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Small business owner Susi Brucato ’01, MBA ’09 tapped into her memories of �ؿ�ζSM for a special order last fall.

Brucato, who owns and operates a custom candle company in Geneva, Illinois with her husband, Rob, created a candle mixing rose and English ivy scents for last fall’s President’s Circle Dinner. A total of 225 candles were distributed to university supporters.

“When I think of �ؿ�ζSM and my time there, I think of the Candle and Rose Ceremony,” Brucato shared. “That’s why I picked the rose. It’s part of the tradition behind �ؿ�ζSM and it stands for truth and charity. And the ivy growing on the school is something I fell in love with the moment I stepped on campus.”

Lisa Parisi, director of donor relations for �ؿ�ζSM, said the candle had “just the right scent to capture the essence of �ؿ�ζSM” and was well-received by the guests.

Returning to �ؿ�ζSM as a small business owner was a “full circle” moment for Brucato, who studied accounting as an undergrad and got a behind-the-scenes look at how businesses operate during a study abroad trip to Argentina.

“Everything I learned at �ؿ�ζSM, every aspect has helped build me into what I am today,” she said.