Susi Brucato: Capturing the Essence of Dominican

Small business owner Susi Brucato ’01, MBA ’09 tapped into her memories of Dominican University 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 Dominican 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 Dominican 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 Dominican University, said the candle had “just the right scent to capture the essence of Dominican University” and was well-received by the guests.

Returning to Dominican 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 Dominican, every aspect has helped build me into what I am today,” she said.