Meet our January Alumna Spotlight: Gabrielle Faletto

Our January Alumna Spotlight features Gabrielle Faletto! Read more to hear what she has been doing since she graduated in May 2022!

Name:

Gabrielle Faletto

Theta pledge class:

MC ‘18

When you graduated from Mizzou:

May 2022

Major/Degree:

I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism – Strategic Communication, a Minor in Art, and a Certificate in Multicultural Studies.

Hometown:

Elburn, IL

Where you live now:

Elburn, IL

Where do you work right now/what have you been up to since graduation?

I currently work as an Art Director for the creative commerce agency, TPN, in downtown Chicago. TPN is known to inspire brand love through consumer insights and analytics, creative development and production, media planning, content strategy, and more. My day-to-day client is Cricket Wireless, and I work alongside a fantastic team of creative individuals to update Cricket’s in-store graphics.

What's your favorite thing about your job?

There are many perks to working at TPN that I have come to love in the past 8 months. If I have to speak generally, it would be the close-knit community of Mizzou alumni I am lucky to work alongside. Immediately after being onboarded in June, I was happy to meet a plethora of fellow Mizzou alumni, which made the transition from college to full-time employment less intimidating.

I also love TPN’s flexible work-from-home schedule. I have a little over an hour train ride commute into the city and then a 20-minute walk to my building, so choosing which days each week (if any) I go into the office has been ideal.

What's your favorite thing about the city you live in?

After graduation, I made the decision to move back home with my parents in Elburn, IL. My favorite thing about living in Elburn, especially during such a transformative time in my life, is being so close to my family and childhood friends, while also being able to save money. Plus, I love living in a state that has four seasons! As someone who is always on the go and filling up my daily to-do list, fall and winter provide me with a necessary break from the busy. I like to think of the cold months as serene, nourishing, and rejuvenating through their silence and decrease in activity. I have found great value in this stillness.

What are you passionate about?

The resilience and ambition that comes after stepping outside of my comfort zone.

I have found the strength to overcome hurdles and obstacles. I have become optimistic when dealing with change, and I have found new ways to flex my curiosity – all because I am willing to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

What do you do in your free time?

With my job requiring me to sit at a desk and design through a computer screen for most of my day, I have made it a goal to be active, get outside (when the weather permits), and limit my screen time once 6 pm hits. I love to run, read, experiment with new recipes in the kitchen, and more recently, watercolor paint – shoutout to my little, Anna Metzger, for the watercolor set!

Other future career/life goals:

I have many aspirations! I look forward to working with different clients within the advertising industry, moving out and/or moving to a new city, putting my interior design skills and love for Joanna Gaines to the test by renovating my future living space….just to name a few. Later on in my career, I would love to transition over to the account planning and/or project manager side of advertising. As someone who takes pride in list-making and organization, applying structured solutions to help the creative team thrive, and implementing processes to keep the business running like a well-oiled machine, sounds right up my alley.

My capacity to dream up what lies ahead will continue to evolve as I myself evolve. However, in the year 2023, I am challenging myself to just be present – live in the now, and be less caught up in what life will be like in 5, 10, 15 years.

What do you miss most about Mizzou?

I miss the close-knit community of friends, colleagues, and classmates. The ease of creating spontaneous plans hours before executing them is something I took for granted. Many of my most fond memories from college were those unplanned adventures that now tell a great story.

What do you miss most about Theta?

I miss talking to and learning from members on a daily basis, whether it was on campus, at organization meetings, at Theta events, or just around the Theta house. I was and continue to be so inspired by what each member was working on in school and striving for post-graduation. I will always cherish the meaningful conversations I had with members across all pledge classes.

What is one thing you took away from being a part of Theta in college that has shaped you into the woman you are today? (AKA: What impact has Theta left on you?)

Theta helped shine a light on my leadership potential. I quickly gained role models who encouraged confidence and aided in making my goals more attainable. Special shoutout to Hailey Markt and Hope Johnson for first demonstrating to me what thoughtful leadership should look like. It was those women and many others in Theta who challenged me to apply for that laborious capstone, break the status quo while in that executive member role, and strive for that senior-level position anyway….for that I am so grateful.

Do you have a specific favorite Theta memory?

Too many memories to count…living out of a suitcase in the six-man during Sophomore year work week and recruitment, Sophomore year camp Theta, living with Alicia Dyer in house Junior year, countless pledge family dates to Andy’s, intramural soccer, spontaneous post-dinner walks with Maddie Young, the final Monday night chapter with MC ‘18, and so much more.

Anything else you'd like to add?

To all of you current active members who are nearing the end of your college chapter, this next journey you are about to embark on comes with so much excitement, but also if you’re like me, the first few months transitioning to life after graduation comes with a lot of sadness and difficult “see ya laters.” Remember, this feeling is natural. No matter how hard it may seem at the moment, these feelings do not have to be permanent. They are natural reactions to a time of big change. Find ways to stay connected, maintain and identify new interests, form new connections, forge your direction, and practice mindfulness.

In doing so, please do not hesitate to reach out (gabsfaletto@att.net) for advice, questions about full-time employment, if you’re ever in the Chicagoland area, or just need someone to talk to!