Career paths rarely follow a straight line, and four Mother McAuley High School graduates shared their professional journeys, challenges and unexpected opportunities during a panel discussion designed to help fellow alumnae consider what comes next.
The event, “What’s Next? Navigating Career Changes: Panel and Networking,” was hosted by Mother McAuley’s Young Professionals Board on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at Mother McAuley High School, 3737 W. 99th St. in Chicago. The program brought together alumnae from different generations and industries to discuss career transitions, professional growth and the importance of building relationships throughout their careers.
Mary Larkin Cunningham, a 2008 McAuley graduate and the school’s director of development and alumnae relations, said the program was inspired by the Young Professionals Board members, who wanted their first initiative as a working board to focus on creating a network of women supporting women.
“Career paths don’t always follow a straight line, and we wanted to create an opportunity for alumnae to learn from one another, share experiences, and build meaningful connections that extend well beyond the classroom,” Cunningham said.
The discussion featured four McAuley graduates who brought distinct perspectives to the conversation: Olivia Homel, class of 2018; Morgan Ingersoll Winters, class of 2003; Renita D. Young, class of 2003; and Ann Marie Levy Peters, class of 1985.
Homel, a senior cloud solution architect at Microsoft, specializes in artificial intelligence-driven customer transformation, agent solutions and field enablement. With a background in technology and marketing, she helps customers and teams connect innovative solutions with business goals. She is also a founding member of the Young Professionals Board.
Drawing on her own experiences, Homel emphasized the importance of building relationships within the McAuley community when navigating professional changes.
“I used networking skills to network with McAuley alums,” Homel said.
She encouraged those facing career transitions to remain encouraged and continue making connections, emphasizing the value of reaching out to others and using professional networks to discover new opportunities.
Winters offered another perspective, describing a career that moved from advertising sales into nursing before she became an entrepreneur.
After graduating from McAuley, Winters attended DePaul University as a volleyball student-athlete and earned a degree in business management. She began her career in advertising sales at Viacom, working with Nickelodeon, before returning to Rush University to earn her nursing degrees.
After nine years in nursing, Winters made another career change in 2021 when she co-founded Lemolade, a custom apparel and lifestyle brand, with her friend and business partner, Nikki Harrington.
Reflecting on how personal circumstances can influence professional decisions, Winters said, “Your career is constantly evolving as your family changes.”
Winters’ experience illustrated how career paths can shift as priorities and responsibilities change, with opportunities to pursue new interests at different stages of life.
Young also built a career around communication, beginning with an interest in writing that developed during her senior year at McAuley. An award-winning journalist, she spent more than a decade covering business and personal finance for organizations including Reuters, Bloomberg TV and Radio, and Schwab Network. She later worked as an anchor and reporter at WBBM Newsradio in Chicago before beginning her role as chief communications officer of the Illinois Supreme Court.
Young also founded The Vocale Group and served as an adjunct professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
Her advice to women seeking career growth was direct: “Advocate for opportunities.”
Her message encouraged professionals to speak up for themselves, pursue new challenges and take an active role in shaping their careers.
Peters brought decades of leadership and professional development experience to the discussion. A 1985 McAuley graduate, she is CEO of AMP Consulting, where she helps leaders and organizations strengthen leadership, strategy and professional development.
Her career spanned corporate, nonprofit and academic settings, including senior leadership positions, co-founding a career development firm and leading strategic partnerships that secured more than $56 million in funding for education and workforce development initiatives. Peters holds a doctorate in industrial and organizational psychology from Grand Canyon University, an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from the University of Chicago. She is also the author of “We’ll Be Right Back,” released in September.
Peters emphasized the importance of being prepared when new professional opportunities arise.
“Always remember to keep your resume updated,” Peters said.
Her advice underscored the value of maintaining professional materials and being ready to pursue opportunities when they become available.
The panelists were selected for their professional experiences and willingness to share their stories with the McAuley community. Their journeys illustrated the many ways careers can evolve, whether through a change in industry, a new leadership opportunity or the decision to pursue entrepreneurship.
The evening began with networking at 6:30 p.m., followed by the panel discussion at 7 p.m. Attendees then had additional opportunities to connect with fellow alumnae and receive complimentary professional headshots.
Conversation starters encouraged participants to reflect on career risks, unexpected experiences, professional skills they hoped to develop and the best career advice they had received. Attendees also were invited to consider how they could support and connect with other McAuley alumnae.
The program was part of a broader effort to strengthen the school’s lifelong network of graduates. Launched in August 2026, the Young Professionals group was established to foster networking, mentorship, leadership and philanthropy among recent alumnae while strengthening connections across the McAuley community.
The board’s founding members were Michaela Foreman, class of 2016; Olivia Homel, class of 2018; Regina Engel Mergenthaler, class of 2012; Jessica Pedroza, class of 2015; Nell Vandeveld, class of 2014; and Rachel Zuppa, class of 2015.
Through professional development and service opportunities, the group sought to build on McAuley’s “Lifetime Advantage,” the idea that a McAuley education continues to open doors, foster relationships and shape graduates long after graduation.
Cunningham said organizers hoped attendees would leave feeling inspired, encouraged and more connected to the McAuley community.
Whether alumnae were just beginning their careers, considering a professional change or reflecting on years of experience, the event emphasized the value of learning from one another and maintaining relationships throughout every stage of professional life.
The program reinforced the idea that the McAuley sisterhood extends beyond graduation, offering a community where alumnae can continue to share knowledge, encourage one another and help the next generation of graduates find their way.