell and stressed that you should be open to any opportunity that comes your way.

• Rita K. Adeniran, DNP ’11 – Following her basic nursing education from Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Nigeria, Adeniran earned her BSN at Wider University, a Master’s in Nursing Science and Health Care Administration from the University of Pennsylvania, and finally her Doctor of Nursing Practice at Drexel.  She previously served as the Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Global Ambassador of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, before becoming President and CEO of Innovative and Inclusive Global Solutions, as well as accepting a faculty appointment with Drexel Nursing and Health Professions.
• Sara Nesheim, BSN ’10 – During her time at Drexel, Nesheim became the founder and president of Drexel’s chapter of the Student Nurses Association of Pennsylvania.  After graduation, she began her career as a baccalaureate prepared nurse at Hahnemann Hospital before branching out to Cancer Treatment Centers of America for additional ICU experience.  Nesheim recently moved to Cooper University Hospital’s ICU and Cardia Care Unit. 
• Louise Baca, MSN ’06 – Baca earned her bachelor’s degree at Thomas Jefferson University and later came to Drexel to earn her master’s degree.  She worked in oncology nursing for over 15 years and is now the Administrator of the Oncology Service Line for Kennedy Health.  In addition, she is an adjunct faculty member in the RN to BSN program at Drexel. 
• Abby Duffine Gilman, MS ’12 – Gilman is currently the Project Manager for the Health Futures Initiative, but worked as a clinical dietician after earning her bachelor’s degree in Health & Exercise Science from Syracuse University and her master’s degree in Human Nutrition from Drexel. Gilman is an adjunct faculty member at Drexel has also been published in two textbooks, highlighting her research in Magnesium & the Metabolic Syndrome and Child Obesity.
• John Kristel, MPT ’97 – Kristel earned his bachelor’s degree from Temple University and his master’s degree in Physical Therapy from Drexel. He began his career in Physical Therapy before earning his MBA from Temple’s Fox School of Business.  He has held many roles, including Chief Operating Officer of Graduate Hospital, Director of Operations, Director of Rehabilitation, and Manager of Physical Therapy, each at Hahnemann University Hospital.  Kristel is now President & CEO of Good Shepherd Rehabilitation.

After the panel presentation, students and alumni were invited to enjoy refreshments and network with each other.  Niket Subhedar, HSAD ’15 said “Speaking with the alumni was great; John Kristel in particular because he came from a similar background in health care like me, but was also able to pursue an MBA, to make his passions for health care and business converge. As a student who is interested in both health care and business, it was awesome to learn about the path he took to get to where he is today.”

The Alumni/Student Career Networking Event takes place each February.  If you have any suggestions regarding future events or frequency, please contact cnhpalumni@drexel.edu.