Career Fair 2022

In 2011, Eileen opened up her first business, Cubancube food truck. The food truck was an instant success on the streets and at large scale catering events. Eileen opened Finka Table & Tap in July of 2014. Her focus on Cuban, Peruvian and Korean cuisines draws thousands of people a week through the rustic doors of Finka. In November of 2017, Eileen decided it was time to push the boundaries again and opened a cozy Cuban Diner, Amelia’s 1931, across the street from her parent’s restaurant, Islas Canarias Restaurant. In late 2021, the chef extended past the suburbs of West Kendall into Downtown Doral with her latest project, Barbakoa by Finka, located at The Doral Yard. Eileen plans to deliver new, innovative concepts in the near future that will continue to bring guests the ambiance and flavor they have grown to love.

Jenny understands the importance of walking alongside each and every patient by facilitating their medications and usage during their individual journey.

Dee designs and implements business operations, establishes policies that promote company culture and vision, and leads the execution of key strategies and initiatives. In addition, she oversees CLS Operations, Business Systems, Analytics, and Loss Mitigation Fulfillment teams. She has been in the mortgage industry for over 18 years, working in commercial and residential originations, as well as the servicing side. Dee received a B.S. in Communication from the University of Miami and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Florida. She also has a Lean Six Sigma green belt, and holds 48 state Mortgage Loan Origination licenses. Dee is married to her best friend, whom she met when she was a student at OLLA (they were both on the debate team and he went to Christopher Columbus High School!), and has two children. Her daughter, Kara, is currently a freshman at OLLA.

Ms. Buedo graduated from the University of Florida in 2017 with a double major in Telecommunications – News and Spanish. Afterwards, Ms. Buedo attended Emory Law School in Atlanta where she graduated with honors and a specialization in transactional law. Her current work focuses on the intersection of business and law, and daily tasks include contract drafting & negotiations, mergers and acquisitions, commercial real-estate transactions, and working with outside counsel to resolve litigation disputes. During her free time, Ms. Buedo enjoys traveling with her husband, playing with her dogs, yoga, and dancing. Ms. Buedo was a part of the Lourdes Dance Team for 4 years and later joined the Dazzlers Dance Team at the University of Florida for 2 years.

With more than 20 years experience as a news anchor, reporter and producer, Beatriz is proud to now dedicate her time to help inform our community of the wonderful work being done at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital so that children in need of special healthcare can receive the best treatments available. While working as a journalist at WSVN and later WFOR, Beatriz covered major news stories including the devastating terrorist attacks on 911, the murder of Giani Versace on South Beach, and numerous hurricanes. She also traveled to Cuba for a series of special reports. While hard work and dedication contributed to her successful career, Beatriz credits one fateful day here at Lourdes Academy for setting the stage to a fulfilling career.

She is currently employed full-time at Encompass Health Miami and works per-diem with children at a private outpatient clinic. Some diagnoses and conditions commonly worked with include stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, orthopedics, joint replacements, amputation, and neuromuscular disorders. Additionally, she has extensive experience with early intervention and has been working with children of various ages and diagnoses since 2017. Some diagnoses include Autism Spectrum Disorder, Xia Gibbs Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, dyspraxia, dyslexia, Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome, ADHD and Neurofibromatosis Type-II. She has a passion for helping individuals reach their fullest potential through meaningful occupations and individualized therapy.

She has served on the Board at Colegio Roosevelt, the American School of Lima for 9 years, 8 of these as Board Chair. She is a part-time Professor at Universidad del Pacifico and the University of Miami. She has been mentoring for a few edtech start-ups and engaged actively in the start-up ecosystem in Peru. Dolores has a passion for teaching and working to reduce the education gap. She is committed to supporting women in entrepreneurship and in providing opportunities for them to gain the skills to become independent and fulfill their dreams. Dolores is a co-founder of CreaCode, an entrepreneurial venture whose mission is to empower students to develop their creativity by learning computational thinking skills and coding.

As a member of the school’s administrative team she works with students, teachers, and families at personalizing student education through creating learning accommodations plans, tailoring schedules to benefit students’ academic needs, and working with students’ teams to maximize their learning and success. Adriana entered the education field after a career in journalism where she worked at The Miami Herald, People Magazine, and PR Newswire. While at Lourdes, she was features editor of The Grotto and editor-in-chief of The Literati. She is an adjunct professor of English at Barry University and lives in Miami’s Upper East Side with her two sons.

She served as a County Court Judge since January 2007 serving as an Associate Administrative Judge for the Domestic Violence Division since 2013. Separate from her work on the bench, she served as the Chair of the Domestic Violence Committee of the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar and served as the Vice Chair from 2009-2013. Upon her elevation to Circuit, Judge del Pino served as the Third DCA Representative from 2018 to 2021 and most recently was elected as Secretary of the Circuit Court Conference of Judges in 2021. Prior to becoming a judge, she served as a Traffic Magistrate and worked in private practice in the area of Family and Criminal Law since 2000. She also worked as an Assistant Public Defender in Monroe County in 1999. Prior to the practice of law, she was a journalist at local television news stations in Miami including WPLG Channel 10, Univision and Telemundo. She received an Associate in Arts from Miami-Dade College, a Bachelor’s in Science from Florida International University and her Juris Doctorate from St. Thomas University.

She aligns insight with creativity and strategy to directly impact the bottom line. While this may sound simple, it requires a very precise recipe consisting of research, talent, and experience focusing on Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations.

In less than a year, Gabriela became a District Sales Manager of the Coral Gables and Brickell area. In September 2014, Gabriela became the Manager of Membership Development and Customer Care at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. She managed two successful membership campaigns and increased retention by developing a retention plan for the Chamber. During her time at the chamber, Gabriela participated in Leadership Miami. She has since become a facilitator helping participants go through the program and is now on the planning committee. In June 2016, Gabriela started as a Business Manager at Pace Center for Girls Miami. She finally found the place where she can use her passion for sales and customer service in a nonprofit. In 2019, Gabriela was promoted to Development Manager for Pace Miami and now focuses completely on fundraising and advocacy for the center.

Hope is the Chief Marketing Officer of Fiesta Restaurant Group, which owns Pollo Tropical. She also sits on the board of the Fiesta Family Foundation. Before joining Fiesta, she held a variety of leadership roles at Restaurant Brands International, including Chief Marketing Officer at Popeyes and Head of Global Innovation & Guest Understanding at Burger King, as well as Head of Marketing Communications for Burger King North America. Prior to that, Hope began her career at Viacom Latin America, where she was the Director of Research & Strategic Planning for MTV, Nickelodeon, and VH1. Being a graduate of OLLA and having earned both her undergraduate degree and her MBA from the University of Miami, Hope is a proud Bobcat, a huge Canes fan, and a Miami girl who is truly passionate about supporting her local community.

Michelle is a partner at Lydecker Diaz’s Miami office, where she serves as coverage counsel for first and third party property claims, bad faith litigation, fire/theft/fraud investigation, and windstorm coverage and defense. Michelle’s practice involves all aspects of pre-suit, appraisal, trial, and appellate litigation. She is also well versed in all aspects of federal arbitration for Multi-Peril Crop Insurance cases. Most importantly, Michelle’s strength lies in client relations and professionalism. She maintains an open line of communication with her clients during all phases of litigation and settlement of a dispute, and works in conjunction with her adjusters to quickly and efficiently resolve claims.

The Latin GRAMMY® Award-winning producer, attorney, and executive is the second woman to hold this specific title at Sony Music. Melissa initially gravitated to music through dance as a child. During undergrad at the University of Miami School of Communication, an internship at Univision turned into nearly ten years at ACME Production Services, where she collaborated in the production of awards shows such as the Latin GRAMMY® Awards and oversaw production management for concert tours across Latin America. At the same time, she completed the law program at University of Miami, earned her Juris Doctor, and passed the bar. In 2011, she joined Sony Music in the role of Manager of Business Development for US Latin. In this role, she procured brand partnerships, endorsements and sponsorships for label talent. In 2019, Sony Music advanced Melissa to Vice President of Business Development, overseeing Brand Partnerships and Premium Content Distribution for the Latin Iberia region. Two years later, she was promoted to the role of Managing Director for Sony Music Central America & the Caribbean. Responsible for the entire region, she oversees business development, A&R, marketing, partnerships, and operations for all Sony Music artists.

During the summers, she interned and shadowed doctors to build up her resume and expand her experience. Ferradaz was recruited to work for Edwards Lifesciences in Salt Lake City, UT. She worked as an engineer developing manufacturing processes for new mitral valve products and working with research and development to launch new products into clinical studies and then commercial use. Edwards Lifesciences is at the forefront of innovation in cardiovascular valve replacements, so this was a great learning experience. After four years, she returned to Miami. Ferradaz has been at Cordis working in research and development of new cardiovascular and endovascular products. In OLLA, Ferradaz was a Lourdes Singer/Jazz Cat and president of the robotics team. She is still very close friends with her fellow classmates and cherishes their constant support.

Senator Flores served as Senate President Pro-Tempore from 2016-2018, while chairing the Healthcare Appropriations and the Banking and Insurance Committee. Highlights of her career in the Florida House include creating the First Generation Scholarship program, which has helped tens of thousands of students reach their goal of being the first in their family to obtain a higher education degree. Senator Flores also championed several issues important to South Florida, including working towards finding affordable options for property insurance, giving firefighters health insurance coverage if they get cancer due to their work, and being the first state to provide dedicated funding to prevent and research childhood cancer.

Within her role, Patricia works to curate museum-quality art collections for the company’s global real estate developments, forge partnerships with the world’s top cultural institutions, build community outreach programs and more. Since her appointment in 2013, Patricia has overseen numerous neighborhood-defining public art installations, which elevated Related’s projects to beloved landmarks while driving the cultural ecosystem of the nearby neighborhoods forward. Patricia also works alongside organizations like the Pérez Art Museum Miami, the National YoungArts Foundation, and others, to develop exhibitions of the collection, establish grants, launch residency programs and more. Patricia’s most recent endeavor is El Espacio 23, an experimental art space located in Miami’s emerging Allapattah neighborhood. Before 2013, she worked ten-plus years in the non-profit sector with internationally recognized artists and institutions to bring numerous contemporary art exhibitions to the South Florida community. Hanna graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in art history.

She is instrumental in maintaining relationships with existing customers and acquiring new accounts. Her main goal is to explain the technical and functional aspects of a product or service to her users. Before becoming a Sales Engineer, Christy held several positions at Florida Power and Light where she successfully managed effective project implementation and delivery to ensure customer satisfaction, developed a new bidding process for construction projects, and managed a reliability budget. Christy earned an Industrial and Systems Engineering degree from the University of Florida graduating in 2004. She is currently married with 3 children.

Then, she went on to pursue dentistry and received her doctorate in Dental Medicine from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. As a third-generation dentist, Dr. Hernandez has held a lifelong passion for the field, first as a receptionist at her father’s practice and now as a fellow doctor. She joined her father’s private practice in 2017 immediately following graduation. Her brother joined the practice in 2021 and altogether they function as a true family practice. They are proud to serve smiles from their family to yours!

Her fundamental belief that facilitating the deal to please customers and clients is at the cornerstone of her real estate business, delivering a customized experience with first-class service. After graduating from Babson as a Summa Cum Laude, Denise went to work in Investment Banking and Fashion Consulting in NYC for 4 years, later returning to Miami to do her MBA at University of Miami with a focus on Brand Management and Marketing. With over 15 years of experience in Miami’s luxury real estate market and a true Miami native, Denise knows Miami intimately and has been able to engage with clients all over the world who have come to call this corner of paradise their home.

She previously worked in the firm’s Investment Strategy Group (ISG) in New York, focusing on strategic and tactical asset allocation, portfolio construction and implementation for the firm’s private clients. Earlier in her career, Laura worked as a Financial Analyst in Goldman Sachs Asset Management and the International Private Bank of Bank of America. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College and was involved in the BC GOLD Leadership Council until 2014. Laura is currently a member of the Council for Women at Boston College (CWBC) and serves on the Women United Executive Committee for United Way of Miami-Dade. She earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 2008.

During her time at OLLA, she participated in the music and drama departments, and she went on to study music and psychology at Florida International University. Since then, she has performed in, as well as choreographed, several musicals, plays, and short films. Most recently, she performed in A Night of Disney Cabaret at the Westchester Cultural Arts Center and took the Adrienne Arsht Center stage as Vanessa in In the Heights. She also currently works as a voice actress and dubbing artist on several projects including the telenovela titled Café Con Aroma de Mujer with Telemundo. Lauren will be reprising the role of Vanessa in In the Heights at the Adrienne Arsht Center this May and has several other projects in the works. She fondly remembers her time at OLLA as the years in which she first began to cultivate her skill in the arts as well as the years where she met the women who are still her closest friends.

and after working at a civil law firm for over a year she followed her heart and began her career as a prosecutor in March 2001. During the last 21 years, she has tried approximately 80 trials to verdict, including 25 homicide cases. In addition to her homicide caseload, she supervises and mentors younger lawyers and interns, handles parole hearings for the office, and interviews applicants for the office. She is involved in various legal organizations, has served as a board member on OLLA’s Alumnae Association, and coached OLLA’s mock trial team. Her work has been recognized by the Chiefs of Police, the League of Prosecutors, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and the Cuban American Bar Association.

She received a Master of Science in nursing from the University of Miami in 2010 and joined the South Miami OB/GYN Associates’ group as an advanced registered nurse practitioner (APRN). Jennifer is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society, the Florida Nurses Association, and AWHONN (The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses). Today, Jennifer is still practicing at South Miami OB/GYN Associates where she has expanded her practice into the area of aesthetics and continues to have the pleasure of taking care of and delivering many of the children of alumni and friends from OLLA. She is a proud graduate of the OLLA Class of 2000. During her time at Lourdes, Jennifer was a member of Lourdes Singers, Jazz Catz, Peer Ministry, Constitution Team, and Key Club.

She earned her medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean on St. Maarten. Dr. Milla then completed a residency in pediatrics at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. She also holds a Master of Public Health from Florida International University’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work in Miami. Her clinical interests include general pediatric primary care, evidence-based medical education and early childhood literacy.

She grew up in the fresh produce industry, and is the daughter of Willy Pardo, founder of the Desbry brand and WP Produce. A second‐generation family business woman, she created Tropical Fruit Box as a direct to consumer and online home delivery extension to her family’s 40‐year business. Growing up in a Cuban American household, her kitchen was always filled with fresh avocados, mangos, yuca and other fruits and roots. Traveling the country, she observed the opportunity for on‐demand access to fresh tropical and exotic fruits that were not easily found locally. Her hope is that the produce she sources can nourish and bring families and friends together as it did hers. A true visionary in the tropical and exotic fresh fruit category, Desiree collaborates with farmers in Florida, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean bringing the freshest, high‐ quality tropical and exotic fruits and roots.

. Dr. Perez-Lima coordinates a program in the primary health care setting of the hospital. Dr. Perez-Lima also maintains a small private practice where she has worked with children and families for over 20 years. She has been a faculty member at the University of Miami where she directed a training clinic for graduate students and taught classes. Dr. Perez-Lima received her Ph.D. from Texas A&M University and her Master’s and Bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami.

Quintana Law also offers representation to local mitigation and remediation companies seeking to recover insurance proceeds from insurance carriers for services provided to protect their clients’ real and personal property. In addition, Quintana Law offers compassionate and zealous advocacy to its clients in the areas of family law and dependency law. Ms. Quintana is also former state of Florida trial attorney for the Department of Children and Families and an acting attorney ad litem who has tried over 15 dependency and termination of parental rights cases.

In her role, Dori helps to lead crisis communications for the health system, including all COVID-19 communications, as well as storm/hurricane communications and issues management. Dori has also held communications positions for Burger King and Popeye’s (leading media relations during the launch of the now-famous chicken sandwich), American Airlines, Macy’s and the Miami Herald. Prior to her work in media relations and corporate communications, Dori was an anchor and reporter for the ABC affiliate in Lubbock, Texas and for WPTV, the NBC affiliate in West Palm Beach, Florida. Dori holds an undergraduate degree in Public Policy from Duke University and a graduate degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Patsy believes that a well organized event begins with thorough planning followed by open communication with the client. She has done pro-bono work for many charities and has managed corporate clients as well. In addition to running her own company, Patsy is also an instructor at Bar Method Miami teaching strength and confidence in her classes. Patsy Rico holds a BA in Communications from Florida International University.

Before joining the NBC6 team, Laura was a general assignment reporter at CBS58 in Milwaukee and the 10pm co-anchor for Noticiero Telemundo Wisconsin. Prior to that, she was a weather anchor at Telemundo Chicago. Some of the most notable stories she has covered include Pope Francis’ visit to the United States, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy, and the change in U.S.-Cuba relations. Laura has interviewed several local, national, and international leaders including former President Donald Trump while he was on the campaign trail. Laura is bilingual and often contributes reports for NBC6’s sister station Telemundo 51. Laura is a proud graduate of Northwestern University where she founded the first Spanish-language newscast and where she was also part of the award-winning Northwestern News Network team. She found a passion for journalism while she was a student at Our Lady of Lourdes Academy and Conchita Espinosa Academy in Miami.

She pursued her dream and earned her medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine in 2008. In 2013, she completed her OBGYN residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital, University of Miami and joined her current practice. In 2019, she was certified as a Pediatric and Adolescent gynecologist. She is a Sexual Assault Medical Examiner and is a consultant for the FL Department of Health. Her interests include adolescent GYN, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, weight loss management, obstetrics and preventive women’s health care. She has a special interest in kids and adults with intellectual disabilities and is a supporter for Best Buddies International.

Her early training was working with traumatic cases of domestic violence with adults and children. Before offering her services in private practice, Mrs. Sánchez was employed by non-profit agencies such as Kristi House, where she gained a great deal of experience in working with sexually abused children and adolescents. For many years Verónica was also employed by Nicklaus Children’s Hospital where she worked closely with families of diverse cultures providing crisis intervention. Some of her specialties include: family dynamics stressors, anger management, behavioral problems, self-esteem issues, traumas, PTSD, relationship issues, LGBTQ, anxiety and depression. She implements different therapy techniques according to her clients and their needs. She is bilingual and can offer therapy sessions in both English and Spanish.

She is the President and owner of the pharmacy consulting company, ApotheCare, Inc. since 2003. Specializing in the Pharmacy Managed Care/Medicare HMO arena, her focus is Formulary development and management. Throughout the years, she has held positions within managed care organizations such as Clinical Pharmacist and Clinical Pharmacy Director and served as the VP of Clinical Pharmacy Services for a Pharmacy Management Company. She also served as a Consultant Pharmacist for Baptist Outpatient Services and The Medical Center at Ocean Reef, and is currently the Clinical Pharmacist/Formulary Consultant and Chairperson of the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee for Doctors HealthCare Plans, a Medicare HMO Plan. Silvia is the mother of Ana and Lilia Silveira, Class of 2023 and Ricardo Silveira, Belen Jesuit Class of 2021. She has obtained great fulfillment from the opportunities and flexibility her career as a pharmacist has afforded her and credits her success within her niche to strong work ethic and integrity, gaining the trust of employers and clients.

She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Vanderbilt with a degree in biomedical engineering and received the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship. She attended medical school at the University of Florida (UF). While at UF, she led a team of over 20 healthcare providers on two medical mission trips to the Dominican Republic. She was also an active member of the Holistic Medicine Group and the Health Outreach Association. After eight years away, Dr. Davis chose to return home to pursue her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital. Her proudest accomplishment was being awarded the 34th Annual Helen Lansman Award, which is given to the resident who has shown the most compassion toward patients. In private practice since 2011, she has built a reputation in the community for being a comprehensive and caring physician who takes the time to get to know her patients, listens to their concerns and provides thorough care. She is the mother of two young children and a proud daughter, sister and friend. Dr. Davis also volunteers her time sharing her expertise and educating women at Kristi House.

In 2021, she graduated with her Juris Doctorate from Cornell Law School and has since been admitted to practice law in Florida. While in law school, Lexi worked as a legal extern for the Honorable Roy K. Altman of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and as a student attorney with Cornell’s Farmworkers Legal Assistance Clinic — helping unaccompanied minors find a pathway to citizenship. She is currently a first-year litigation associate at Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod, LLP .

As an academic neurologist, Dr. Tornes is involved in multiple activities including the clinical care of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients, research in treatment of MS, medical education, service, and leadership. She teaches and mentors medical students, residents and fellows, as well as works on clinical research as a Principal Investigator, Co-investigator or examining physician in multiple, large multi-center clinical trials in Multiple Sclerosis and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder. Dr. Tornes has presented at multiple national conferences and served on national organization committees for the American Academy of Neurology and the National MS Society.

She grew up in the age of social media, with roles at ideeli.com, New York Magazine–launching The Cut and Grub Street’s social presence–and Complex Networks. At Complex, she helped build the original infrastructure for the publisher’s social media discipline as their first ever social lead. With a background in narrative-first creative, she advised on content strategy for ComplexCon, PepsiCo/Mountain Dew, Nike, Universal Music Group, Pep Boys, Fruit of the Loom, Brightline Trains and Verizon, to name a few. Currently she leads content and creative at REEF Technology, driving the mission to bring purpose to properties through applications like ghost kitchens and dark retail.