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Alumni Notes
1998
Following a four-month stint as Interim CEO at Chicago Scholars, Jeffery Beckham, Jr. '98 was named the organization’s permanent CEO in April 2021 in a unanimous selection by the organization’s Board of Directors. In his role, Jeffery is responsible for leading the development of the organization that serves more than 5,000 first-generation and low-income students to reach their dreams to pursue a college education. Leading the next chapter of Chicago Scholars as it enters its 25th year, Jeffery plans to continue expanding its reach to ensure college education is accessible for all Chicago students.
2004 2006
Collin '04 and Jackie (Stillman '06) McKillip welcomed their third baby girl, Kennedy, in June of 2020.
2005
Tiffany (Hill '05) McKee married Fredell McKee on April 20, 2021.
2007
2008
Matt Dee '07 and his wife Sara welcomed Vincent Matthew Dee into the world in February 2021.
Brandon Johnson '08 was the recording engineer for the album that won a Grammy Award for best classical solo vocal album (Sarah Brailey & Dashon Burton, Smyth: The Prison (2021)). Brandon has been an audio engineer with New World Symphony since 2012.
2013
Brother Joseph Roccasalva, O.S.A. '08 took his vows as an Augustinian in 2016 and will serve St. Jude Church, in New Lenox, and Providence High School as he completes a master’s degree in divinity at Catholic Theological Union, in Hyde Park. When ordained in December, he will serve Providence students and faculty full-time as a math teacher. Joseph was sponsored by the Fr. Perez Knights of Columbus Council 1444, which provides financial, spiritual, and fraternal support to six seminarians.
Tyler Martin '13
was selected as the winner of the Houston Flute Club Byron Hester Competition. An orchestral musician, freelance flutist, and private instructor, Tyler additionally won second prize in the Austin Flute Society Young Artist Competition. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from DePaul University, a Master of Music degree from New England Conservatory, and is currently enrolled at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. In addition to performing, Tyler is passionate about teaching and music advocacy.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Regina Ceragioli 2010
By Brendan Diamond
For Regina Ceragioli, music isn’t just a passion; it’s a way of life.
The Marian Catholic star now works as a professional singer and recently presented a performance at Infant Jesus of Prague Catholic Church. Music has always been Gina’s passion. “I started singing when I was in grade school at IJP,” she explained. “I was in the choirs there and sang for Mass. I’d say I was around 14 when I started cantoring for Masses.” In her freshman year at Marian, Gina started taking voice lessons with Dr. Lisa Kristina ’78. Upon joining the Marian Catholic family, Gina promptly joined choir and performed in musicals, although she didn’t actually sing during many of her roles. She was also a Dominican Preacher, solidifying her faith in Jesus Christ. Following her graduation from Marian Catholic, Gina attended Butler University. Initially, she pursued a double major in Biology and Music. But at the end of her freshman year, she auditioned for and booked a small role in Madame Butterfly with the Indianapolis Opera. As a result, she dropped her biology major and focused exclusively on music, obviously the right decision. In her senior year, Gina performed Strauss’ Vier Letzte Lieder with the Butler University Orchestra after winning their concerto competition. Gina then went on to get her Masters of Music at Northwestern University, where she performed numerous roles including the title role in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah.
Since completing graduate school in 2016, Gina has had a number of opportunities to perform professionally. Most of the work she’s done has been as a young artist with opera companies in the summer. Working as a Young Artist typically entails singing in the chorus, singing small roles, covering main roles, and performing in concerts. “My most exciting contract so far has been working with the Santa Fe Opera in 2018 and 2019,” she says. “My second summer, I was a featured soloist in a concert with Renée Flemming, who is one of my greatest inspirations in pursuing Opera.”
Gina recognizes that life and work as a musician is contract- to-contract, so she has to supplement her operatic endeavors with other work. This has ranged from cantoring and music therapy to less musically inclined jobs such as nannying and working at Starbucks. But one of Gina’s passions is something she rediscovered due to a lack of work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
View more of Gina’s paintings at www.reginaceragioli.com/citrus-sopranoarts
Gillian Riesen Photography
“I have been taking commissions for over a year now and participated in the Homewood artisan’s festival this year. Currently I have pieces available for sale at Loulou Belle boutique in Homewood.” Whatever the case due to the pandemic, Gina remains optimistic about the future. “This year, I will hopefully be doing live auditions throughout the US as well as making up some auditions abroad,” she tells us. “I [also] plan to continue painting alongside any work I book for the year.”
2016 2021
Casey Domke '16, a fifth-year senior golfer at Governors State, finished off the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament at TPC Deere Run on April 27, 2021 with a two-hole playoff triumph to become Governors State’s first-ever individual conference champion in any sport.
Christina Harris '16
graduated with both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Mass Comm Studies from Eastern Illinois University, accomplishing this in the backdrop of the pandemic.
Donovan McIntyre '21, an outfielder for Spartan baseball, was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 11th round of the Major League Baseball Draft. The recent graduate and Richton Park native said, “If you would have told me at 12, 13, 14 years old that I would be drafted out of high school, I would have looked in your face and laughed.”
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