As we start another school year, it is also the time of year when some of our recent alumni are launching into the workforce, pursuing dreams and continuing their education. It has been four years since the Class of 2022 graduated from Montini, and we reached out to a few members of the class to find out what they have been up to, where their lives are headed and how Montini helped lay a foundation for lives of purpose.

For Mia Paolella ’22, that sense of purpose has led her to the law. After graduating from Montini, she attended Marquette University, where she earned a degree in Psychology with a minor in Law and Society. “I have a strong passion for public service and advocacy, and I hope to use my career to be a voice for those who may not always have one,” she says. This fall, she began her journey toward that goal as a law student at the University of Illinois Chicago. Mia credits Montini with giving her a strong educational foundation while also teaching her the importance of being engaged in her community. She is grateful for her entire Montini experience, but when she looks back, it is the sense of community she remembers most. “Montini truly feels like a family, and the close-knit environment made my experience so meaningful. I was able to form genuine relationships with all the faculty while also building friendships that I know will last a lifetime. Some of my closest friends today are people I met at Montini, and I am so grateful for the memories we created together.”

That sense of community didn’t stay behind when Ryan Hubeny ’22 left Montini for the University of Southern California. “The term “Montini family” is often used to describe the school’s culture, and I couldn’t agree more.” he says. At USC, Ryan put that same spirit of community into action, helping lead an effort to bring the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity back to campus after it had been inactive for nearly a decade. After graduating cum laude from USC’s Marshall School of Business, Ryan took another leap—this time across the Atlantic—to begin his career in casualty and business risk insurance with Price Forbes, a global insurance brokerage firm, in London. He is embracing the opportunity to build a career in a completely new environment. “I’m most looking forward to the people I’ll meet and the experiences I’ll have along the way. Starting my career in London puts me in a new environment surrounded by people from all over the world, and I’m excited to learn from them, build relationships, and see where this next chapter takes me.”

While Mia and Ryan had a sense of where they wanted their education to lead them, Charlie Nielsen ’22 and Megan Canty ’22 used their college years to discover what that path might look like. Both headed off to college with the goal of finding not simply a job, but work they could be passionate about.

For Charlie, that meant engineering and the challenge of solving problems that can have a direct impact on people’s lives, “I chose my degree carefully because I know engineers are often faced with moral dilemmas, and I believe that I can help society with my career.” After graduating from Montini, he attended Iowa State University to pursue a degree in Environmental Engineering. He is currently taking two semesters away from school so he can work and pay for his education out of pocket, avoiding student loans. He is working as an Environmental & Safety Intern with Granite Construction, gaining hands-on experience at major construction projects including the BNSF Railyard in Cicero and the Lake Street bridge project in downtown Chicago. Charlie credits his Montini teachers with preparing him for a challenging major. “Mrs. McManus was my math teacher for three years while I attended, and she did a fantastic job of not only equipping me with the tools necessary for my degree in Environmental Engineering, but she also sparked a lifelong appreciation of math and the pursuit of knowledge.” He plans to return to Iowa State in Fall 2027 and ultimately pursue a Professional Engineering License.

Megan Canty ’22 also arrived at college knowing she wanted to find a career she could be passionate about, but she didn’t yet know what that career would be. During her freshman year at Indiana University, she discovered interior design and found the combination of creativity, technology and problem-solving she had been looking for. She proactively pursued internships throughout college, where her willingness to learn, contribute to a team and continually improve helped open the door to her current role as a Junior Designer with Amy Storm and Company. Today, Megan uses CAD, Adobe and other design programs to create the visuals needed to bring new home designs to life. She credits Digital Design at Montini with giving her the confidence to take on something new and reminding her that she could learn whatever came next. Her experience in Speech class has also proven valuable as she has begun her career, helping her present her work clearly to clients. With feedback from mentors, she has continued to grow—not only in her design skills, but in her ability to communicate and advocate for her ideas.

Of all the things Megan took with her from Montini, however, perhaps the most important is something that extends well beyond her career. “Montini did a really great job of teaching us to treat all with love and kindness,” she says. “Montini taught me how to live a faith-driven life—which was nice in a public school environment and now out in the world to know how to keep Christ at the center.”

Four years after graduation, these four Broncos are taking very different paths. Mia is beginning law school with a passion for advocacy. Ryan is building a career on the other side of the world. Charlie is preparing for a career in engineering, and Megan is turning her creativity into a career in design. Their destinations may be different, but each is carrying something forward from Montini: a sense of community, a commitment to others, the confidence to keep learning and a foundation rooted in faith.  These are just a few stories of our youngest alumni as they begin building their lives and careers, and we wish them all the best as they take their next steps. We hope fellow Broncos will continue to cheer them on, support their work and, whenever their paths cross, remind them that they will always have a community at Montini.

Montini Catholic is a Lasallian college preparatory high school located in Lombard, Illinois - DuPage County.