PORTADA
UNIVERSITY OF
NOTRE DAME PANAMA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 03 STUDENT PROFILES
09 ALUMNI PROFILES
NOTRE DAME | PANAMA
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STUDENT PROFILES
Diana Escoffery
Melissa Escoffery
Jean Paul Lafitte
Ricardo Humbert
Luis Young
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STUDENT PROFILES
I chose Notre Dame because of its tight-knit community. When I visited during my senior year of high school, I finally realized what people meant by the “Notre Dame Family.” I knew that Notre Dame would provide me with a welcoming, collaborative environment where I would feel at home and meet countless wonderful people.
DIANA ESCOFFERY PANAMA CITY, PANAMA CLASS OF 2018 IT MANAGEMENT
I really enjoy extending the learning experience beyond the classroom by taking every opportunity to engage with my peers. Last year, for example, I was exposed to the world of cinema when participating in the creation of a film for a friend’s media class. I have also made new friends while competing in several recreational soccer and bowling leagues. Lastly, I have been working as a student technician at the Office of Information Technology for two years, where I have had the chance to learn about a different side of the University that doesn’t usually cross a student’s mind. My favorite experience has been studying abroad for two summers and one semester. The summer after my first year, I went to Jerusalem, where I took a theology class and had the opportunity to visit some very interesting places. Last summer, I participated in the International Summer Service Learning Program (ISSLP) in Ghana, where I got to learn about a completely different culture and develop a myriad of skills while living in a rural village with limited access to water and electricity. Last year, I studied abroad at Angers, France, where I stayed with a host family for an entire semester and had the opportunity to improve my French skills.
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STUDENT PROFILES
I chose Notre Dame because of its strong sense of community. I really liked that current students and alumni alike are always willing to lend a hand to fellow Domers. There is also a strong sense of social responsibility toward the outside community; I love how people at Notre Dame really make an effort to use their education to help those around them.
MELISSA ESCOFFERY PANAMA CITY, PANAMA CLASS OF 2018 PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY
I have been involved in a range of clubs at Notre Dame. For example, I was part of the International Student Network, where I got to meet students from all over the world. I also participated in the Association of Latino Professionals for America, where I helped organize networking events with companies. Last summer, I interned at the United Nations in NYC as part of the Permanent Mission of Panama. During the summer, I conducted research and created documents that would serve as guidelines for Panamanian representative concerning a variety of topics–from women’s rights to healthcare policies. My favorite experience during my time at Notre Dame, and the one that made me grow the most, was my summer doing service with the International Summer Service Learning Program (ISSLP) in Cochabamba, Bolivia. For two months I helped out at an organization called Manos con Libertad, whose mission is to empower both current and former female prisoners. During the summer, I was able to visit women at a prison and give them workshops that would allow them to be successful after their sentence. I was also exposed to Bolivia’s indigenous identity, participating in cultural traditions with members of the Quechua and Aymara communities.
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STUDENT PROFILES
I was attracted to Notre Dame because it offers students countless opportunities to learn outside of the classroom. There are countless clubs, events, and activities that allow you to meet new people, learn new skills, and become a well-rounded individual ready to succeed after graduating. Additionally, Notre Dame has an incredible sense of school spirit that is very hard to find elsewhere.
RICARDO HUMBERT PANAMA CITY, PANAMA CLASS OF 2019 FINANCE AND APPLIED AND COMPUTATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS
I have been involved in many intramurals sports where I have had the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. For example, I was involved in several of my residence hall’s interhall sports teams, where I got together with my hall mates to practice every week and then competed against other residence halls. I have also gotten involved in several community service events that allowed me to get more involved and acquainted with Notre Dame’s surrounding communities. My sophomore year, I enrolled in a financial modeling boot camp at Notre Dame with a company called Adventis. It was a great experience as I was able to learn a lot about a field that I am passionate about in only a couple of days. I ended up working with Adventis, promoting their program at Notre Dame and developing strategies to introduce it to other schools. What I liked most about this experience was that it allowed me to acquire new skills in a way that is inaccessible in the classroom.
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STUDENT PROFILES
I chose Notre Dame because of its community. Its strong, supportive culture really make Notre Dame feel like home. This sense of identity and pride is something that extends beyond the undergraduate experience, as exemplified by the incredible alumni network. Furthermore, I was really attracted by Notre Dame’s world-class academics; I knew that the University would give me the tools to learn and become successful in the professional sphere.
JEAN PAUL LAFITTE PANAMA CITY, PANAMA CLASS OF 2019 FINANCE AND ECONOMICS
At Notre Dame, I had the opportunity to help develop a start-up (a review platform that competes with Yelp) that later led to a summer internship in Silicon Valley, the world’s entrepreneurship hub. My interest in entrepreneurship made me get involved in the Society for Entrepreneurship, where I was able to meet some like-minded people that positively influenced my experience on campus. In addition, I have participated in various community service activities through Notre Dame’s chapter of the Student United Way, a national service organization. My favorite experiences at Notre Dame have been my study abroad opportunities. In my first year, I was able to go to a three-week summer program in Jerusalem, where I took a theology class based on the spiritual, historical, and political aspects of the city and how these have affected the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In addition, I had the opportunity to go to London for a full semester my junior year, where I was able to immerse myself in the British culture and visit countless interesting places in Europe.
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STUDENT PROFILES
Ultimately, the biggest driver in my decision to attend Notre Dame was the trust and commitment that the University places in each of its students. When you choose Notre Dame, the University pledges itself to bettering you holistically as a person, and helping you grow and develop.
LUIS YOUNG PANAMA CITY, PANAMA CLASS OF 2018 FINANCE AND ECONOMICS
I have had the privilege of serving various roles, ranging from fundraising commissioner for my residence hall to spearheading a consortium tasked with developing a community of future consultants and interning with the Notre Dame Investment Office that manages the University’s endowment. I have pursued my passion for advocacy through my involvement in the Student Coalition for Immigration Advocacy as well as student government. The most fulfilling experience I’ve had thus far was helping an undocumented teenager from Latin America apply for asylum status here in the United States. Something that you will hear often during your four years here is that we as a people are called to serve. This is very much a part of Catholic social teaching as it is a part of Notre Dame’s identity. Though it may be easy and convenient to simply focus on yourself or your studies, Notre Dame encourages and empowers you to help others both during your four years and what follows after.
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ALUMNI PROFILES
ADRIAN GERBAUD
GUILLERMO CHAPMAN
JEANETTE SHAKALLI
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ADRIAN GERBAUD CLASS OF 2017 COMPUTER SCIENCE, ECONOMICS AND APPLIED AND COMPUTATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS
ALUMNI PROFILES
PANAMA CITY, PANAMA
WORK EXPERIENCE
FAVORITE THING ABOUT NOTRE DAME
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND INTERNSHIPS
HOW NOTRE DAME CHANGED ME
After graduation, I moved to New York to work as an investment banking analyst in the Consumer and Retail group at Deutsche Bank. In my role, I work with clients to see what is the best and most cost-effective way of raising capital, as well as providing advisory for mergers and acquisitions. I am also part of Deutsche Bank’s Notre Dame recruiting effort.
It is truly amazing the number of opportunities that Notre Dame offers to its students. During the summer between my sophomore and junior years, I traveled to Gulu, Uganda, as part of the International Summer Service Learning Program. I worked in collaboration with an NGO called BOSCO (Battery Operated Systems for Community Outreach) where we installed and managed a long-distance Wi-Fi network across the Northern region, connecting schools, community centers, and seminaries to the Internet. I was also part of the CE3 program where sites, disconnected from the electrical grid, were provided with clean, renewable solar energy. During my time at Notre Dame, I also studied abroad in Rome and interned at Deutsche Bank in New York. These were all extraordinary experiences to take my learning outside of the academic curriculum.
My favorite thing about Notre Dame is how the focus is not only on academics but on a holistic education of well-rounded individuals. Not only are you taught the skills required for your major, but emphasis is also placed on how those skills can be used to positively impact society as a whole. This is what makes Notre Dame unique.
Notre Dame gave me a sense of the bigger picture. You are taught that it is not enough to just gain knowledge and skills in the classroom. Notre Dame will push you to use your education to address the pressing societal issues we face today and to help those in need.
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GUILLERMO CHAPMAN CLASS OF 2013
ALUMNI PROFILES
FINANCE AND ECONOMICS PANAMA CITY, PANAMA
WORK EXPERIENCE
I am currently earning my MBA from Columbia Business School and will be spending the summer in Boston Consulting Group’s New York office. Before CBS, I was an analyst in investment banking, working mostly on mergers and acquisitions for Citi’s Latin America group based in New York, and a Corporate Finance Manager in INDESA Capital, a boutique financial advisory firm in Panama. As a generalist, I worked on projects in multiple industries including financial institutions, retail, energy, logistics, and telecommunications. At INDESA, I also evaluated investment opportunities in Panama for the firm and its clients.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND INTERNSHIPS After my internship at Citi, I was involved in the Wall Street Club to help fellow students prepare for banking interviews and connect students with professionals in banks. I also worked with the admissions office to organize the Hesburgh International Scholars Experience (HISE), an event for admitted students, and contact high school students in Panama. At Notre Dame I also took several work opportunities such as economics tutor, Spanish tutor, corporate finance teacher assistant, and as a student employee at Subway and Burger King.
FAVORITE THING ABOUT NOTRE DAME
The community and camaraderie are unique. They display themselves within the student body, alumni, and faculty and staff. The Notre Dame spirit certainly goes beyond the four-year undergrad experience and lasts a lifetime. The friends I made at Notre Dame are, and will likely be, some of my closest friends. The outreach by alumni in Panama and New York really portrays how much people care about Notre Dame.
HOW NOTRE DAME CHANGED ME
Beyond a great education, I was able to grow personally, work on personal relationships and communication, and understand that doing business is not only about doing well, but also doing good. The well-rounded preparation that Notre Dame provides gave me the foundations I need to believe in myself when facing personal, professional, or academic challenges going forward.
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JEANETTE SHAKALLI CLASS OF 2007
ALUMNI PROFILES
MATH AND CHEMISTRY PANAMA CITY, PANAMA
WORK EXPERIENCE
After graduating from Notre Dame, I went on to get a Ph.D. in mathematics from Texas A&M University. Then I moved back home to Panama City, Panama, where I have been working for the last five years for the Panamanian government at the National Secretariat of Science, Technology, and Innovation (SENACYT), first as the advisor to the National Secretary and then as the executive assistant of the National Secretary, a position that I still currently hold. I am also a member of several scientific and mathematical professional organizations as well as a member of the Board of Directors of the Panamanian Association for the Advancement of Science (APANAC) and the Gift of Life Foundation in Panama.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND INTERNSHIPS During my time at Notre Dame, I had the opportunity to participate in two Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs: one at a biochemistry lab and the other on applied math. These experiences defined my future due to the fact that as a result, I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in math.
FAVORITE THING ABOUT NOTRE DAME
My favorite thing about Notre Dame is its spirit. The feeling of belonging to something greater, to a larger community, to a network of professionals who share the same belief that we can make a difference in this crazy world that we live in, is undeniably the reason that I tell everyone I meet that Notre Dame is indeed the best university ever!
HOW NOTRE DAME CHANGED ME
Notre Dame helped me grow as a person and as a professional. I did not have many friends in high school. However, when I arrived at Notre Dame, I found many students who shared my intellectual interests and I am lucky to say that they are still my closest friends. We do not see each other as often as we would like to, but when we do finally meet, it feels as if we were never apart.
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