Alumni and Friends Making an Impact

For Catherine Cappetto ’08, her love for UD merits much more than a visit back to campus for Reunion Weekend every five years. Despite her busy schedule as a clinical pharmacist at Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital, she devotes time in volunteer roles for UD.

“My enthusiasm for UD has only grown stronger since leaving,” she said — and her volunteer portfolio backs up her claim. She mentors and teaches high school, undergraduate, and pharmacy students and residents in addition to one to two UD students per year through Flyer Connection, showing them how to network and providing valuable career advice. She has also participated in the Flyer Champion program since its inception three years ago.

As a Flyer Champion, Cappetto provides personalized outreach to admitted students during the spring, answering any questions they have about UD and giving them a first-hand account of the UD experience. The goal of the program is not to convince students to come to UD; it is to help them decide whether UD is the right choice for them.

“Oftentimes I’ll speak to students and their parents on a three-way phone call. I feel like it’s a great approach because I'm able to relate to both the students and parents. I still feel like I'm a semi-recent graduate who has the student's interests in mind. But I also can understand the perspective of the parent when helping to determine the best overall university fit that provides the complete educational and real-world experience for their son or daughter,” she said.

Through the program, she is able to provide prospective students and their families with reassurances about life as a Flyer student. “I’ve found that they have specific questions or aspects about UD that they want validated, and once I provide that confirmation, it locks in their interest,” she said. “I think it’s really beneficial for them to hear from someone who has had the UD experience.”

Cappetto and her former UD classmates adored their UD experiences so much, they are already preparing for their 15-year reunion festivities to commence in June 2023. “People literally plan their life events around Reunion Weekend — marriages, family planning and more. It’s pretty crazy,” she said with a laugh.

“I love UD — and I’m not alone,” she said. “When you talk to a UD alum, you can always hear the excitement in their voice when they recall their UD memories and express how much they loved their experience. With other colleges and universities, you don’t necessarily hear that all the time. With UD you get the full experience of community along with that perfect fit.”

The Flyer Champion program is always looking for alumni volunteers who love UD to reach more admitted students and relay the true value of a life on UD’s campus — a life that will call you back and keep you engaged, whether it be every five years or much more, as in Cappetto’s case.