alumni events & news One of the greatest strengths of the Aquinas community is that the connections formed here do not end at graduation. Across generations, Aquinas alumni continue to give back, sharing their time, talents, and experiences to help prepare today’s students for success. Whether returning to Aquinas to speak in a classroom, sharing career experiences through Career Connect, or helping students prepare through Sophomore Mock Interviews, alumni play a vital role in shaping the next generation of AQ graduates. This year, we welcomed two alumni, Katie (Morgan) Barbone ’99, P’30 & ’31 and Jermaine Roberson ’99, to help prepare sophomores for the annual Mock Interviews. Their involvement built upon the strong foundation established by Jennie (Camelio) Dede ’96, who for several years returned to campus from her role as Head of Sales, Search and Staffing, North America at LinkedIn, to lead interview preparation workshops for sophomore English classes. Although Jennie was unable to travel from Chicago this year, her presentation served as the blueprint for the program, with Barbone and Roberson adapting it to share their own professional experiences and interview expertise. As students, Barbone and Roberson were actively involved in school life. Barbone participated in cheerleading, softball, and student government, while Roberson was a member of the basketball and football teams and St. Monica’s Club. Today, both have built successful careers rooted in lessons first learned at Aquinas. Barbone attended the University at Buffalo, where she earned her Doctorate of Pharmacy. She spent a decade as a pharmacy manager with Wegmans before advancing into leadership roles. Today, she serves as Director of the Digital Store, overseeing digital sales growth, partner relationships, and the company’s customer care center. Roberson attended Daemen College before transferring to SUNY Brockport, where he earned a degree in Business Administration. He joined Kohl’s in 2004 as an Area Supervisor and worked his way through leadership positions across Rochester stores. In 2014, he was promoted to Store Manager, a role he continues to hold today. Participating in the Sophomore Mock Interviews was an opportunity to pay forward the support they once received. “This was a great opportunity to provide relatable experience to students looking to apply for future jobs,” said Barbone. “Aquinas does such a great job preparing students for the future, and I was excited to be a part of that experience and provide students with some advice and confidence in their abilities.” 16 AQUINAS LANDMARK | WINTER 2026 The Power of the AQ Network Katie (Morgan) Barbone ’99, P’30 & ‘31 and Jermaine Roberson ’99 Jennie (Camelio) Dede ’96
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