Introducing the 2023 Class of 10 Within 10

CMU prepares graduates for a lifetime of success, starting with their first decade after commencement. The 10 Within 10 alumni awards program recognizes exceptional achievements within a decade of graduation. This year's honorees achieved success quickly in their fields, which include government relations, sports, engineering, marketing, law and more. The Alumni Association is honored to recognize these 10 recipients as the 10th Class of 10 within 10. The honorees were selected from more than 65 nominations.      

Meet this year's 10 Within 10 class

Megan Blue, Class of 2013, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Megan Blue is the director of government relations for Corewell Health. Her passion for helping others drives Megan to use her knowledge of government policies and her strong ability to build relationships to implement groundbreaking change, particularly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. She exudes love for her alma mater and has hired and mentored numerous interns through the early days of their careers; many of those people still work at the Michigan State Capitol to this day.

 Stefanie Gray, Class of 2013, College of Education and Human Services

Stefanie Gray is the business operations and communications manager in the Global Experience Design team at Ford Motor Company. She stands out for her inspiring commitment to mentoring and supporting current and prospective students, interns, and recent graduates. She is committed to connecting students with internship opportunities at Ford Motor Company and Ford Motor Company Fund, exemplifying her passion for helping others and opening doors for other CMU alumni. 

 Jamar Hardy, Class of 2018, 2021, College of Health Professions

Jamar Hardy is the first-ever Unified Champion City Schools coordinator for Special Olympics Michigan, managing 100 schools and one private school in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. He is looked up to as a mentor by the students in the district and has earned the trust of the staff, creating more opportunities for students with and without disabilities to come together to form friendships and shine when they support each other.

Amy Hinchey, Class of 2013, College of Health Professions

Amy Hinchey is a senior product marketing manager on the Windows marketing team at Microsoft, working in the artificial intelligence space to help create the future and vision of AI for Windows and Microsoft. Amy participated in and won the Microsoft Hackathon in 2017, which resulted in Seattle hosting the first-ever Special Olympics eSports tournament in 2018 and a new product launch, the Xbox Adaptive Controller.

Troy Lyons, Class of 2015, College of Science and Engineering

Troy Lyons is an aerospace engineer at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Much of his work is computational, where he simulates the mechanical properties of various systems and materials. This includes fluid-structure interaction simulations of the Orion crew module in the ocean, and plastic deformation of metals and composites under ballistic impact and energy absorption applications. Troy double majored in physics and mathematics while at CMU, and received his PhD in mechanical engineering at Ohio State.

Vincent Parker, Class of 2018, College of Science and Engineering 

Vincent Parker is the owner and CEO of Parker Management Group, using his collection of companies to help revitalize Detroit and create equity and opportunity in construction management. He works to make a continuous impact throughout metro Detroit by improving neighborhoods and turning vacant properties into beautiful homes. His companies create opportunities for people interested in learning skilled trades and helping to rebuild the city — particularly for those from marginalized backgrounds — and he mentors aspiring entrepreneurs interested in building their own businesses.

Stephanie Trexler, Class of 2013, College of Business Administration

Stephanie Trexler is the owner and financial planner at Golden Goose Wealth Planning, helping busy women and their families build wealth and plan for retirement. She dedicates her time and energy to giving back to the students in the financial planning program at CMU. Since graduating, she has returned to campus to attend capstone presentations by financial planning students, as well as invited other advisers from across the country to come to the presentations and see the talent CMU has to offer.

Marisa Vinsky, Class of 2016, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Marisa Vinsky is an associate attorney at Chartier & Nyamfukudza PLC, a criminal defense law firm, representing a broad array of clients on matters ranging from misdemeanors and felonies to expungement. During her time at Central, Marisa was a leader in multiple spaces across campus, including serving as the president of the pre-law fraternity Phi Alpha Delta, leading research as a Centralis Scholar, and serving the community as the Legal Clinic director for the Student Government Association.

Emily Wahls, Class of 2014, College of Science and Engineering

Emily Wahls is chief meteorologist at FOX 32 in Chicago, keeping the country’s third-largest TV market informed about everything from sunny weekend forecasts to impending severe weather. She stepped into the top role before turning 30, and she is among a select group of women – just 8% of the field – who are chief meteorologists. Emily makes herself available to advise current students on how to succeed in the broadcast industry. She is a role model for young women in CMU’s meteorology program, showing them just how far they can go.

Dana Whyte Class of 2018, College of Arts and Media

Dana Whyte is the communications manager and spokesperson for Michigan State University’s Department of Police and Public Safety, managing the department's website and social media pages, serving as the spokesperson for media interviews, and overseeing internal communications. Dana started her career as a television news reporter, working in Grand Rapids and Lansing. She gives back to CMU by mentoring current undergraduate students in the fields of broadcasting and communications. She helps them with their resumes, prepping for job interviews, and offers general career advice.

Please join us in congratulating the 2023 Class of 10 Within 10! 

To view the past 10 Within 10 recipients, click here. To nominate outstanding young alumni for the 2024 10 Within 10 Recognition program, click here.  

Written by Robin Miner-Swartz