Career Exploration Day

By: Lacey Okamura, Senior Communications Intern

Notre Dame High School was proud to welcome back four alumni on March 2 for Career Exploration Day to share their success stories with students, and provide some insight on how Notre Dame helped shape their careers. Thank you to the following alumni who participated in Career Day:

Marita Sciarotta ‘85 is the Deputy Director of the New Jersey Division of Taxation. She started working in the division 40 years ago while still attending NDHS. Marita says the core values of Notre Dame - integrity, intelligence, and compassion - are essential to a job in the government. While the profession may not be glamorous, it is important to give back to the greater good. Experiencing an education at Notre Dame has taught Marita the importance of social justice work, and that not everyone is as fortunate as we are. 

Brian Hammer ‘95 has over 20 years of experience working on the executive team for the world’s largest non-profit association devoted to serving members in the field of internal medicine. As Vice President of Membership and Engagement for the American College of Physicians, Brian leads a team to improve member recruitment, retention, and financial integrity. He shared with the students how he managed to bring up his GPA and become more involved after a rough sophomore year with support from his teachers, and proved that it’s never too late to turn things around. The people at Notre Dame inspired Brian to strive for greater things, and taught him that if you want to achieve something, you have to put in the time and effort.

Kateri Noble ‘12 is a Research Compliance Manager at Stanford University, reviewing study proposals across the university to ensure they align with federal law. She has been accepted into PhD programs in clinical and experimental psychology, and spent three years managing a psychology research lab at Stanford prior to her current position. Kateri attributes much of her success to the faculty at Notre Dame, who taught her important skills such as communication, being detail-oriented, and taking pride in your work. She encourages students to connect with teachers and become involved in extracurriculars. Kateri hopes her experience and career information will be beneficial for students interested in psychology and research involving people, ethics, and law. 

Jonathan Snyder ‘99 is a manager for Technical Program Management at Amazon. He shared with students what a career in cybersecurity looks like and different pathways to get involved. Jonathan has also served in the U.S. Marine Forces Reserve, the Army National Guard, and worked as an Intelligence Analyst for the FBI for three years. He says his experience on the Notre Dame track team taught him not only how to lose gracefully, but that winning is not everything. What matters most are the connections you make, which is evident in the fact that Jonathan still speaks to people from his team to this day. 

We are so grateful to our alumni for sharing their experiences and inspiring students to pursue their passions.