On November 3, a number of students in Notre Dame’s upper division were on hand when another round in a series of career presentations by Notre Dame alumni was held on the school’s main campus.
The focus of the event was entrepreneurship and the Notre Dame graduates who agreed to participate were in fact successful business people making their marks in the service industry.
Restaurateur Elias Khalil, a 1988 graduate of Notre Dame, talked to the students about starting his own restaurant business in Detroit. John Okoniewski, who graduated from Notre Dame in 1984, presented his story of managing a successful jewelry company with two locations in Michigan.
John Okoniewski, a 1984 graduate of Notre Dame, discusses the success he’s enjoyed after opening his thriving jewelry business.
“The students look forward to this type of assembly, and we were fortunate to get such wonderful examples of entrepreneurs who attended high school at Notre Dame,” Lockhart said.
Notre Dame’s director of alumni relations, Beth Campbell, said it was exciting to see so many alums willing to take time from their schedule to speak to the students.
“There is nothing more relatable for our students than to see first-hand the success of our alumni,” she added. "We think the students benefit greatly from these types of events."
More information about the alums who participated in the Nov. 3 career presentations follows below. . .
John Okoniewski ’84 (NDHS)
John Okoniewski, from Notre Dame’s Class of 1984, graduated from the University of Michigan and immediately went into the jewelry industry after college. In 1992, John and his wife, Lisa, opened their own retail jewelry store, F.A.O. Jewelers (http://www.faojewelers.com/), in Brighton, Mich., which was followed by a second location opening in Hartland in 2007.
F.A.O. Jewelers is family-owned and operated, and as such, you will see John and Lisa in both stores every day.
“By following the simple rule of treating the client like a person, not a customer, we had grown quickly, over the years, to become Livingston County’s largest fine jewelry store,” said John Okoniewski. “Then, to accommodate our growth and expand our services, a Hartland location was added in 2007.”
F.A.O. Jewelers is consistently recognized in local polls as having outstanding customer service. Okoniewski said his goal is to help every client who walks in the door with whatever their jewelry need is, with courtesy, professionalism and expertise. He said it doesn’t matter if one needs a watch battery changed or is looking for a design for an exquisite diamond ring for a big anniversary, you can count on his stores.
“Remember, you’ve got a friend in the diamond business,” he said.
Elias Khalil ’88 (NDHS)
Elias Khalil, from Notre Dame’s Class of 1988, is owner of La Feria Restaurant in Detroit (http://laferiadetroit.com/). A resident of Detroit’s Cass Corridor for thirteen years, Khalil’s enthusiasm and passion for economic growth in Midtown Detroit, coupled with his love for Spanish culture and food, have guided him in the realization of La Feria.
Khalil and his partners, Pilar Baron-Hidalgo and Naomi Khalil, submitted their original idea for a Spanish tapas restaurant in Detroit to the 2012 Hatch Detroit contest and won with overwhelming support. It has earned numerous awards, including Best of Detroit honors in 2014 and 2015.
Prior to his venture into the restaurant world, Khalil worked as an economics and foreign language instructor for more than a decade, and is coauthor of the recently published book, entitled “Detroit's Cass Corridor.”
He sits on the board of directors of the Cass Corridor Museum, which is located on Second Ave., and is also active in the neighborhood, working with the Corridor’s Alliance on the new Red Wings’ arena development project.
Khalil brings to his “tables” at La Feria an extensive network of community and business leaders in the area, complemented by a broad skill set and a gregarious nature.
La Feria, which is located at 4130 Cass Ave., is Michigan's only authentic Spanish tapas restaurant, serving traditional Spanish tapas paired with a full bar and an exclusive Spanish wine selection.
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." The Marist Fathers and Brothers sponsor NDPMA's Catholic identity and manages its educational program. Notre Dame is accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools, the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.