Pirate’s Eye Podcast Seton Hall Alumni Engagement and Philanthropy

In celebration of National Volunteer Month in April, we flipped the script on our podcast host, Viannca Velez '10. Take a listen as our Assistant Director of Alumni Communication and Digital Engagement, Aaron Smith, puts the Pirate Eye on Viannca.
Hailing from Jersey City, NJ, Viannca is a communications strategist with over 13 years of experience. As Director of Communications for New York City’s Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, Viannca leads the creation and implementation of the organization’s marketing, public relations and mass communication strategy. Her communications experience includes her career beginnings as a video journalist for Fi0S1 News on Long Island, NY, in-studio tech work at the sports television channel SNY, and digital media management for NGL Media (now NGL Collective). Viannca developed into a communications strategist within the nonprofit sector through her years of working in the advancement departments of Marist High School and Seton Hall University. At each institution, she created and led campaigns that used video storytelling, social media and niche segmentation to successfully increase community engagement and individual donations. 
Instagram: www.instagram.com/vianncavelezLinkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/vianncav

For over a decade, Claudia has dedicated her career to paying it forward by helping college students transform their struggles into success stories. She is a proud first-generation graduate and Educational Opportunity Program alumna. After receiving extensive support from her college counselors at Seton Hall University, she was inspired to pursue a career in higher education. She then earned a master's degree in counseling from Montclair State University and has held various roles in higher education, honing her skills in academic advising and career development. Currently, Claudia serves as the Alumni Director for America Needs You (ANY), a professional development non-profit that empowers first-generation college students through intensive career development and transformative mentorship. In her current role, she oversees national programming and career advancement opportunities for ANY’s growing network of over 2,000 alumni.
Viannca Vélez '10, Host
Instagram: www.instagram.com/vianncavelez
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/vianncav
Claudia Guevara-Olivier '12, Guest
www.americaneedsyou.org
IG Handles:
@0h_Claudia 
@andimfeelingood

December is such a magical time at Seton Hall and within the Seton Hall community, so who better to have on the show as we are in the thick of the Christmas season than Seton Hall’s Vice President for Mission and Ministry, Father Colin Kay. 
Father Colin imparts with us so many nuggets of wisdom, his belief about why the spirit of Christmas comes so alive within the Seton Hall community, and also shares his own Seton Hall journey that dates back to his childhood! 
Take a listen to the December 2023 episode with Father Colin Kay!

With this season’s tipoff, we’ve scored the inside scoop on all things SHU basketball and the buzz word of the year: NIL. Our host Viannca Velez ’10 sits down with SHU alum and Athletic Director Bryan Felt ’97, to uncover his journey from student to AD, insights on the upcoming season, the Men’s Basketball Practice Facility, and how Name Image & Likeness is impacting all of D1 athletics.
 
Learn more about the Seton Hall University Practice Facility: https://www.shu.edu/investing-in-our-future/basketball-practice-facility.html
Support NIL with Onward Setonia: https://www.onwardsetonia.com
Connect with our Host: IG: @vianncavelez
Want to recommend our next guest? Email alumni@shu.edu. 

In this episode, our host Viannca Velez sits down with Victor Gomez '17, manager of the Seton Hall Esports team. The team is celebrating their 10th Anniversary, and their Rocket League took home a BIG EAST Conference Championship title this past season. 

In this episode, our host Viannca Velez sits down with Devin Mcguire '16, a professional baritone, conductor and music educator. Devin shares with us his journey to becoming a musical artist and the ways in which being a transfer and commuter student during his days at Seton Hall shaped his college experience.