Kolleen Sullivan

Kolleen Sullivan is a staff member and currently the Assistant Director and Career Path Coordinator for the Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst and is from Buffalo, New York. She has worked for Mercyhurst from 2013 – 2017 as a Career Development Counselor in the Career Development Center at Mercyhurst. She left for a short period of time but found herself back on the hill to make a difference in students’ lives. She graduated from Hilbert College in Buffalo, New York with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Services with a minor in Rehabilitation Services and received my Masters of Science degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from SUNY Buffalo State in Buffalo, New York. She currently does not play a sport but was very active in athletics growing up. She started at a young age playing soccer, basketball, volleyball and softball but by the time I attended high school, she was only playing softball not only for her school but for a traveling team as well. She also played softball during her undergraduate career but retired after getting hurt.

The reason she first chose Mercyhurst is because when she first became employed at Mercyhurst in late 2013, she was ecstatic to work here. Mercyhurst’s traditions, values and mission tired directly to my career goals and my personal endeavors. Mercyhurst faculty, staff and administration made you feel at home and empowered you to work towards making a difference. She enjoys every minute of my experiences here and mostly the impact students have on her.

Some things she wanted to share is that she has three dogs, Bella, Cooper and Sassy and foster dogs whenever she can help. She also loves to travel and has been to a lot of places domestically and internationally. She also loves to bake and cook. She even almost went to culinary art school after she graduated from high school but realized that it was something she loves to do but did not want to make a career out of it. 

Jillian "Jill" Marcelli

Jillian "Jill" Marcelli is a senior double majoring in Graphic Design and Communication. She was born and raised in Olean, New York. 

Jill's goal is to achieve a high-paying job doing Graphic Design for companies that work alongside their customers to create personalized advertising. She has taken advantage of several internships to reach her career goal. Some of her internships have consist of; several writing internships in communication and working on web design for companies like DOT FM, Mercyhurst Athletics, Menergie, and Studios. 

Jill is an active member around campus Mercyhurst, as she writes for The Mercaid and is involved in Photo Club. These two organizations that she is a part of are setting her up for success in the field she hopes to enter after she graduates. 




Jill's parents provided her with different tools to help her achieve success in Graphic Design. Her parents often gave her art supplies, and she was able to create more through that. She was always encouraged to be active and go outside, unlike her friends who stayed inside and played video games. She believes it was a good thing that she was encouraged to go outside and do art, instead of staying indoors playing video games, as her friends did. She thinks if she had played video games. She would not be as dedicated and passionate for what she hopes to achieve. 

In Jill's free time outside, she played year-round soccer and ran track in High School. She was more active and driven than her friends. She had a goal to continue in college, but that was not an option as she suffered a dislocation in her left shoulder from soccer. She hopes to find a way to pursue her passion for soccer in the future.

Jill is an incredibly kind person, and it easy to talk to. She can often be found working on different Graphic Design projects as she is driven to achieve success in the goals she hopes to achieve. She will find success in the area of Graphic Design with her strong work ethic and passion for her studies. 


- Isabel C. Merriman