Wilkes Grads Thrive at Amazon and Pennsylvania Water

Three years after graduation, Wilkes University alumni are turning their college experiences into thriving careers at major companies and critical infrastructure projects.

Danny Devito graduated in 2020 and spent six years leading digital design at FOX Sports before landing his current role as art director for Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios in Los Angeles. He credits his professors with teaching him not just design skills, but how to present his work confidently to executives.

"I think what I took most from the years was how to present my work and how to talk about what I made and why it works," Devito says. At FOX, he led design teams through the FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl, and World Series before joining Amazon in August.

His first Amazon projects include redesigning Thursday Night Football artwork for Prime Video and creating grocery bags promoting Black Friday football that will appear in Whole Foods stores nationwide. The scale excites him after years of intense deadlines at FOX.

Devito built his career foundation while still in school, stacking internships with the Washington Nationals, Seattle Seahawks, and freelance work for EA Sports and NBA 2K. His portfolio of real-world projects helped him land at FOX right after graduation.

Why This Inspires

Mel Fouts took a different path than she expected. The 2023 environmental engineering graduate entered college thinking she wanted to become a professor but discovered her true calling through research and mentorship.

Now she works as a project delivery engineer for Pennsylvania American Water, managing million-dollar infrastructure projects that bring clean water to residents from Nanticoke to the Delaware Water Gap. Her team handles everything from water mains to treatment facilities, taking projects from initial concept through two years of construction.

"More than the course content, it's the thought process that you learn from the faculty," Fouts says. "It's teaching you the patience" to solve complex real-world problems.

Both graduates emphasize how Wilkes prepared them beyond textbook knowledge. The university's hands-on approach and supportive faculty gave them skills that translate directly to professional success, whether designing for streaming platforms or ensuring clean water flows to communities across Pennsylvania.