AlumniNews

Michelle Giterman ’14 (finance) grew up in a Deaf immigrant family that owns Crepe Crazy, a restaurant in Austin, Texas, where Giterman is the general manager. With a strong family background in entrepreneurship, Giterman was always fascinated by how the business world works. Eventually, she attended RIT/NTID to major in finance with an emphasis in communication. She says her time at RIT/NTID and her involvement in the entrepreneurship programs led her to a successful career in finance.

Isabel Laínez ’17 (design and imaging technology) is a designer and illustrator who works with clients to develop a variety of projects, creating visual and brand identities such as logos and motion graphics. As she developed her interest in graphic design, Laínez enrolled in the design and imaging technology program at RIT/NTID, where she gained computer-based graphics skills for a career in the visual communications field. 

Alexander Van Hook has been named to the board of the Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf’s Alumni Association. A staff attorney at the National Association of the Deaf, and admitted to the District of Columbia Bar, he self-identifies as a person with cross-disabilities (deaf wheelchair user).

Kayley Judd, an RIT/NTID student majoring in mechanical engineering technology, led the Deaf in STEM Conference last month, inviting deaf and hard-of-hearing alumni and professionals to the RIT campus to present on various STEM topics. This student-led conference was a tremendous success, drawing more than 100 attendees, including students, faculty, staff, volunteers, and walk-ins.