Sara Jane Castro of The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois
Ever hear of a story where one grave mistake actually led to a rewarding outcome? On this week’s episode we had the pleasure speaking with Sara Jane Castro, the Marketing and Communications Manager for the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois. Initially wanting to pursue a degree in print journalism, Sara explains how a clerical mistake accidentally marked her down as a PR student. After unintentionally sparking her interest in PR, she pursued a Bachelors in Mass Communication and Public Relations from Georgie College & State University. As an avid writer, storyteller, and reader, Sara expresses her love for content creating and innovative communication. Tune in to hear about Sara’s journey in searching for a career path that not only allowed her to demonstrate and strengthen her skill-sets, but also gave her an opportunity to give back to the world and make a difference.
With over 13 years of experience in marketing and communication, she has worked for a variety of nonprofit and corporate settings. Sara Jane Castro launched her career as the Public Relations Coordinator and Newsletter Editor at a fast-paced cooking show called “VeryVera.” Looking for a slower-paced environment, she began working as a Communications Specialist at a church called Trinity on the Hill UMC. Venturing off into the legal world, she was the Communications Supervisor at McCalla Raymer Pierce, LLC, where she supervised a team and learned a lot about management and technical writing. Sara used her passion for storytelling and her desire to reshape her career path to search for work in nonprofit organization, leading her to the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois. As its Marketing and Communications Manager, she furthers NKFI's mission to improve the health and well-being of people in risk of or affected by kidney disease through prevention, education and empowerment.
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Bridging Chicago Team
Nathan Ciulla, Host and Senior Producer
Nathan is an experienced, relationship driven host with a strong desire to connect our listeners to our guests by providing a fun, interactive experience that celebrates the experience and achievements of our guests. He is also a legal assistant at SATC|Law and enjoys cooking and baking for his friends and family.
Savannah Rountree, Host
“Feminist. Lipstick collector. Bibliophile. Dog-mom.” Savannah is a passionate advocate of equality for all. She is a current law student at Loyola University Chicago, where she is simultaneously working towards a master's degree in public policy. Did we mention that she already has a master’s degree in religion/religious studies from The University of Chicago. Savannah is also a law clerk at SATC|Law, where she looks to continue her career as an attorney once she is finished with school.
Nora Becerril, Contributor
Mother to Josephine and a legal assistant at SATC|Law. Nora graduated from Western Illinois University where she obtained a degree in Agricultural Science with an emphasis in Environmental Studies. Nora is a multi-lingual (English, Spanish and French) and multi-talented advisor to the @BridgingChicago podcast. Be sure to watch out for Nora on future episodes of the podcast.
Karen Small, Advisor
Karen is our task-oriented leader that ensures our team is producing our desired results by providing the necessary structure, roles and goals. Karen is also the office manager of SATC|Law, where she has honed her skills at running an office at the highest standards and efficiency.
John W. Campbell, Jr., Head of Operations
John is a principal at SATC|Law in Chicago. He represents individuals, entrepreneurs and privately held companies on developing and achieving their strategic business goals and asset protection and long term planning needs. He is also the director and vice president for the Center for Law and Social Work, a public charity that provides adoption and adult guardianship services, and a director of Rebuild Foundation, a public charity that provides a platform for art, cultural development, and neighborhood transformation.