This past Tuesday morning, I had the great opportunity of attending Speak to Inspire. Our speakers were Suzi Brown ‘81, Carrie Nocella ‘95, and Susan Santana. They shared with us a plethora of knowledge and wisdom they have learned throughout the years. Let’s take a look at some of the amazing words and advice they shared with the Royals!
Starting off strong, Ms. Nocella is a Rosary alumna and a Chapman graduate. She is currently the Director of Foreign Affairs for Disney. She shared a few words about how Rosary had prepared her for her career, saying, “Rosary really set me up for success. I don’t think I would have the confidence to even go to law school if I hadn’t had my foundation at Rosary.”
She also joked about how all roads lead back to Rosary and Servite. She described her several encounters with coworkers and how she learned they went to the same school as her.
Our next speaker was Susan Santana. Ms. Santana is VP of Human Resources for Disney. She said that what drew her to Disney was that she always knew she wanted to help people. Ms. Santana also shared with us that she helped facilitate the opening of Disneyland in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Her advice was simply, “Ask for help, it takes a village.” From mother to businesswoman Ms. Santana is a great inspiration for us all and a great reminder that it is always ok to ask for help in order to accomplish your goals!
The presentation ended with Ms. Brown, who is also an alumna and currently works as Disney’s VP of Communications. Additionally, she works as a part-time professor at Cal State Fullerton. Ms. Brown is the lead of a team that manages approximately 35,000 cast members and is someone who works tirelessly to maintain Disney’s magic.
Ms. Brown left us with beautiful advice: “If I were to tell my teenage self anything, it would be that it is going to be ok and you’re fine the way you are. You must love yourself to have meaningful relationships.” Saying this with tears in her eyes, Ms. Brown moved the room. Especially as a teenage girl myself, I understood what she meant. In this world, it is crucial that we continue to uplift one another!
If this article inspires you, make sure to come to the Speak to Inspire on October 8 where we’ll hear from alumna Aileen Estrada ‘00, Brooke Miller ‘03 and Allison Lutfi ‘12 about their experience working in the medical field!
