Alumni Spotlight

The only thing Anthony Hannon knew was that he wanted to play football again. When he transferred to Salve Regina, it was all because there was a football team and a connection on campus. "I had never seen or heard of Salve Regina University before but put my faith in God that it would all work out. It ended up being the best decision of my life," Hannon says.

Hannon was able to look to Vincent Petrarca as a transfer student switching his major to Administration of Justice. Petrarca provided guidance outside of the classroom by giving advice on networking and career planning. The majority of Hannon's fondest memories stem from football, especially senior year with his teammates. Though this includes lots of time dedicated to football meetings and workouts in Rodgers Recreation Center, he also had a favorite spot on campus.

"Off-campus at O'Brien's Pub is hands-down my favorite," Hannon says, "I love the relaxed vibe and all the staff there. I worked there for a year during graduate school at Salve Regina and had a great time."

During his time at Salve Regina, Hannon mentored youth at the Rhode Island Juvenile Corrections Center. He found that being able to guide them and give a positive example was very fulfilling.

"Coming to Salve Regina was truly life-altering; I received a great undergraduate education and obtained my master's degree at an accelerated pace in the 5-year program. I obtained the knowledge and developed the skill I needed for my current career, and I met my wife, Kayleigh."

After graduation, Hannon accepted a job as a Cyber Security Operations Center Analyst with Raytheon in Dallas, Texas where he worked for two and a half years. Following this position, Hannon began working at MassMutual Life Insurance as the Cyber Incident Response Lead.

Currently, Hannon lives in Longmeadow, Massachusetts with his wife Kayleigh Hannon '13, his daughter, Hazel and his son, Hunter. Hannon has worked more than five years with MassMutual in their Cyber Security team and participates in the CEO Action for Racial Equity Fellowship. This fellowship is made up of over two hundred fellows representing more than one hundred companies. It’s focused on opportunities for improvement in the economic, education, healthcare, and public safety areas affecting Black and African Americans.

Outside of his career life, Hannon also draws from Salve Regina's mission by supporting initiatives that support Historically Black Colleges and Universities, ensuring they have the support they need while increasing awareness of a college education in the Black and African American community.

"To me, The Salve Regina mission is about using the skills and knowledge God gave you to help those around you." Hannon says, "I am a big believer that true leadership is sacrifice in the service of others, and I try to live that every day in my professional and personal life."