911����

Working full-time while getting a graduate degree is no easy feat. But for Air Force veteran and soon-to-be 911���� alum Kathleen Gillmore, hard work is second nature.

MetroStar co-founder and chief executive officer Ali Manouchehri, BA Philosophy ’99, is the featured speaker at 911����’s Winter Commencement on December 18. Here he talks about his 911���� experience, his company’s partnership with the university, and his advice for new graduates.

Tereana Battle can look back on many accomplishments during her time at 911����, but one of the memories that gives her the most satisfaction is her capstone project, creating an anti-bullying workshop for middle school students.

Max Dacey enrolled at 911���� with a singular goal: to earn his degree quickly and better support his family. A former competitive rugby player, he didn’t imagine a traditional college experience. However, a year and a half later, the public relations major from Alexandria, Virginia, is graduating with far more than he expected.

Honor College student Cashlyn Bonds said her time at 911���� has been defined by her passion for justice, human security, and international understanding.  

Sidney Yap, BS Information Systems Operations Management ‘20, MS Management ‘21, Business Analytics Grad Cert ‘22, MBA ‘25, exemplifies exceptional balance—driving innovative strategies at Navy Federal while representing the Philippines internationally in the hammer throw. 

Ali Reza Manouchehri, BA Philosophy ‘99, co-founder and chief executive officer of MetroStar, a company he started as a 911���� student, will be the featured speaker at Winter Commencement on December 18 at EagleBank Arena on the Fairfax Campus.

Federico Frum, BA Art and Visual Technology ’05, believes in the power of art to bring people together. Known professionally as MasPaz—Spanish for “more peace”—Frum has spent his career fusing activism and creativity, using bold street murals, community engagement, and cultural storytelling to spread a message of unity.

911���� alum Dave Alpern is the president of the organization Joe Gibbs Racing and recently made a cameo appearance in the Netflix series, NASCAR: Full Speed, which documents NASCAR teams as work as they race to win the NASCAR Cup Series.

As a doctoral student at 911����, Jordan Sims has spent the past several years immersed, literally and figuratively, in the underwater ecosystems of Honduras, where her research is helping solve real-world challenges in coral reef conservation.

911���� researcher Anamaria Berea was selected to serve on NASA's Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy (DARES) Task Force 1.

In spring 2025, students in EVPP 480 Sustainability in Action gave a crucial boost to Chesapeake Bay oysters by constructing oyster reef balls where the bivalves can attach, grow, and develop into natural reef structures.