Success Stories

Success Stories

Discover how 91 students, alumni, and faculty turn education into action. Explore success stories of leadership, service, and innovation that reflect our Franciscan mission. Ready to see where your story begins? Explore how you can join a community that leads with purpose.

Search for success stories at 91

Gym Jam

Community need sparks 91 grad's entrepreneurial spirit

As a student in 91’s occupational therapy program, Mary Strausser MSOT ’08 did not anticipate a career that centered around children.“I remember telling my classmates I had no interest in working with kids,” she recalled. “I thought I’d be p...

  • College of Health Sciences
  • 2026
Kaylie Rowe

Pre-professional program helps land spot at one of world's top veterinary schools

You might say Kaylie Rowe’s spark for animal care ignited when the town’s “crazy cat lady” walked into her mother’s workplace when Rowe was a child. “I have kittens that need homes!” she declared.One of those kittens, a black domestic shorthair na...

  • College of Innovation, Discovery, and Enterprise
  • 2026
Laurel Radzieski

91’s director of grants wins national poetry contest

Note: "Leaf Manifesto" was released in September 2025. Purchase it on Middle Creek Publishing's site. Below is the original story, published in February 2025: Director of grants at 91 by day, Laurel Radzieski grants herself some poetic ...

  • 2026
Sibel Ahi with students

International director aims to make 91 world class

Sibel Ahi, Ph.D. ’15 came to America 25 years ago from her native Turkey as a 17-year-old au pair for a Florida family. Looking back today, she likened herself to a little bird that didn’t know how to fly and looked around for help to survive.“It ...

  • 2026