Meet Our Alumnae

Stephanie Reyes graduated from Pomona College in 2018 with a B.A. in Latin American studies and Spanish. She currently works as an analyst for energy storage developer Convergent Energy + Power, working on projects across the business including asset management, financial optimization, regulatory and policy development, project execution, business development, and customer engagement. While a student at Hewitt, she worked on the Venturer magazine, focusing on art selection for the publication. In her free time, she continues to be involved in the arts by serving as a pro-bono translator for artists in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Spain, and by appearing in puppet productions throughout New York City.

Alexandra Nicklas is the Founder and President of Different & Able, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people with various disabilities and medical conditions find the support and resources they need to live happy and “able” lives. Throughout her life, Alexandra dealt with some of her own different abilities, which she overcame with the help of specialists and the support of her family, friends, and teachers. Through her own journey, Alexandra was inspired to make it easier for those in need to get access to resources. Alexandra earned a B.A. in speech and language pathology from Marymount Manhattan College, and pursued graduate studies in speech and language pathology at CUNY Lehman College. In her free time, Alexandra volunteers with many programs and organizations that serve people with an array of health conditions.

Jennie Ripps is a tea sommelier and the founder and CEO of Owl’s Brew Radler (2016), Owl’s Brew Mixer (2013), and Brew Lab Tea (2011). She is a graduate of Goldman Sachs’s 10,000 Small Businesses program, contributes to The Huffington Post’s Taste and Healthy Living sections, and has been selected as one of the Speciality Food Association’s “35 Under 35 Food Entrepreneurs.”  She is also the co-author of Wise Cocktails: A DIY Guide to Crafting Tea-Based Cocktails. Jennie has been profiled by The New York Times, Forbes, and Entrepreneur Magazine, among others. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and resides in New York City with her husband and two children. Jennie is proud to share Hewitt traditions with her daughter, who started as a Hewitt kindergartener in the fall of 2018.

Jenny is the founder of Running With Heels, a by-invitation networking organization for women executives and business owners. Jenny carefully curates events to bring New York women together for meaningful and memorable networking experiences. Jenny is also a freelance writer and has been featured in the New York Post, Huffington Post, and Daily Worth, as well as in Time Inc., New York Jewish Life, and the Brooklyn Eagle. 

After graduating from Hewitt, Kristina Fisher attended New York University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies. She went on to have a 20 year career in event planning in a variety of industries before pivoting to a career in real estate. Coming from a family that has been in the real estate business for decades, it is no surprise to those that know her well that she has chosen to work in this field, allowing her passion for New York City and love of people to shine through her work.

Jen has worked as a casting director in New York City for the past twenty years. Her company, Jen Halpern Casting, primarily casts for on-camera commercials, television, and branded content videos. Jen loves that her profession allows her to constantly work on different projects and meet new people. Jen is also very passionate about animal welfare. She founded and serves as the president and CEO of Pillows for Paws, a nonprofit which aims to support a positive environment for homeless animals in city shelters by bringing them comfort and love. Volunteers gather monthly to make beds and toys for animals awaiting adoption in New York City shelters.

Diana Marin is completing a self-designed Master's in Divinity through the Open Master's program. Her study centers on the themes of roots, courage, and vision as pillars in community-building. Diana graduated from Harvard with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Romance Languages and Literatures, and has worked with the Archdiocese of New York in development and scholarship management. 
 

Dr. Raygine DiAquoi ’00 is an Assistant Professor of Sociomedical Sciences and the Director of the Office of Diversity, Culture, and Inclusion at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. A sociologist of education, her research is grounded in Critical Race Theory. She is interested in the racial socialization practices of black families, particularly the strategies used to prepare children for racial discrimination. She is co-editor of the book Education For A Multicultural Society (2011), has written about the specific competencies required of African American students and their families (2012; 2014; 2015, in press), and has discussed her research on Al Jazeera America. Dr. DiAquoi earned her Doctorate in Culture, Communities, and Education and Masters in Education from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Columbia University.

Susannah Meyer '15 is majoring in computer science at Stanford as a member of the class of 2019. She has held software engineering internships at JP Morgan Chase & Co., Bloomberg LP, and Facebook. At Stanford, Susannah is the webmaster and technical team lead of the student publication The Stanford Daily and will begin research at the university's virtual reality lab this fall. While at Hewitt, Susannah served on the Community Service Board, edited The Hewitt Times, and led audio work for the theater technical crew. She was a runner-up for the prestigious Award for Aspirations in Computing from the National Center for Women and Information Technology in 2014.

Sofia Caballero Stafford ’13 studied Global Health and Cultural Anthropology at Duke, earning her AB in 2017. In 2016, her team won the $10,000 Grand Prize in the Duke STEAM Challenge to fund the development of "Pocket Counselor: Health in Hand," a mobile application designed to help task-shift mental health counseling to lay practitioners in Kenya. Sofia also found purpose in her internship with USAID working on the Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development. After graduation, she moved to D.C. and is currently working at USAID through the Global Health Fellows-II program. While at Hewitt, Sofia initiated what would become a multi-year partnership with Girl Up, a campaign of the United Nations Foundation and a community of nearly half a million passionate student advocates focused on girls living in places where it is hardest to be a girl.