Image: MMI Preparatory School hosted its Distinguished Young Alumni Awards on Saturday, August 8 at Edgewood Country Club. Pictured (left to right) are: Director of Advancement Kim McNulty,
MMI Preparatory School honored six former students at Edgewood Country Club during its Distinguished Young Alumni Awards, held during the School’s Alumni Weekend on August 8. The awards, which alternate with MMI’s Wall of Fame awards every other year, honor MMI alumni who have made significant contributions in their careers and communities and who are under 30 at the time of their nomination.
This year’s Distinguished Young Alumni Award recipients were Maria N. Carrato ’14, CPA, Shaelyn R. Heft ’16, Sydney A. Karpowich ’18, Atty. Victoria A. Kline ’16, Karalyn M. Sitch ’16, and Alyssa M. Sweda ’19, CPA.
Maria N. Carrato ’14 is a Financial Due Diligence Manager / Senior Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). In this role, she serves private equity and Fortune 500 clients across complex M&A transactions and strategic investments, ranging from $20 million to $2 billion. Beyond her client responsibilities, Maria serves as Champion for PwC’s Philadelphia Financial Due Diligence Learning & Development program, where she leads local training initiatives for over 80 M&A professionals, curates relevant technical content aligned with evolving deal trends, and drives engagement.
Before the start of her high school sophomore year, Shaelyn R. Heft ’16 completed a mission trip to Tanzania, paving the way for a lifelong commitment to service and earning her the Freeland Rotary Club’s “Service Above Self” award. Now, Shaelyn works as a Senior Product Manager at B. Braun Medical, an international leader in infusion therapy, IV solutions, and pharmaceuticals. Here, she elevates patient care standards across the U.S. and Canada, oversees FDA submissions, product development, and go-to-market strategy for life-saving hospital technology, and manages cross-functional teams across the U.S. and Germany.
Studying languages and foreign cultures at MMI inspired Sydney A. Karpowich ’18 to pursue career and leadership opportunities abroad. During her freshman year at Villanova University’s School of Business, Sydney received international accounting experience through an internship in Singapore. Here, she achieved a global perspective on accounting principles and practices that she’d continue to develop as an intern at Ernst & Young. After graduating, Sydney received a U.S. Fulbright Grant that allowed her to work abroad as an English Teaching Assistant in the Slovak Republic. Now, Sydney has returned to Ernst & Young as a Financial Services Assurance member.
Upon graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, Victoria A. Kline ’16 received a full scholarship to continue her education at the University of Miami School of Law. Driven by her passion for marine life, she concentrated her studies in Environmental Law. She graduated magna cum laude as one of the top 12 members of her class and received her Juris Doctor. Presently, Victoria is an associate attorney at Bass, Berry & Sims in Nashville, TN. She specializes in labor and employment transactional deals for nationwide mergers and acquisitions. She is active in pro bono work and advocacy, including support for asylum seekers.
In her senior year at Immaculata University, Karalyn M. Sitch ’16 excelled in an internship at QVC. When a position opened up, QVC hired her back, and she’s thrived there ever since. In her current position as Senior Assistant Buyer, Karalyn manages product strategy for a $300+ million business segment, leads omnichannel brand presence across TV, digital, and social platforms, and is responsible for assortment planning, vendor negotiations, and sales performance analysis. Her sister, Kaitlin Sitch ’14, is also a member of the inaugural class of Distinguished Young Alumni, making Karalyn the second member of her family to receive this recognition.
Alyssa M. Sweda ’19 graduated magna cum laude from The Catholic University of America, then went on to complete her Master of Accountancy at the University of Scranton within just one year. She began her career at Deloitte & Touche LLP, the largest and most competitive public accounting firm in the world, where she worked on a first-year audit of a large accelerated filer while earning her CPA license at the same time. Achieving licensure while performing at a high level during one of the most demanding phases of an audit reflects exceptional drive, resilience, and professionalism.
MMI’s Distinguished Young Alumni Awards began on August 2, 2024, with 10 recipients being honored at a dinner celebration that kicked off a new biennial tradition at MMI. The next Distinguished Young Alumni Awards Dinner will be held on Saturday, August 5, 2028. Nominations for these awards are open and will be accepted until the submission deadline of Wednesday, March 1, 2028.
Nominations are accepted from all sources of the MMI community, including from parents, friends, employers, and self-nominations. To ensure a fair and rigorous selection process, the Distinguished Young Alumni Awards Committee is comprised of eight members, including the Chair of the MMI Board of Directors, the Head of School, a current Board member, the Director of Advancement, the Director of College Counseling, two alumni representatives, and one at-large member. The Committee will recommend a slate of six to ten awardees to the MMI Board of Directors for approval.
Nominations and any questions should be directed to Director of Advancement Kim McNulty at kmcnulty@mmiprep.org or 570-636-1108. To learn more, visit www.mmiprep.org/alumni/distinguished-young-alumni.