Meet the Team

As a career coach, Giovanna Percontino helps students identify and pursue next steps in search of their professional goals. She enjoys spearheading the launch of new careers and supporting job seekers’ progress with confidence while making an impact on students’ lives. Giovanna is dedicated to helping Communication students – her goal is to advise them on the pathway toward enriching work experiences and a career. She proactively supports robust career activities like resume creation, interview preparation and innovative job search strategies.

After experiencing cooperative education at her alma matter – Northeastern University, Giovanna’s teaching experience was the perfect springboard toward lifelong learning. As a workforce youth coach, Giovanna supported students with dynamic work readiness seminars. Coaching and counseling innovations are what drives her.

Finding Giovanna’s “why” and honoring the things in her life that give her purpose is a priority.

• What I can help with: As a lifelong learner, positive thinker, youth and adult motivator, Giovanna pro-actively supports job seekers and career changers. She proactively supports robust career activities like resume creation, interview preparation and innovative job search strategies.
• My philosophy: Her goal is to advise students on the pathway toward enriching work experiences and a career
• Alma mater: Northeastern University
• Fun Fact: She’s recently relocated to Utah from New Jersey and plans to give her tandem bicycle a workout
• Favorite Song: Save It For Later – English Beat
• Favorite Movie: Moonrise Kingdom

Dominic Militello joins the Career Success Presidential Initiative with 20 years of executive career experience. With an emphasis in assisting top talent to effectively interact, interview, and navigate this competitive marketplace, he has worked with clients including Amazon Web Services, Walmart, and Lowe’s. As a career coach for the Department of Communication, Dominic mentors students to effectively interview at a high level to generate job offers and negotiate through the hiring process.

As a career consultant to professional athletes and an advisor to C-suite executives, Dominic’s philosophy is based on helping students understand the tremendous value they bring to the workplace. As students more clearly define themselves, they more clearly envision future opportunities.

Dominic has a winning spirit – he wants students to succeed and achieve their professional goals. He sees the best in students and seeks to maximize their value, boost their confidence, and help them know the value they bring. Dominic came to Utah in 1990 to pursue a successful professional soccer career. He signed with the “Salt Lake Sting” and scored a hat trick on his debut that earned him national media attention. He and his wife Shelley raised 5 children (6 if you include family dog Max) and have 6 grandchildren.

What I can help with: With more than 20 years of executive career coaching experience, Dominic helps students and grads effectively interact, interview, and negotiate in this competitive marketplace.

My philosophy: Students bring tremendous value to the workplace! By correctly assessing their potential and contributions, they can open doors to tremendous futures.

Alma mater: University of Nevada-Las Vegas

Fun Facts:

• High-scoring forward for the Salt Lake Sting – the pre-Real SL pro soccer team
• Dad to family dog Max plus 5 kids and 6 grandkids
• Was the head soccer coach of the Cottonwood HS Varsity Men and Women

Career Coach Kim Ealy brings 7 years of experience working with college students and an additional 6 years working with adult learners. She says that the most successful students have a strong support system around them, and her job is to become a key part of that support. Kim believes it's her role to listen effectively, assess the needs of each person, discuss realistic options and goals, and work together to create a plan of action. She genuinely cares about the futures of her students, offering support and guidance and sharing resources to ensure they achieve their professional goals.

Kim has witnessed the ways higher education opens the door to new opportunities for personal and professional growth and has seen graduates benefit all by giving back the community. She is creative, enjoys solving problems, and sees obstacles in a unique way.

Kim loves to write rap songs, sing on key most of the time, and is an amateur gearhead who loves cars.

What I can help with: With 7 years of working with college students and more than 6 years working with adult learners, Kim believes it's her responsibility to listen effectively, asses the needs of each person, discuss realistic options and goals, and work together on creating a plan of action.

My philosophy: The most successful students have a strong support system around them. Kim strongly believes that education opens the door to new opportunities for personal and professional growth and an advantage of giving back the community.

Alma maters:

• Weber State University, Master’s of Professional Communication
• National University, BS

Fun Facts:

• Writes rap songs
• Is an amateur gearhead and loves cars
• Learning how to finally solve a Rubik's cube

Favorite Song:

• Be a Light by Thomas Rhett

Favorite Movie:

• A Few Good Men

As a career coach for the Career Success Presidential Initiative, Brianda De Leon’s goal is to uplift students and help them carve a path for themselves from the world of higher education to their professional careers. Brianda helps students understand how they can craft an impactful career from their degree. She facilitates access, shares career resources, and helps students build their confidence as professionals.

Brianda is a first-generation college graduate and a Ph.D. candidate studying Educational Leadership & Policy Studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She received her M.Ed. in education from the University of Utah along with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and a minor in Ethnic Studies.

Brianda’s research focuses on the relationship between education and immigration to build institutional capacity for college access and developing support services for Undocumented students and Students of Color on college campuses. She also worked as graduate assistant at the Dream Center and the Graduate School Diversity Office.

What I can help with: As a career coach, Brianda De Leon’s goal is to uplift students and help them carve a path for themselves from the world of higher education to their professional careers.

My philosophy: Uplift students and help them carve a path for themselves from the world of higher education to their professional career.

Favorite Hobbies:

• Watching various TV series like The Last of Us, Bling Empire, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and Family Karma
• Hiking
• Camping
• Kayaking
• Paddle boarding
• Riding ATVs

Alma Mater: The University of Utah and soon the University of Texas at San Antonio

Favorite Songs:

• Coffee by Miguel
• Apparently by J. Cole

Favorite Movies:

• Crazy Rich Asians
• Twilight Saga
• Top Gun