AlumniNews

Michael Rizzolo didn’t plan on learning American Sign Language when he came to RIT as a student, but he grew interested and eventually became an interpreter. Today, he is founder and CEO of the interpreting agency Interpretek.

Michelle Giterman ’14 (finance) grew up in a Deaf immigrant family that owns Crepe Crazy, a restaurant in Austin, Texas, where Giterman is the general manager. With a strong family background in entrepreneurship, Giterman was always fascinated by how the business world works. Eventually, she attended RIT/NTID to major in finance with an emphasis in communication. She says her time at RIT/NTID and her involvement in the entrepreneurship programs led her to a successful career in finance.

Isabel Laínez ’17 (design and imaging technology) is a designer and illustrator who works with clients to develop a variety of projects, creating visual and brand identities such as logos and motion graphics. As she developed her interest in graphic design, Laínez enrolled in the design and imaging technology program at RIT/NTID, where she gained computer-based graphics skills for a career in the visual communications field. 

Alexander Van Hook has been named to the board of the Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf’s Alumni Association. A staff attorney at the National Association of the Deaf, and admitted to the District of Columbia Bar, he self-identifies as a person with cross-disabilities (deaf wheelchair user).