There are hundreds of roles that exist in the field of healthcare, many of which do not require years and years of graduate schooling (or require none at all).
Each fall, the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills holds a “Pathways to Healthcare” panel that features 4-5 UConn alumni who are currently working in healthcare and did not attend med school, dental school, PA school, or nursing school. These fantastic alumni share insight onto how they decided on their own career paths, what they did while still in college to gain experience, and how they transitioned into their current role post-graduation.
Pathways to Healthcare Fall 2025
🗓 Tuesday, October 28
⏰ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
📍 Virtual Event (Teams)
Register here to receive the webinar link
Panelists:
Precious Edwards ‘22 | LinkedIn
Major: Sociology
Current Role: Health Equity Specialist
Employer: Town of Manchester, CT
Precious graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. During her studies at UConn, Precious was actively involved in extracurriculars, serving as President of Leading Women of Tomorrow and as a Team Leader for Jumpstart. Precious holds a Community Health Worker Certification from the Connecticut Department of Public Health and currently works as a Health Equity Specialist for the Town of Manchester, Connecticut. Earlier in her career, Precious held roles including Rapid Rehousing Assistant, Community Outreach Worker, and Direct Support Professional.
Emily Kleschinsky ‘21 | LinkedIn
Major: Human Development and Family Sciences
Current Role: Child Life Specialist
Employer: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Emily graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development and Family Sciences: Early Childhood Development & Education. While at UConn, Emily volunteered and fundraised for Red Cross Blood Services, and served as a Morale Captain, Dancer, and Committee Member for HuskyTHON. After her undergraduate studies, Emily went on to obtain a Master of Science in Child Life Studies at Missouri State University. She was a Child Life Intern at both Crossroads4Hope and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where she currently works as a Child Life Specialist.
Avery (Desrosiers) Margenot ‘15 | LinkedIn
Major: Allied Health Sciences
Current Role: Director of Nutrition and Community Partnerships & Full Spectrum Doula
Employer: Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services, Boston Area Doulas
Avery graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Allied Health Sciences, with a concentration in Public Health. While at UConn, Avery was actively involved in extracurricular activities, including serving as the Fundraising Chair for the Medical Humanitarian Society and as a team member for the UConn Empower India Trip. She then continued to get her Master of Public Health focusing on Maternal and Child Health at Boston University’s School of Public Health. Avery has worked at the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ), IBM, Start Early, andCityblock Health. Currently, Avery serves as Director of Nutrition and Community Partnerships at Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services and is a Full Spectrum Doula and Practice Consultant.
Brooke Suitum ‘21 | LinkedIn
Major: Allied Health Sciences
Current Role: Orthotic Resident
Employer: Acadian Rehab Inc.
Brooke graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Allied Health Sciences. While at UConn, Brooke was involved in Alpha Chi Omega and completed an internship with Medical Center Orthotics & Prosthetics, along with being an Accessible Van Driver for the CT Department of Transportation. Brooke has volunteered with organizations including Camp No Limits and the Outdoors for All Foundation. After completing her studies in orthotics/prosthetics at the University of Washington, Brooke now works as an Orthotic Resident at Acadian Rehab Inc.
PAST EVENTS:
Panelists:
Juliana Jacoboski Duncan
Infectious Disease Epidemiologist, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
BA, Spanish/BS, Pathobiology 2018
MPH (Boston University) 2020
Sara Loniewski
Senior Research Associate, Lumanity
BS, Allied Health Sciences 2022
MPH, Public Health, Boston University
Stephanie Schofield
Genetic Counseling Assistant, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
BS, Molecular & Cell Biology 2023
Brooke Smith
Healthcare Analytics Manager, Found
BA, Economics 2011
MS, Biostatistics (Harvard) 2020
Panelists:
Kritika Shankar, Health Law Student at Northeastern University School of Law
Ray Peyravi, Clinical Data Science at Yale University School of Medicine
Ethan Couillard, Research Associate, Payer Engagement at MCRA
Panelists:
Eric Ell, Strategy Consultant at Health Advances
Dea Gorka, Research Scientist at Arvinas
Erik Zawodniak, Community Wellness Educator at Sixteenth Street Community Health Center
Panelists:
Christina Shoushani, Research Associate at Marvel Biome
Jennifer Koo, State Captain at Right to Health Action and Co-President/Founder at Supporting Pan Asian-Owned Resources Collective
Norma Ortega, Director of University Relations at Hartford Healthcare
Quian Callender, Director of Strategy and Planning at Hartford Healthcare
Christina Shoushani ’20
Major: Biology
Current Role: Research Associate
LinkedIn
Christina graduated with a Bachelor’s in Biology from UConn in 2020 and is currently working at a biotech start-up, Marvel Biome as a Research Associate. Soon after graduating Christina then went on to pursue her masters in Biology from Merrimack College. In her role at Marvel Biome she specializes in microbiology with sterilization amongst various tissue and bacterial cultures. Prior to joining Marvel, Christina was able to be a Medical Assistant, a Medical Scribe, and a Graduate Research Assistant.
Norma Ortega
Major: Business Administration and Human Resources
Current Role: Director of University Relations
LinkedIn
Norma graduated from Western New England with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration and Human Resources. She then continued to get her Masters in Organizational Development from American International College. Norma currently works as the Director of University Relations at Hartford Healthcare. Prior to this Norma has worked in various recruitment roles at organizations such as Travelers, INROADS, AVANGRID, and others. She has years worth of experience from the employer’s point in the hiring process across various different roles and needs.
Jennifer M. Koo ’20
Major: Allied Health and Sociology
Current Role: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Therapy Lab Research Worker
LinkedIn
Jennifer graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Allied Health Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She currently is the Co-President and Founder of the Supporting Pan Asian-Owned Resources Collective, an organization focused on amplifying the voices of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. In addition, Jennifer serves on the Board of Directors at RESULTS & RESULTS Educational Fund, a nonprofit organization advocating for the eradication of poverty through policy change. Jennifer has a very diverse background in advocating for health policies, research regarding disability rights, and educational funding.
Quian Callender ‘16
Major: Healthcare Management
Current Role: Director of Strategy and Planning
LinkedIn
Quian graduated from UConn in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management, and later went on to the University of Michigan to receive a Master of Health Services Administration, Health Management and Policy in 2018 and a graduate certificate in Health Informatics. Quian Callender is currently the Director of strategy and planning in Hartford HealthCare’s (HHC) strategy and transformation division, advancing access to care across the state of Connecticut. Quian also serves as Hartford HealthCare’s Director of Early Talent Programs. His vision and leadership for recruitment, pipeline development and engagement among early careerists with identities underrepresented in healthcare administration, led to Hartford HealthCare’s Administrative Fellowship Program receiving Program of Distinction from the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL) in 2020 and Best Organization for Leadership Development Award from NCHL in the category of supporting early career talent in 2022. Prior to his current role, Quian was a founding member of HHC’s Health Equity department as Strategy and Analytics Manager. In his capacity as Strategy and Analytics Manager, Quian supported strategy development and deployment across multiple functional areas to drive better health outcomes and eliminate inequities in communities across CT.
