The amazing alumni I met at this year's 18 Of The Last 9 luncheon
CEC Student Associate Lauren Devney shares her experience attending the 18 of the Last 9 Luncheon.
The amazing alumni I met at this year's 18 Of The Last 9 luncheon
I recently had the opportunity to attend the 18 of the Last 9 Luncheon to gain valuable insight from alumni who have graduated within the last nine years. 18 of the Last 9 is an award based on the “30 under 30” model and brings together alumni who have excelled in their career and have strong ties to Miami University.
Nora Winnestaffer was among the cohort of the 18 of the Last 9 award for the 2023-2024 year. She graduated in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in software engineering and was heavily involved with the Lockheed Martin Leadership Institute (now the Lilly Leadership Institute) as well as Kode2Learn, an organization dedicated to teaching elementary school students how to code, and the Theta Tau Professional Engineering Fraternity.
Following graduation, Nora started her career at Eli Lilly and Company where she led projects focusing on the implementation of technologies within the digital biomarkers, decentralized clinical trials, and product development spaces. She also had the opportunity to lead a team in Japan focusing on implementing digital capabilities and services to support medicines development in Japan.
As a senior preparing for graduation and entering the workforce, I was excited to be able to talk to Nora about her experiences and learn from her. It was great to be in such a low stress environment with people excited to talk about their lives. Hearing Nora’s story about moving to Japan was fascinating and made me realize relocating for a job does not need to be a scary concept, but instead an opportunity to broaden your horizons and engage with different cultures.
I also had the amazing chance to meet Aharon Brown, who graduated in 2017 and is now the youngest person to become Mayor in Forest Park, Ohio. Along with Nora, we shared a conversation about the similarities between the political field and the engineering field. Although the fields are very different on paper, Nora and Aharon had plenty of similar experiences within their respective careers.
Having these conversations with the 18 of the last 9 has made me feel more optimistic about my future in a time with so much uncertainty. I loved being in a room with passionate and career-driven people. I had also learned that Nora had met Taylor Swift, which means that I am only one person removed from Taylor Swift, and that was the cherry on top of the event. Overall the luncheon was a very positive experience and I enjoyed my time.
