Alumni

Triton College alumnus and artist Aaron Canino of Hillside felt nothing but pride presenting David B. Guerin, mayor of River Grove, with two pieces of artwork on Tuesday, March 14, 2023.

Canino’s painting of the iconic Gene and Jude’s hot dog stand is nostalgic to him. He also created a collage of several River Grove well-known landmarks, including The Thirsty Whale, the River Grove Fire Department and Brunswick Zone. 

“I did a substation amount of research to identify the best businesses and municipalities to represent in my art,” explained Canino. “In my opinion, 'Gene and Jude’s' is the most well-known landmark in River Grove.”

Canino has made a career of selling his architectural artwork to communities within Triton’s district, such as Broadview, Rosemont, Melrose Park, Proviso Township, Maywood and Hillside, among others.

Growing up in Hillside, he became interested in art at an early age. While a student at Proviso West High School, Canino was encouraged by his art teacher, Jerry Jenkins, to get involved in a local art show.

“That art show experience made me want to pursue a career in art,” he said. “I realized that I really enjoyed drawing architecture. It became my inspiration.”

Tom Catalano of Crossville, Tenn., is the author of 10 poetry books, ranging in genre from humorous to religious, two books of short stories and a book of witty quotes. With over 9,000 books sold, Catalano feels grateful to Triton College for helping him find his passion.

Catalano grew up in Elmwood Park and graduated from Elmwood Park High School in 1973. He explained that he was shy, introverted and wasn’t a part of the “in” crowd. Having a lot of teenage angst, he began writing poetry in high school to release his emotions and feelings.

“I really started writing creatively in high school,” he said. “I still didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I thought about attending law school.”

After graduating from Elmwood Park High School, Catalano attended Triton College from 1973 to 1974.

At Triton, he was enrolled in the Kaleidoscope Program, which required all students to keep a journal. Catalano noted that journaling became a daily habit for him, stating that he enjoyed writing about his thoughts and feelings.

“Journaling became a routine that trained me to write every day,” he said.

Catalano graduated from Aurora College in 1977 and then took a few graduate classes at Northern Illinois University (NIU). He decided to go into marketing because he felt he would “burn out” if he pursued writing as a full-time career, yet, he still wanted to utilize his creative talents.

“If you put your heart into your job and give your best effort, there will be steppingstones,” he explained.

Catalano moved up the marketing ladder, eventually retiring from Curry Supply Co., a truck manufacturer in Pennsylvania. After retiring as director of marketing, he knew he wanted to pursue his writing full time.

Catalano’s works, Jelly in My Belly, Rhymes For Kids, Rhymes For Teens and Nicholas The Santa Story, are poems for kids. Rhyme & Reason, Verse Things First, Poetry 'N Motion, Poems For His Glory, I Dig Mud & Yellow Blood and Witty Words of Wisdom are poems and quotes for teens and adults. The Edge of Imagination and Tall Tales & Short Stories are short fiction books for teens and adults. His most recent book, Funny Rhymes About Life!, is a collection of funny poems about honey-do projects, getting older, procrastination, and love and marriage. It is written for adults.

“I have a wide variety of interests when it comes to poetry,” he said of the diversity of his books.

Catalano self-publishes his books but has them all professionally edited. All his books can be purchased on Amazon, in major bookstores or on his official website. Books purchased on his website are autographed by him.

When he isn’t writing or promoting his books, he enjoys fishing and spending time with his wife of 37 years, Peggy. The couple have three daughters, Anna, 32; Emma, 28; and Elizabeth, 23.

“This is the legacy I want to leave behind,” he said.

To learn more about Catalano or to purchase his books, visit tomcatalano.com.

Ryan Greenwood (left) pinned a badge on his father, Deputy Chief James Greenwood, at a River Forest Village Hall meeting on Monday, Feb. 13. Greenwood’s daughter, Madolyn Greenwood, excitedly looked on. 

Triton College alumni James Greenwood was appointed deputy chief of the River Forest Police Department on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. His celebration continued in front of friends, family and residents at the River Forest Village Hall on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023.

“I feel a sense of loyalty and pride in my work,” said Greenwood.

Greenwood grew up in Franklin Park and attended Passow Elementary School, Hester Junior High School and East Leyden High School, graduating in 1992. He then attended University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and studied political science and landscape architecture.

While a student at U of I, Greenwood was assigned to work in the Police Department. His duties included checking campus buildings and providing transportation for students at night.

“I admired the work that the officers did and realized over time that it was my passion,” he said. “I decided to change education paths.”

Greenwood decided to attend Triton College to study criminal justice. He graduated in 2001, earning his associate degree.

“Triton offered the coursework I was interested in,” he said. “The classes were affordable and the instructors in Criminal Justice Administration were all active professionals in the fields of criminal justice or law.”

In 1997, Greenwood began his career with the River Forest Police Department, working his way up the ranks from patrol officer, detective, sergeant, detective sergeant, patrol commander and now deputy chief.

Greenwood furthered his education by earning a bachelor’s in business administration from Benedictine University in 2010, graduating Magna Cum Laude. He attended the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command in 2018, earning the Kreml Leadership Award, selected by fellow law enforcement professionals in the course.

“Receiving the award was an honor, especially coming from a group of people that were just as deserving of the award,” he noted.

He has plans to graduate in fall 2023 to earn a master’s degree in public administration from Northern Illinois University.

As the new deputy chief, Greenwood wants to ensure that the department continues to offer great services to the community and to support members of the department in their daily work.

In addition to being a police officer, Greenwood is a member of the West Suburban Chiefs of Police Association.

Greenwood and his wife Jill have two adult children, Ryan and Madolyn. Ryan is a student at Arizona State University and is studying supply chain management. Madolyn is a student at Benedictine University and is studying pre-medicine. 

Michaleen “Micki” Lewis is committed to helping organizations achieve their vision. Currently the senior organizational development consultant with computer technology corporation, Oracle, Lewis began her postsecondary education at Triton College, earning an associate degree in Ophthalmic Technology. 

While gaining the technical proficiency needed to succeed in the eye care field, Lewis described other ways community college prepared her for life-long learning.

“Triton College helped develop my communication skills,” she said. “The college developed a higher level of patience in me and built my skillset towards understanding people.”

As Lewis continued her career path, so did her education. She completed a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and a master’s degree in management and organizational behavior from Benedictine University, as well as professional certifications in coaching and talent development.

Lewis, who grew up in Unincorporated Leyden Township, graduated from St. John Vianney School and West Leyden High School, both located in Northlake, Ill. She was introduced to eye care as a career option while participating in West Leyden’s summer healthcare work program.

Students at Triton College have benefitted from Lewis’ expertise, both as a faculty member and guest speaker. 

Gary Linden is the museum curator of the Chicagoland Combined Veterans Museum in River Grove. He credits Triton College for giving him the tools to achieve his dreams.

“I feel like I truly made a difference in the world,” he said. “I learned so much at Triton College that helped me get to where I am today.” 

Linden grew up in River Grove and graduated from Rhodes School in 1966, East Leyden High School in 1970 and then Triton College in 1972. After graduating from Triton, he worked a few different jobs, but realized he wanted to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a police officer. In December 1973, Linden became a member of the River Grove Police Department as a reserve officer when was he was 21.

In October 1978, Linden became a full-time police officer for the River Forest Police Department. During his career, he was a patrol officer and then was promoted to sergeant on July 17, 1997. He retired on Nov. 7, 2002. During that time, he was also an evidence technician, juvenile officer, field training officer and foot patrol officer in River Forest.

“I received 11 letters of recommendation, 14 unit citations, eight honorable mentions and in 1989, I received Officer of the Year. In 1996, I won the Cook County Sherriff’s Medal of Merit,” he said.

As a River Forest sergeant, Linden said he had to do a lot of administrative work as well as serving the public. He feels that his business degree from Triton College prepared him well for his role as sergeant. 

Linden became the museum curator for The Chicagoland Combined Veterans Museum in February 2021. As a museum curator, he said he enjoys interacting with the public when they enter the museum.

“One of the most important lessons I learned from my time at Triton College is to always treat people with dignity and respect,” he said.

When it comes to Linden’s dedication to preserving the legacy of veterans, he noted he gets inspiration from all the American veterans who sacrificed so much for our freedom.

“We live in the greatest country in the world,” he exclaimed. “We have veterans to thank for that. Veterans should always be honored and respected. In this museum, their legacy can be remembered for generations to come. They are the real heroes.”

Other than working at the museum, Linden’s passion is writing. He has published numerous articles for toy magazines such as Collecting Toys, Plastic Figure & Playset Collectors and the book Marx Western Playsets.

When not working at the museum or on his writing, Linden enjoys spending time with his niece and nephew, and great nieces and nephews.

Italo Muralles of Chicago is proud of his many accomplishments in both his life and career. However, he admits that getting to where he is today wasn’t always easy. 

Muralles was born in Guatemala and immigrated to Chicago when he was 9 years old. He grew up in a very religious home and attended Gordon Tech High School (now DePaul College Prep). His life seemed to be going according to plan until one fateful evening.  

“I was driving with my family on Christmas night in 1979. We were hit by a drunk driver,” he explained. “My sister’s fiancé was killed. He was a medical student visiting from Guatemala. My sister never married after that because she had lost the love of her life.”

Due to the trauma of the accident, it was hard for Muralles to focus on college. At the time, he was working for Jewel-Osco and was encouraged by the company to work his way up without a bachelor’s degree. After several years of being employed there, Muralles realized he didn’t want to miss out on precious moments with his wife Lilly and daughter Sara, by working nights and weekends.

“I decided to make a career switch and began working at Eaton Tripp Lite, which is a manufacturing company,” he said. “I worked my way up to vice president of International Operations and Business Development. After working at Tripp Lite for 25 years, I knew I wanted to resign from my position and finally pursue my passion for landscape design.”

Muralles’ wife encouraged him to work towards a degree in horticulture at Triton College. Taking her advice, Muralles said he instantly fell in love with the school, students and faculty.

Now, at age 60, Muralles feels he is finally on the right path.

After receiving an internship with the Franklin Park Park District, Muralles’ bosses quickly became impressed with his creativity and work ethic.

Muralles was hired as a full-time employee and was also asked to oversee North Park’s Children’s Nature Center as a project manager when funding becomes available. In the meantime, he will graduate from Triton with a degree in horticulture applied sciences.

He expressed that he is passionate about his new career path and doesn’t have any plans to retire. He hopes to work for as long as his health allows him.

“I loved the support Triton gave me,” he said. “It opened up so many doors. The teachers are good at what they do. The counselors were always available to help. Triton improved my life.”

When Muralles is not working, he enjoys spending time with his family. He is very proud of his daughter Sara, who graduated from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. She is currently doing her residency in Martinez, California.

Bulmaro “Bull” Saavedra of Morton Grove is the owner of Hay Caramba!, a Mexican restaurant in Park Ridge. With a successful business under his belt, many would think Saavedra achieved the embodiment of the American Dream. However, Saavedra’s road to success has not always been smooth.

Saavedra grew up in Mexico in a small town called Los Sauces, Guerrero. Growing up, he struggled in school and wanted to move to the United States, eventually immigrating to Chicago in 1973. Once in Chicago, he began working for Standard Grinding & Mfg. Co., a machinery business located in Skokie.

“Standard Grinding sent me to Triton College and enrolled me in the Machine Tool Technology Program to learn how to run machinery,” he explained. “At the time, I hardly spoke any English, so going to Triton taught me a lot. It was an amazing school experience.”

Saavedra married his wife Josephine in 1975, and soon after, began thinking about starting his own business, his lifelong dream. Making this dream a reality, he opened his first restaurant in Chicago, in 1986. By 1989, Saavedra found himself no longer working full time, but spent all his time at the restaurant.

In 1991, Saavedra and his wife decided to open a restaurant in Park Ridge called Hay Caramba! Recently celebrating the 30-year anniversary of their opening, Saavedra noted that Hay Caramba! serves several of their old family recipes, with the fajitas being Saavedra’s favorite.

“During the pandemic, we stayed open for carryout, so our business was still able to thrive,” he said. “We are grateful that we enjoy a lot of support from the community.”

Now, as a successful restaurant owner, Saavedra and his wife enjoy serving customers and making them happy.

“Hospitality is a wonderful way to connect with the community and share in their celebrations of life,” he said.

Although the job can be challenging, since they must sacrifice nights and weekends, Saavedra feels it is worth the hard work they have put into their restaurant. He’s grateful that Triton College gave him the foundation and tools to run and open a successful business.

When Saavedra is not working, he enjoys relaxing with his family and traveling. Saavedra and his wife Josephine have two adult children, Michael and Marlene, who work at the restaurant with their parents.

Maryna Salkovski, Ph.D., a 2014 Triton College graduate, is inspired by entrepreneurship, diligence and coffee. 

“I believe in working hard, having fun and meeting a lot of great people along the way!” she expressed. 

Salkovski is the founder and CEO of Bean Bar, a coffee vending machine company with a high-end product. Bean Bar serves high quality hot drinks, such as cappuccinos, hot chocolate and lattes, and has a machine that’s open for business in the Triton College Library.

“Bean Bar offers delicious, healthy, on-demand, high quality espresso drinks,” she noted. “It’s ideal for any college or university student and staff alike!” 

Salkovski, born in Ukraine, immigrated to the United States when she was 6 years old. She grew up in River Grove, attended East Leyden High School and worked in the community at Goody’s Fast Food (located in River Grove). After East Leyden, she was accepted into the Scholar’s Program at Triton College. She knew she wanted to attend Triton which she felt was a “perfect fit from every angle.” 

“I liked how student oriented Triton was and I expanded my experience in the Scholar’s Program. The location and price were perfect, and the faculty were very welcoming and helpful,” she explained. 

After Salkovski graduated from Triton, she attended Elmhurst College, where she received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry and graduated Summa Cum Laude. She continued her education at the University of Illinois at Chicago studying autophagy and received a doctorate degree in chemistry from The Aldrich Lab. 

Salkovski said the idea for Bean Bar came when visiting her husband’s home country of Bulgaria. She explained that in Bulgaria, coffee vending is ubiquitous and believed people back home would enjoy the convenience of a coffee bar while studying or working. 

“My husband Tihomir and I are coffee aficionadas and wanted to bring this concept to the states,” she noted. “We found a manufacturer from overseas and the rest is history.” 

After purchasing a coffee vending machine, Salkovski and her husband took to their lab (aka their kitchen) and spent several months perfecting different coffee recipes to make sure every drink is delicious, healthy and made with the cleanest ingredients. After finetuning the recipes, Salkovski came up with the name Bean Bar and the slogan “We Bean Business”. They are in the process of getting both trademarked. 

Salkovski explained that after a lot of emails, Triton College was kind enough to give her the opportunity to install a Bean Bar machine in the Library. The Library has since created a “Library Café” where students can get a cup of coffee from Bean Bar, relax and read a magazine while they take a break from studying. 

“We are forever grateful to Triton College,” she said. 

In the future, Salkovski wants to expand to other locations, such as schools, businesses and airports. The goal is to grow the business nationwide and create a line of healthy and delicious products people can enjoy at home. 

When Salkovski is not growing her business, she likes to dance, socialize, and of course, drink coffee.