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Stephanie Krifka, M.A., 2007
Human Rights Generalist at Monsanto, St.
Louis, MO
 While
at the Whitehead School, Stephanie took
advantage of the opportunity to spend a
summer living and working in the villages
surrounding Mombasa, Kenya. She worked with
people living with HIV/AIDS, primarily women
and children. This experience, along with
studying under the guidance of Dr. Huang in
her Health and Human Security
Specialization, solidified her passion for
working with HIV/AIDS, human rights and
economic development in the poorest areas
around the world. Currently, as a Human
Rights Generalist, Stephanie works in a
global capacity on child labor laws and
human rights. She spends just over half of
the year working internationally with
Monsanto’s shareholder farmers and
subsidiaries, ensuring that contracts uphold
the standards set by the international
community with regards to child labor and
human rights. She considers herself very
fortunate to be a member of the first human
rights department in the field of
agriculture, pioneering a new way to do
business around the world with respect to
the rights guaranteed to each individual
under the norms set by the international
community. In the future, Stephanie hopes to
continue contributing to welfare of
agricultural communities through starting
her own consulting firm.
Jennifer Cvetkovski, B.S./M.A. 2007
Business Analyst, Citigroup - Markets and
Banking Technology
 During
her time at the Whitehead School, Jennifer took
advantage of the many opportunities to
strengthen and solidify her writing skills, now
a pertinent aspect of her everyday tasks as a
full-time Citi employee. She attributes her
concrete writing foundation to the challenging
classroom projects/assignments, internship
opportunities, and extra-curricular activities
found through the Diplomacy program. “The
School’s faculty and administration,” she notes,
“acted as a support mechanism, and pushed me to
build my confidence and get involved both inside
and outside of the community. When I wanted to
pursue an internship in writing, the school was
there to guide me to the right path.” Jennifer
enjoyed much success in showcasing her skills,
whether it was being published in the United
Nations Association of the USA’s magazine,
The InterDependent, or being chosen to
represent the USA at the United Nation’s First
Global Youth Leadership Summit held at the
United Nations Headquarters.
Currently, as a Business Analyst (BA), Jennifer
now works to preserve a strong relationship
between several areas of both business and
technology through writing and communication.
Through various projects and analysis, Jennifer
works to gain knowledge of business processes,
along with application systems in order to aid
and improve the day-to-day operations of the
business. In the days to come, Jennifer looks
forward to continuing to expand her career path
into the global business arena through the
connections and advanced learning opportunities
being offered by her current employer.
Kathryn Monet, B.S. Diplomacy and
International Relations / B.A. Asian Studies
2007
Academic Advisor, Saudi Arabian Cultural
Mission
 Participating
in the Undergraduate Diplomacy Student
Association greatly helped Kathryn to
balance the Asian focus of her coursework
while studying at the Whitehead School. “It
gave me a more well-rounded view of the
world,” she said, “and it’s directly
benefiting me now since I work with a
different region of the world.”
The emphasis on cross-cultural communication
and interaction in the Whitehead School
curriculum taught her the skills that she
uses on the job. Currently, Kathryn works as
an Academic Advisor with the Saudi Arabian
Cultural Mission. She deals with the day to
day needs of Saudi students here in the U.S.
on scholarship as the liaison between the
students and their scholarship sponsoring
organization in Saudi Arabia. The needs of
students vary from basic life-skills to
academic counseling and ensuring students
abide by scholarship rules in order for the
Mission to pay for their tuition and
healthcare bills. This necessitates that she
maintain contact with her students, their
schools in the U.S., their families back in
Saudi Arabia, and their sponsoring
organizations to facilitate the student's
assimilation into American society and their
academic achievement.
In the future, Kathryn hopes to learn Arabic
and eventually attend law school.
Ashley Grosso, BS 2006
1st year M.S. in Nonprofit Management, New
School University
 hspace="6">Internships
at sites such as The American Red Cross,
Lower East Side Tenement Museum and the
American Woman’s Economic Development
Corporation proved to be valuable assets to
Ashley Grosso in developing her career path.
In addition to her office and graduate work,
Grosso is in the process of launching an
organization she started working on as an
undergraduate, the AIDS Museum. Last fall,
she organized an exhibit of art by
HIV-positive artists which was held at Seton
Hall's University Center Art Gallery, and is
now pursuing grants and collaborations to
continue to work on the Museum. “My hope,”
says Grosso, “is to meet the founders of the
other two AIDS Museums in the world (located
in Thailand and South Africa) and to secure
a permanent building in Newark, NJ for the
Museum.” The next traveling exhibit of the
AIDS Museum will be held at Seton Hall Law
School starting in May.
Michael D'Abramo MA 2005
International Republican Institute
 Mike D’Abramo
was born and raised on Long Island, New York. He received a B.A. in political science from the University of Albany and an M.A. in international relations
from the Whitehead School of Diplomacy at Seton Hall University. Prior to his career with the International Republican Institute he served as a congressional
aide for former Congressman Felix J. Grucci, Jr. (R-NY1). During this time, he was concurrently elected to office as a committeeman for Suffolk County, New York,
where he worked on numerous political campaigns at the federal, state and local levels. Upon finishing graduate studies, Mike held positions at the Center for Strategic
and International Studies (CSIS), the Kenan Institute and the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. He currently serves as resident program officer for IRI-Nigeria where he
focuses primarily on the program’s political campaign schools, State Party Leadership Academy (SPLA) workshops, female candidate training workshops and the
upcoming election
observation in April of 2007.
Eric Anthony Smith, MA 2005
U.S. Department of Commerce
Eric Anthony Smith completed his graduate studies at Seton Hall in May 2005, earning a Masters in
Diplomacy and International Relations and an MBA with a concentration in international finance. Eric
carried an internship at the US Embassy in El Salvador, working in both the Economic and Consular
Sections. He also interned with the Council on Foreign Relations in its Corporate Affairs program. At
the Whitehead School, he served as both an Associate and Senior Editor with the Whitehead
Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations, as well as Vice President of the Graduate Diplomacy
Council. Eric received a B.S. in Environmental & Natural Resource Economics from the University of
Arizona. During college, he was a student in the Semester at Sea international studies program, which
brought him to South America, Africa, and Asia. Eric came to Seton Hall by way of San Francisco,
where he worked in software marketing for nearly four years. He has also worked and studied in
London and Spain and has traveled extensively in Western Europe, Cuba, and Central America.
He recently began work as a Presidential Managment Fellow at the US Department of Commerce.
Kathryn Thomas, MA 2005
U.S. Department of Commerce
"I was recommended to the U.S. Department of Commerce Export Assistance Center in Newark by my advisor. I had been interested in international trade and was looking for an internship that might expose me to a career path I could pursue. My internship allowed me to attend several trade events and assist the trade specialists in research for companies looking to export into new markets around the world. I took on the website as a project and was able to successfully use it to help promote events and the resources available at the Newark office. Specifically, I helped to put the New Jersey District Export Council onto the website and give it some internet exposure. It was through my work for the NJ DEC that I met the woman who coordinated the events. A few months after graduation this woman chose to leave her job and the director of the Newark Export Assistance Center recommended me for her position. I am now an Export Specialist for Telcordia Technologies. My internship at Commerce and the various events that I was able to attend and learn from in that time helped give
me a foundation for my job. Today, I still rely on the Newark Export Assistance Center, and this network for export advice. We continue to work together on the promotion of export events and hope to have more work to collaborate on in the future."
Nathan Bland, MA 2004
U.S. Department of State
J. Nathan Bland joined the Department of State as a 2004 Presidential Management Fellow. He is
now an Information Officer in the Office of Public Affairs, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
Nathan completed an internship at the Foreign Service Institute in 2003. Prior to joining the
U.S. Department of State, he successfully completed an M.A. in Diplomacy and International
Relations and an M.A. in Asian Studies in August of 2004. Nathan completed his undergraduate work
at Louisiana College in 2002 receiving a B.S. in Business Administration. Between his undergraduate
and graduate studies, he spent a year and a half teaching English in Xinjiang, China. His other travels
include Europe, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Jamaica, and Panama. Nathan also volunteers in the State
Department’s Tutoring Program with Miner Elementary School. He looks forward to a long and fruitful
career with the U.S. Department of State.
Sarah Bloxham, M.A. 2004
Managing Editor, Journal of Democracy
 In
her two years at the Whitehead School, Sarah
served as Senior Editor for Promotion and
then Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Whitehead
Journal, the School of Diplomacy’s graduate
student-run publication. The teamwork,
editorial, and organizational skills she
learned through those experiences have
proved to be invaluable in her current
professional position with the Journal of
Democracy. Sarah’s internship experience
also served her well. As an intern with the
U.S. Department of State, Sarah wrote
articles on African issues for the
Washington Wire. That experience introduced
her to the foreign policy community in
Washington, D.C. and gave her the
opportunity to make connections in
government, think tanks, and activist
organizations. Sarah notes that “The
education I received at the Whitehead School
gave me an awareness of what was happening
in the many corners of the globe. It's an
education I can draw on when dealing with
the variety of topics and regions covered in
my daily work at the Journal of Democracy.”
John Jones, M.A./M.A. – Diplomacy & Corporate and Public Communications
2004
U.S. Congress
John Jones is a Senior Legislative Assistant specializing in foreign affairs, trade, defense, and homeland security in the Office of U.S. Congressman Al Green. Additionally, Jones provides support to the Congressman on the Committee on Homeland Security which includes the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism and the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology. Prior to his current position, Jones completed a tour in Europe working for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as a Research Fellow and Speechwriter for the President of the Parliamentary Assembly. Reflecting on his professional experiences in Diplomacy thus far Jones notes,
“I witnessed the uproar (while living in Denmark) of the Muhammad Cartoon crisis that shook E.U.-Islamic relations, participated in discussions surrounding the energy crisis that almost froze Ukraine and Georgia in the Winter of 2006, and helped mediate a diplomatic dispute surrounding the placement of an autonomous, yet soon to be independent, state's flag at an international conference. Currently, as a senior staffer working in Congress I have the incredible opportunity to help formulate U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East…Diplomacy is a mix of action, the unexpected, and (at times) the minute. The only way to fully comprehend it is to throw yourself in the middle of it.”
Yasin Samatar, M.A. 2004
2005 United Nations Secretariat NCRE Candidate
Yasin Samatar is not an easy person to pin down. The 2004 Whitehead alumnus has traveled and worked in Kenya, Uganda,
Pakistan, Europe, the U.A.E., Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. While studying for his Master's in International Relations at
the Whitehead School, Yasin specialized in international organizations, global negotiation and conflict management. He
interned at UNESCO, the International Crisis Group, and the UN's Office of the High Representative for the Least
Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States. Upon graduation, Yasin joined
the Institute for International Humanitarian Affairs and later the International Organization for Migration where he
worked as a consultant to the IOM's Office of the Permanent Observer to the UN. Yasin spent 8 months on an IOM
assignment in Afghanistan as an Associate Programme Officer. "I witnessed first hand how the UN system works on the
ground," Yasin noted, "and had the opportunity to contribute to the alleviation of poverty through community
stabilization initiatives." After returning to the states last spring, Yasin passed both the written and oral
assessments of the highly-competitive United Nation's National Recruitment Examination (NCRE), the only route to
career-bound, permanent appointments to the United Nations Secretariat. Yasin is currently working
with the UN's Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Pim Savetmalanond, M.A./M.P.A. 2004
The Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo
 When selecting a graduate school, Pim Savetmalanond strongly felt that the Whitehead School of Diplomacy would be a good fit due to her keen interest in international relations and the School’s solid relationships with a variety of international organizations. She firmly believes that Seton Hall and the Whitehead School’s optimal learning environment prepared her well for her current position with the development department of The Wildlife Conservation Society, headquartered at the Bronx Zoo. A founding member and former president of the Whitehead Alumni Association, she thrives in her new and interesting work environment where the standing mission is to save wildlife and wild lands through science, education and international conservation projects. While pursuing her graduate studies, Ms. Savetmalanond played a key role in bringing guest speakers to campus, while creating networking opportunities for Whitehead alumni and students. She encourages current students to
“Take advantage of all the opportunities you can; don’t hesitate and don’t wait.”
Meredith Stacy Salvaggio, B.S. 2004
Assistant Corporation Counsel, Family Court Division, New York City Law
Department, Office of the Corporation Counsel
 During
the summer and fall of 2003 Meredith interned at the International Institute of
New Jersey in the Immigration Law Center. “My internship,”
she said, “was such a great experience that it convinced me that I wanted to
be a lawyer.” So, after graduating from Seton Hall in 2004, Meredith
attended three years of law school at Pace University School of Law. During law
school she interned at the Pace Women’s Justice Center where she co-authored a
law review article entitled, “Modern Day Slavery in Our Own Backyard,” which was
published in the William & Mary Journal of Women & The Law in 2006. The article
dealt with human trafficking and legislative responses at the international,
federal, and state levels. Also during law school Meredith interned in the
Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, in the Special Prosecutions
Division, which prosecuted cases of domestic violence and child abuse. After
graduating from law school Meredith was admitted to both the New Jersey and New
York state bars. In her current position at the NYC Law Department, Meredith
works as an Assistant Corporation Counsel (ACC) in the Family Court Division
(Queens Borough Office). “In Family Court,” she says, “I prosecute
juvenile delinquents (children 15 years old and younger) for crimes they commit
in Queens County on behalf of the City of New York. The Law Department has a
policy of vertical prosecution which means that I handle my cases from start to
finish; from arraignment, to trial, to disposition (sentencing). As a first-year
ACC, I handle a range of both misdemeanor and felony cases including graffiti,
assault, and prostitution. In my capacity as an ACC, I am also a member of the
New York City Human Trafficking Task Force.”
Angela V. Torbus, B.S./M.A. 2002
International Relocation Manager, The MIGroup
 Looking
back, Angela attributes the development of her
current leadership, organizational and negotiation
skills to time well spent with student organizations
such as the Undergraduate Diplomacy Student
Association (UDSA) and Seton Hall’s United Nations
Association (SHUNA). Today, in her daily dealings
with international corporations, and organizations
such as the U.N., she continues to draw upon these
skills to navigate the intricacies of a job where no
two days are alike. She is thankful for having taken
advantage of several study abroad experiences
through the School, which she feels have provided
her with a cultural understanding of the variety of
peoples around the world and a basic comprehension
of the nuances in working with them. This is
especially helpful in her current post as a
Relocation Manager where speaking to someone in
Uruguay one minute, Poland the next, and Australia
immediately afterwards is a typical day.
Upon graduation, Angela converted her internship
experience with the Federal Reserve Bank of NY into
a multi-year employment opportunity before
continuing on to Project Coordinator positions with
Montclair State University, NJPAC and Quest
Diagnostics.
Currently, Angela is continuing her education by
pursuing a Project Management Certification through
Boston University. She continues to be involved with
the Whitehead School through her role as an Events
Chair of the Alumni Association.
Tonya Ugoretz, MA 2001
Federal Bureau of Investigation
"Every day I feel I have the chance to make a real impact."
Tonya Ugoretz joined the F.B.I. in 2001 as a two-year Presidential Management Fellow. She received commendations from former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and F.B.I. director Robert Mueller. During her fellowship, she was the first non-agent to serve as Mueller’s daily intelligence briefer, a job that required her to spend the overnight hours analyzing everything the F.B.I. had done in the previous 24 hours. She now teaches at the Center for Intelligence Training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Born and raised in Burlington, N.J., Ms. Ugoretz received her undergraduate degree from Ursinus College in Philadelphia.
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