91自拍

Congratulations to the as selected by the Erie Reader, including members of the 91自拍 University family.  

Erie's 40 Under 40 recognizes individuals who are involved and invested in the community and celebrates “Erie’s young talent, as well as a reminder that emerging leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs are continually living and thriving in Erie,” according to the publication's website.  

Those recognized are faculty, students and alumni of the university highlighted below: 

Faculty and Staff: 

Tori Williams, 28, is the assistant director of Campus Engagement and Activities where she plans and facilitates events and programming schedules, manages more than 80 student programs, activities or developmental retreats and is the point-of-contact for more than 100 student clubs and organizations. Williams also runs the Student Development Theory Cohort, leads three international travel trips with 91自拍 students and is instrumental in making 91自拍 a safe place for all by training more than 120 employees in 91自拍’s Safe Zone Project.  

Alexandria Iwanenko, 29, is an adjunct lecturer in the paralegal program at 91自拍. She is also the daughter of university President Walter Iwanenko, Ph.D. Alexandria is an associate attorney working in immigration law with Amicangelo & Theisen, where she applies interest from her childhood to helping those in need. Alexandria is the granddaughter of immigrants from Italy, Poland, Ukraine and Vietnam, so her childhood was immersed in traditions from all over the world.  

Alexandria serves in several positions across multiple organizations, including as a board member for the Multicultural Health Evaluation and Delivery Systems (MHEDS), as well as a board member and holds leadership positions for the Northwestern Legal Services and the Academy for Human Rights.  

Student: 

Haieda Sharifi, 22, is a Villa Maria School of Nursing student. Sharifi plans to receive dual degrees in business administration and nursing with future hopes of attending medical school. Sharifi dedicated her time to help more than 500 fellow Afghans start new lives in the area. She became an interpreter at the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants because she was one of the first Afghan women there who spoke English. She quickly became a full-time case worker, helping dozens of families who have been allies to the U.S. military in Afghanistan as they prepared legal applications for asylum in the U.S. She is now a case manager for the federally funded program Services for Afghan Survivors Impacted by Combat, which supports families with services like enrolling children in school, coordinating house and employment, signing people up for driving lessons and more.  

Alumni: 

Jonathan Atkinson, 36, has dedicated his career to serving minority veterans in the community. Atkinson served from 2020-23 as the minority veterans program coordinator for the Erie VA Medical Center. Atkinson also is serving his second and final term as a member of the Erie County Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission in the role of vice chairman and chairman of Grants Review Committee.  

Ryan Dawley, 39, launched Spotlight 814, a podcast and website devoted to local theater that is not strictly confined to Erie’s city limits where he delivers in-depth coverage and reviews of local productions. Dawley is a musical theater veteran, landing roles at the Erie Playhouse, PACA, Meadville’s Academy Theatre and the Franklin’s Barrow-Civic Theatre. He is also the co-host of the local podcast Idiotville. 

However, that is just some of what Dawley does in his spare time. His day job is the audio supervisor of “Chronicles” for WQLN/PBS/NPR where he oversees the sound of the acclaimed original program, which took home a Great Lakes Emmy Award in June. 

Jordan Fuller, 28, is the director of entrepreneurship for the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership where he focuses on creating spaces that make it easier to invest in and grow businesses. Fuller continues to conduct research, mentor business owners, lead a collaborative leadership committee and organize new events.  

Jacob Jones, 30, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and earned his master’s degree in public administration in 2021. 

Jones spent time in sales and marketing before working as a business consultant with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). From 2022-24, Jones served as the executive director of Erie’s Community Access Media. As of July, he began a new position as the director of the Center for Family Business at Penn State Behrend. 

Seth Trott, 31, is an attorney at Quinn Law Firm. Trott uses his talents to shine a light on the needed justice for others. He has assisted more than 20 transgender individuals by developing, “Hello My Name Is: A Legal Name Change Clinic” and co-hosted the SafeNet fundraiser, an event that supports survivors of domestic violence, this past year. He was also named “Ally of the Year” by Compton’s Table for 2024 and completed the Jefferson Educational Society's Raimy Fellowship program in 2019. He was the editor-in-chief of the Dickinson Law Review while in law school at Penn State in 2023.  

To read the original feature, Erie's 40 Under 40: Class of 2024, in the Erie Reader, please click .  

Photos courtesy of Jessica Hunter Photography