Alumni Spotlights


Shellene (Henkelmann) Rodriguez
Class Year: ’91
Majors: Chemistry
Current Hometown: Arlington Heights, Illinois
Job:
Director of Quality at Regis Technologies, Inc.
“Get involved in as much as you can, and learn as much as you can in as many areas of study as possible. Even if it’s not in your major of study, you will be amazed at the skills you can gain that will help you in your future career.”

Yana Astter
Class Year: 2021
Majors: Chemistry and Biology
Current Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Job:
Medical Student at the University of Michigan Medical Scientist Training Program
“Carthage gave me a strong education, incredible research opportunities, and a strong, supportive network that made me a competitive applicant for post-baccalaureate fellowships and medical school.”

Robert Barkhau
Class Year: ’83
Majors: Chemistry
Current Hometown: Aiken, South Carolina
Job:
Senior Engineering Manager (retired) at Kimberly-Clark Corporation
“My biggest piece of advice is to embrace the learning opportunities presented at Carthage and continue to apply them throughout your career.”

Ayo Nelson Fury
Class Year: ’22
Majors: Chemistry
Current Hometown: Copenhagen, Denmark
Job:
Graduate Student at the Technical University of Denmark
“Never be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and major in something totally unexpected. In high school, I struggled with chemistry. However, at Carthage, I loved it. If I didn’t major in chemistry, I don’t think I would have experienced so many amazing opportunities.”

Brandon Helms
Class Year: ’04
Majors: Chemistry
Current Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
Job:
Partner at AddyHart P.C.
“My chemistry major was instrumental in me becoming a patent litigator and being able to understand various forms of technology, from pharmaceuticals to semiconductors to software.”

Dr. David Kreutz
Class Year: ’88, M.Ed. ’95, Ed.D ’19
Majors: Biology and chemistry
Current Hometown: Libertyville, Ill.
Job:
Anatomy/Physiology Teacher at Libertyville High School
“All of these people gave me hands-on experience that molded my path as an educator.”

Michael Regotti
Class Year: ’19
Majors: Chemistry and Physics
Current Hometown: Lockport, Illinois
Job:
Graduate Student at the University of Oregon
“The small class sizes and general education requirements really helped prepare my lab skills, learning skills, and, most importantly, my writing skills.”

Alyssa Wall
Class Year: ’16
Majors: Chemistry and Japanese
Current Hometown: Kenosha, Wis.
Job:
Chief Chemist at Racine Industries, Inc.
“Take advantage of all the opportunities at Carthage in addition to earning your degree(s) because once you graduate, it’s not as easy to try new things! Most of my favorite Carthage memories and experiences come from the times I dared to go outside of my comfort zone.”