Entrepreneur says she benefited from DePaul’s experiential learning

Alumni Profile – Maria Onesto Moran (B.A. ’05)

Residence:

Forest Park, Ill.

Occupation:

Moran calls herself the Queen Bee of Green Home Experts (ghexperts.com), an Oak Park, Ill.-based retail store that specializes in eco-friendly lifestyle, building and garden products.

Education:

After graduating from Nazareth Academy High School in LaGrange Park, Ill., in 2001, she attended DePaul, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in 2005 in sociology with minors in Spanish and women’s studies.

Vital stats:

Moran has worked in marketing and fundraising for Mercy Housing Lakefront in Chicago—a job she started while a student at DePaul. After that, she worked independently for other local organizations and political candidates before opening Green Home Experts. She is married to Casey Moran, a high school teacher. They have a son, Oscar, who is 14 months old, and two pitbulls, Butkus and Mia.

What I like most about my job is:

“Every day is a new day for me to create something new and to face new challenges. I love being able to help people create a healthier home for themselves and their families. And I have fun. Being passionate about my work means it seldom feels like work.”

The biggest challenge I face in my job is:

“Finding balance. I was placing purchase orders when I was in labor with my son. He came to work with me every day for the first eight months of his life. Now, when I’m home, I try to focus completely on him. And when I’m at work, I never have a free moment because my days are packed.”

My DePaul LAS experience helped me by:

“Giving me experiential learning. My internship, volunteer work, and jobs gave me hands-on experience and networks that I used long after I graduated.”

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We welcome your story ideas, questions or comments. Please call Ruhan Memishi, editor, at 312.362.8629 or write to her at rmemishi@depaul.edu